Dad’s tool hanger

Dad’s

Tool Hanger

By Life is a Garden

We’re celebrating dads and father figures this month. Here’s your chance to round up the family for a practical, thoughtful, and fun DIY project. Kids will love giving dad a hand and helping to get all those tools sorted. To finish off the look, we’ll be adding a hardy plant to the pallet tool hanger, so get your green fingers ready!

You will need:

• a drill • a pallet • wood hooks (to hang pots) • paint or wood varnish and brush • bucket-style pots with handles (make sure that your wood hooks are large enough to support the pots and fit the pot handle size) • pot plants and potting soil from your garden centre (choose non-creeping/climbing plants and go for an upright beauty instead) • U-type double hook tool hangers and matching screws. Choose hooks that are coated with plastic or rubber to protect dad’s tools from scratches (available at hardware stores).

TOP TIP:

Your local nursery has a variety of bucket-style pots and baskets to choose from as well as a glorious selection of plants. Take the kids along for a 'green' family outing and enjoy a milkshake in the tea garden!

PLANT PICKS:

If you’re thinking about installing the tool hanger in a sunny spot, go for succulents and cacti as no-fuss plants that will thrive off a little neglect. Striking cacti also add a rugged feel to the hanger; just remember to ensure plants have good drainage. Evergreen shade and semi-shade plants are also available at nurseries. Ask the friendly staff members for assistance when choosing the perfect plant for your location.

How to make the pallet tool hanger

1

Give your pallet a coat of paint or wood varnish in the colour of your choice. Encourage kids to write little messages or paint some pictures for dad on the panels.

2

Decide where you would like to hang your pots and look at what kind of tools dad uses the most. We recommend a line of four hanging pots along the second panel, leaving space for larger tools to hang below.

Drill four holes, evenly spaced, across your panel. Choose a drill bit that is slightly smaller in diameter than the wood hooks so that you can twist your hooks into the drilled holes by hand.

3

4

Twist the wood hooks into the ready-drilled holes.

6

Hang your plants on the hooks by the handle-end of the pot.

5

Half-fill your pots with nutritious potting soil. Transplant your new babies into the pots and give them a good watering. Let them drain completely.

7

Placement of the hooks will depend on the size of the tools you are planning to hang. Give it some thought and arrange the hooks to best suit dad’s handy-man essentials.

8

Now it’s time to gather dad’s most used tools and pop them on the panels. Drill holes for the U-type double hook tool hangers and fasten them using screws.

TOP TIP:

Use the open compartments of the panels for dad to store other hardware accessories. Line the insides of the panels with a plastic material for easy cleaning and grab-and-go convenience.

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