How-To: Tackle Box Planter

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By Andrew Salomone
I like fishing. Catching fish is OK, but it can really start to feel a little bit like work once you have an actual fish on your hands. Sitting near water holding a fancy stick with a distinct sense of purpose is really the best part of the whole charade for me. So I realized that the tackle boxes full of fishing paraphernalia that I have accrued over the years are not really all that necessary for my enjoyment of the rich tradition of fishing. It is my suspicion that I am not the only one out there who has a few of these boxes specifically designed to allow easy access to fishing tackle laying idle somewhere. So here’s an easy project to class up your domicile: a Tackle Box Planter. Read on to get started!


tackleboxplanter_materials.jpg

Materials

Tackle box or make-up box, pencil box, tool box, any box with trays at multiple levels that extend out when it is open.
Potting soil
Garden trowel
Seeds or seedlings
Gravel
Cardboard egg carton
if you plan to use the planter to start seedlings

Directions

tackleboxplanter_step1.jpg
Step 1: Find a tackle box.
Warning: If you are using a tackle box that was previously used to hold fishing tackle, including lead weights, be sure the wash out the box very well before you plant anything in it, or be sure not to plant anything edible in it, as lead can be dangerous when it gets in the soil of edible plants.
tackleboxplanter_step2.jpg
Step 2: Put a layer of small gravel pieces into the bottom of each level of the planter. This will act as a drainage system for the soil and keep the plant’s roots from rotting. Also, consider drilling some holes in the trays for proper drainage.
Note: Make sure that the trays are not too shallow to plant in or make sure to choose plants that can grow in shallow soil. I chose to use plants to illustrate a variety of different types of plants, but these may not be the best plants to try to maintain in the planter over a long period of time.

Step 3: Use a garden trowel to fill the tackle box with potting soil.
Note: You may want to use some of the space on the trays to get seedlings started before moving them out to your garden or another planter.
tackleboxplanter_step4a.jpg
Step 4: Plant your seeds or plants and place the planter in a sunny spot.
tackleboxplanter_step4b.jpg
Note: Don’t forget to throw a few old lures in there for dramatic effect.
About the Author:
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Andrew Salomone makes artwork about the absurd ways that ideas are communicated through popular culture. He is currently teaching a course on art and technology in Arizona.

6 thoughts on “How-To: Tackle Box Planter

  1. Sheryl Zacharia says:

    Andrew,
    You are a hoot!! I read a couple of your blogs and love the way your head works. The jello shots fantastic. Ill miss seeing you at MAD
    I might take one of my old tool boxes and plant herbs, love it!
    Hope to see u again soon

  2. Organic Gardens Network says:

    This tackle box planter is fabulous. We’re always looking for planter ideas, and repurposing unconventional gardening items is always fun. Thanks for the great idea!

  3. Organic Gardens Network says:

    This tackle box planter is fabulous. We’re always looking for planter ideas, and repurposing unconventional gardening items is always fun. Thanks for the great idea!

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Becky Stern is a Content Creator at Autodesk/Instructables, and part time faculty at New York’s School of Visual Arts Products of Design grad program. Making and sharing are her two biggest passions, and she's created hundreds of free online DIY tutorials and videos, mostly about technology and its intersection with crafts. Find her @bekathwia on YouTube/Twitter/Instagram.

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