She Used Chicken Wire to Turn a Rusty Patio Chair With No Seat Into a Fall Flower Bed
Rust covered the metal frame of this old patio chair, and the seat was gone. The curved back and armrests remained intact, but there was nowhere to sit. Instead of repairing the chair or throwing it away, the empty opening became the starting point for a garden project.
Homedit contributor Morena Hockley used chicken wire, zip ties, fabric, and fall mums to transform the chair into a flower bed. She even kept the rusted finish, adding a touch of rose-gold metallic paste rather than covering the frame with fresh paint.
The Rusty Patio Chair Had No Seat
The original chair featured a curved metal back, open wire armrests, and four legs covered with patches of rust. The outer frame remained intact, but the seating area consisted of exposed metal supports with no surface to hold a cushion.
Morena chose to preserve the weathered metal rather than strip the rust and repaint the frame.
She Rubbed Rose-Gold Paste Over the Rust
Before adding the planting materials, she wiped down the metal to remove loose dirt and flaking paint.
Using an old washcloth, she applied rose-gold metallic paste across the frame. The paste added a metallic finish while leaving the rust visible underneath.
Chicken Wire Replaced the Missing Seat
A square of chicken wire became the support for the flower bed. Morena cut the wire to fit the seat opening, then attached its corners to the metal frame with zip ties.
She bent the wire downward into a basket shape, creating a recessed planting area between the armrests. Additional zip ties secured the edges to the chair.
Fabric Covered the Wire Basket and Chair Back
Chicken wire alone could not retain the potting soil. Morena placed mesh-like fabric over the basket to prevent the soil from falling through the openings.
She also stretched fabric across the chair back, attaching it to the small metal pegs on the frame. The material formed a backdrop behind the planting area without hiding the curved metal bars.
Fall Mums Filled the New Flower Bed
With the basket prepared, she added soil and planted chrysanthemums in three colors.
Purple-pink mums filled the rear section, while bright yellow and deep pink blooms occupied the front. The taller planting at the back followed the curve of the chair, with the shorter flowers sitting between the armrests.
The Finished Chair Became Fall Garden Decor
The completed planter retained its rusted legs, open armrests, and rounded back. White mesh fabric remained visible behind the flowers, while the wire basket supported the planted arrangement.
Placed among shrubs and red mulch, the chair became a fall display without losing its original metal shape. An orange pumpkin beside the frame completed the seasonal arrangement.
Instead of buying another planter, Morena reused a chair that had lost its seat. Chicken wire provided the planting basket, fabric held the soil, and the original rust remained part of the finished design.
Would you keep the rusted finish on a garden planter like this, or paint the entire chair?