Monday, July 21, 2014

A fun little summer project

A few weeks ago, I was shopping in town and saw 
the sweetest little bicycle.... it was all rusty & small and was created to 
be placed in a garden.... it had a basket in the front and two on the back wheel.
I have a love for bikes and thought how great it would be to put something like this in my garden.
The price, however, was a deterrent, but it didn't stop me from trying to figure
out how I could make something similar.

I ended up going to the MCC in Winkler to look for a cheap, old bike.
I wanted something so old that it wouldn't be cost effective to fix it up--
basically something that was headed for the dump.
They didn't have anything, but the man who worked them let me know about
a mission in town that had lots of old bikes just sitting in their yard.
I found one that was perfect -- flat tires, rusty, with a carrier over the back tire.
I bought it for a couple of dollars and hauled it home.

Now, I have to say that this project was going to be mine.... but somehow,
my kids got involved, too.
Austin was bored the morning we brought it home,
so I told him he could take off all of the extra parts (the brakes, reflectors, etc.)
Jonah washed it for me.
And they all wanted a turn spray painting it (I chose a flat black paint so it would
look like wrought iron.)


We ran out of spray paint and Austin walked to the store to buy another can
while we were at swimming lessons. 
When I got home, he'd finished a second coat.

Sage, Jonah and I hit the nurseries -- we didn't find annuals until the third one
(apparently mid-July is not the time to buy annuals....  who knew?)
I found some purple wave petunias and planted two in a container which
we duct-taped to the front of the bike.
Two more went in a container on the back rack.

Austin helped me anchor it down (we used fishing line and tent pegs)
and voilà... my new garden structure was complete.


What do you think?

Thanks for looking!

19 comments:

Betty said...

that is the cutest RE-CYCLE ever - love having stuff like that in my yard.

Happy Dance said...

I think there are no bounds to your creativity! This is such a wonderful family project, and rather than spending too much on something sweet, you've made something even sweeter! Pure delight, and I'll bet you smile every time you see it!! Bev

Tracey McNeely said...

Leigh what a fantastic bike for your garden, but i love the story even more! Your kids will remember this for the rest of their lives and as they get older they will remember it as though it was all their own idea! Precious memories!

Miriam Prantner said...

What a fun find! It looks wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Awesome re-cycle!!

Megan Carroll said...

Wow!! This is so great Leigh! I love it! Glad all your kids jumped in to help too!!

Lindsey said...

Leigh, what a fabulous project! I think it turned out amazing and love that it ended up being a team effort.

Lisa Elton said...

What a fun summer project for your kids! It turned out great Leigh and Tracey is right, terrific memories for all!!

robinann17 said...

I love your new garden art and I love your story! What a clever idea! The matte black finish is great. I always smile when I read your postings...you're a very creative, positive person - thanks for sharing!

Chriss Blagrave said...

Love this Leigh, and the story behind it! It is lovely and looks like it has a beautiful spot in the garden. Thanks for sharing!

~amy~ said...

How awesome!

alexandra s.m. said...

What a cool idea and the result is awesome!
Bravo to you all ;)

Chrissy Larson said...

Super cool! What a great idea and it turned out awesome!

Lee said...

What a great feature in your garden. Such a wonderful family project!

Kara said...

beautiful...looks wonderful in your garden!

Joyce said...

Fabulous idea, and I love how it became a family project. It looks great in your garden, too.

TeresaC said...

Love your story, Leigh!! Fun to read about your idea and how you made it happen!!

What a great SPIN on garden structures!!

Kay Miller said...

What a stunning card! I love the soft colors and your technique sounds intriguing! Loved seeing the photos of the bike transformation! so fun that your kids got involved too!

cm said...

As a person who loves bikes (road racing bikes, especially) I think your 're-cycled bike' is nothing short of fabulous! What a fabulous recounting of how your bike came to be found, and how the whole production was a family affair. Net result: spectacular!
~c