Saving treasures from an old barn

Our former homestead had a grand 97 year old barn, that had seen better days. We hoped and tried to save the barn. Unfortunately, she had deteriorated too much, had to be torn down and removed. I rescued as many little treasures from the piles of debris that I could. I was determined to use my barn finds in as many frugal trash to treasure projects that I could.

Hay pulleys find a new use

These hay pulleys are 2 of my favorite treasures our former barn. I was fortunate to find them amid the heap of barn pieces. I decided the moment I found them, that I would use them to hang baskets of flowers some day. Utilizing the pulleys would make it easy to water the plants by raising and lowering the ropes on the pulley wheels.

Hay pulleys hold hanging flowering baskets

To convert the pulleys to hold hanging baskets, was a simple task. I measured how low I wanted the baskets to hang from each pulley-deciding 3 feet on each side, was a good length. Additional rope would be needed to extend around each wheel and for a loop to be tied at each end. I allowed 1 additional foot of rope for each purpose. The total length of rope needed for each pulley was 9 feet/18 feet for 2 pulleys. Then I went to our local Lowe’s store to purchase the rope I needed. I searched the rope selections to find one that was thin enough to go through the pulley wheels and strong enough to support the weight of the hanging baskets filled with flowers, soil and water. I was thrilled the rope I chose was only 12 cents per foot. Total cost was only $2.16-WOW, such a bargain!

A sturdy hook to hang the pulleys

The hay pulleys found a new life hanging from the ceiling of our front porch. I highly recommend using a sturdy plant style hook versus a cup hook. The result is a crashing disaster that required me to purchase a stronger hook. I was able to find the correct hook at Lowes for only $1.68.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Style-Selections-Ceiling-Hook/1000989346

Hay pulleys are multifunctional

Hay pulleys are multifunctional. After they have served their purpose to hold flowering baskets, I attach mason jars filled with stones and battery operated candles to the ropes. I decorate the rims of the mason jars for the seasons by adding twine and artificial flowers with hot glue. The flowers can match your home or be appropriately colored for the seasons. I use sunflowers in the Fall and red poinsettias at Christmas. I tie the decorated jars to the rope loops with additional twine. This is such a fun trash to treasure project, no matter what season it is!

Reduce, reuse, recycle our old barn

I believe in the theory of reduce, reuse and recycle, even in reference to an old barn. By rescuing pieces of the old barn and using them in future trash to treasure projects, our old barn lives on. I’m happy to breath new life into an old antique…it’s frugal, functional and it’s fun!

Here’s a little video showing more of my garden treasures and continued use of these hay pulleys…