A while back we were given a whole box full of old rusty lanterns by a friend of ours. Love it when that happens 🙂 We managed to repurposed bits and pieces and made some enamel cup lanterns for our holiday home. We even turned two of them into charming lantern planters and filled them with succulents. Here’s the thing though. I really, really wanted to hang them from an antique pulley.

These charming old school lantern planters look amazing hanging from an antique pulley. Make your own with this super tutorial. #DIYHomeDecor #Planters #farmhousestyle

But those things are as scarce as hen’s teeth here and if you do find them, they’re way over our budget. No ways am I spending so much money on something that’s going to be used as décor in the garden. Nope not going to happen. So I had to figure out a way to make my own. And I love how it turned out.

These charming old school lantern planters look amazing hanging from an antique pulley. Make your own with this super tutorial. #DIYHomeDecor #Planters #farmhousestyle

The antique pulley looks like it’s been doing some heavy lifting for a few years. And it’s such a simple concept too. All you need is a grooved wheel or sheave and some kind of casing.

Okay, before we get to how we made that pulley and turned lanterns into planters, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!

Making a Faux Antique Pulley

I must admit I had to dig around quite a bit to find something that would act as a grooved wheel. We don’t have a lathe so making one from scratch wasn’t really an option. What I did find though was this little wheel thingy here.

These charming old school lantern planters look amazing hanging from an antique pulley. Make your own with this super tutorial. #DIYHomeDecor #Planters #farmhousestyle

That’s the wheel that normally sits under an electric gate, something that’s quite common here in South Africa. In the larger cities we all live behind 6 foot walls and have a remote controlled electric gate. It’s much safer than the ones you have to open by hand. Nobody wants to leave their car running while they try and open a gate, that’s like putting up a neon sign and saying “Come hijack me”. Sad I know, but that’s what it is.

Okay lets get back to that faux antique pulley. Since I had a grooved wheel all I needed to do was make a casing or frame to house the wheel. Pretty easy, just cut two sides and a top bit. The top gets screwed onto the the top of the electric gate motor wheel and then the sides are glued and screwed on.

These charming old school lantern planters look amazing hanging from an antique pulley. Make your own with this super tutorial. #DIYHomeDecor #Planters #farmhousestyle

After staining the wood casing and adding old railway bolts on either side we had our very own, faux antique pulley.

These charming old school lantern planters look amazing hanging from an antique pulley. Make your own with this super tutorial. #DIYHomeDecor #Planters #farmhousestyle

So perfect for hanging those lantern planters.

These charming old school lantern planters look amazing hanging from an antique pulley. Make your own with this super tutorial. #DIYHomeDecor #Planters #farmhousestyle

Old lanterns can be repurposed in so many different ways. They make beautiful pixie dens and they are pretty easy to convert into planters too. You just have to make sure to remove any oily residue first. You don’t want that stuff seeping into the soil and harming your plants.

How to Turn Lanterns into Planters

First off remove the chimney, wick, and cap on the oil reservoir. Save those bits to make these beautiful electrified enamel cup lanterns. If there’s still oil inside the reservoir dispose of it safely. Never pour old oil down the drain or toilet.

These charming old school lantern planters look amazing hanging from an antique pulley. Make your own with this super tutorial. #DIYHomeDecor #Planters #farmhousestyle

Mix a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid with really hot water. Add the mixture to the reservoir and use a bottle brush to scrub the inside of the reservoir and get rid of any tough deposits. Pour the water out and fill the reservoir up again. Let the soapy mixture sit in the reservoir overnight and rinse with hot water the next day. Once the reservoir is nice and clean, your lanterns should be safe for planting.

Our lanterns were a bit rusty and I was worried that the little stones needed for drainage would fall through the holes so I added some shade cloth on the inside first.

These charming old school lantern planters look amazing hanging from an antique pulley. Make your own with this super tutorial. #DIYHomeDecor #Planters #farmhousestyle

Before planting the succulents we sprayed the outside of the lanterns a lovely bronze color that contains a rust inhibitor.

These charming old school lantern planters look amazing hanging from an antique pulley. Make your own with this super tutorial. #DIYHomeDecor #Planters #farmhousestyle

I normally don’t mind a little bit of rust, but I want these lantern planters to last a few seasons before they disintegrate completely 😉

See how easy it is to turn old lanterns in to gorgeous hanging planters. The tutorial includes how to make a pulley from scratch and has tips on prepping and cleaning the lanterns before adding the plants #DIYPlanters #DIYHangingPlanter #UpcycledPlanter #ACraftyMix LanternPlanters

I’d love to know what you think. Do you love old pulleys too?

These charming old school lantern planters look amazing hanging from an antique pulley.  See how to make your own with this super tutorial. Include how to turn lanterns into planters #DIYHomeDecor #Planters #farmhousestyle #DIYPlanters #DIYHangingPlanter #UpcycledPlanter #ACraftyMix #LanternPlanters

And if you like the idea of hanging lantern planters from a repurposed pulley, please don’t forget to share.

These charming old school lantern planters look amazing hanging from an antique pulley. Make your own with this super tutorial. #DIYHomeDecor #Planters #farmhousestyle

Oh and just in case you want to make your own antique pulley I’ve added a few affiliate links below. That way you won’t have to try to find the materials we used. Disclosure: If you click on the links, we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry, it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more unique DIY and craft tutorials for you 😉

And if you would rather buy than DIY maybe one of these beautiful pulleys are more your style.

Deco 79 55408 Metal & Rope Block Tackle
Sale Design Toscano Vintage Wheel Farm Pulley Industrial Decor, Medium, Full Color
Special T Imports Set of 2 Rustic Vintage Style Metal and Wood Pulleys and Hooks Wall Décor Hanging 30.5 Inches High

And as always, wishing you a beautiful week filled with lots of love.

Made with love by a Crafty Mix