Iron Door Knocker Barrel Stave Flower Pot Holder

Sometimes it takes being challenged to see something through a different lens. It's time for another International Bloggers Club challenge and this month the theme is Iron. This one had me stumped for days until I remembered something deep in my stash that I've never found a use for. I married it with another item that has been collecting dust in the workshop and we now have a unique wrought iron door knocker barrel stave flower pot holder (whew, say that five times fast). I have it hanging on the gate in our yard and couldn't be happier with the results.

Wrought Iron Barrel Stave Flower Pot Holder

I've had the Fleur De Lis wrought iron door knocker in a box for so long that I don't remember when or where I got it. I'm a sucker for anything with French flair so it's no surprise that I bought it. But the door knocker didn't suit the style of the exterior of our home so it was never used for it's intended purpose. One never to get rid of ornamental iron works, I knew someday I'd find a purpose for it.

Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way. ~Edward de Bono

I'm so glad that someday has finally arrived, thanks to our iron challenge this month.

If you're new here and haven't heard of the International Bloggers Club, we are a group of friends from around the globe who come together every month to share a themed DIY project. You'll find links to my friend's iron inspired projects at the bottom of this post.

We have members from Spain, South Africa, Australia, the USA, and here in Canada. I'm from a hamlet east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We are situated in the Canadian Prairies and just a 4-5 hour drive from the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

For our silk or linen challenge, I shared my No Sew Tailored Bed Skirt For Adjustable Beds. The month prior for our leather challenge, I shared How To Beautify A Footstool With Embossed Leather.

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. At no cost to you, we receive a small commission if you make a purchase.

It's been at least a couple of years since Mr. Frugalista brought home the wine or whiskey barrel staves pictured below. The intention was to turn them into a stool or plant stand but that never happened and instead, they've been collecting dust in the workshop.

Wondering how I could marry the ornamental iron door knocker and the oak barrel staves, inspiration finally struck. But first I needed a metal flower pot.

The plan was to find a flower pot to fit inside the metal bob or ring of the door knocker. The problem was when flowers were inserted inside the flower pot, the ornate details of the door knocker were hidden. On to plan B.

I found the turquoise metal flower pot with fence hanger hook (pictured above) at the dollar store. The hanger was perfect to bend around the door knocker ring so the flower pot would hang lower. But the pretty blue flower pot was too shiny and new for the rustic charm I was going for. So I got busy with layers of paint and aged it.

You can see how nicely the iron door knocker, wine barrel staves, and metal flower pot work together to make an iron door knocker barrel stave flower pot holder.

...and I love how it looks hanging on our back gate.

Here's how I did it...

Glazed oak wine barrel staves

While I love the natural wood on the oak staves, the wrought iron door knocker looked lost against the dark wood. The option was either paint the door knocker or the barrel staves and I chose the later. First I sanded the wood staves to remove the glossy finish.

Next, I brushed the staves with a whitewash glaze, brushing both across and up and down each section to get the glaze deep into the wood grain. I let it sit for a couple of minutes before wiping the excess with a lint-free rag.

You can see the process in the photo below between the natural wood staves and the whitewashed staves. See how the glaze nestled into the grain of the wood?

How to age dollar store metal flower pots

While I loved the pretty turquoise color of the metal flower pot, it didn't have the rustic charm I wanted for my flower pot fence hanger.

My intention was to paint a faux galvanized metal finish on the flower pot so it would match the galvanized iron hoops on the barrel staves. I wanted some of the pretty turquoise color to peek through the painted layers. I started by painting dark gray chalk paint in random brush strokes with a chip brush.

I used the products below to achieve the aged galvanized patina on the flower pot.

A big difference between the flower pot before and after, right?

I applied the remaining layers of paint with a chip brush and dabbed with a lint-free rag to remove some of the paint.

Layer One - Hurricane Gray chalk paint (Dixie Belle)
Layer Two - Metallic Silver paint (Modern Masters)
Layer Three - Pewter Gray chalk paint (FAT)
Layer Four - Copper Primer, Metallic Copper paint, and Green Patina (Modern Masters)
Layer Five - Blackened Bronze Metallic Surfaces (Sophisticated Finishes)
Layer Six - Wicker White Multi-Surface craft paint (Folk Art)

Assembling the flower pot holder

Assembling it was super quick and easy. First I attached the door knocker to the barrel staves with 3/4-inch wood screws. I dabbed some blackened bronze and copper primer paint onto the screw heads with an art brush to match the wrought iron.

Next, I bent the fence hanger on the flower pot over the door knocker ring. I attached a D-ring picture hanger hook onto the back of the barrel staves and it was ready to hang with pretty pink petunias.

I'm not going to lie, part of me wonders if I should have left the metal flower pot untouched. The juxtaposition between the rustic door knocker and whitewashed staves with a pop of turquoise might have been quite pretty. What would have been your preference?

I'd love to hear in the comment section below or if you have any questions about this project, press the Contact Me button at the top of the blog to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

Other Wrought Iron OR Planter Inspiration

Rustic Garden Tool Holder With Planter
Repurposed 5-Panel Door Flower Planter
Wrought Iron Plant Stand Makeover
Vintage Wrought Iron Nesting Tables
Repurposed Hurricane Candle Holder To DIY Bistro Dining Set

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.

Please join me by clicking the links below to visit my friend's iron inspired projects.

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