Learn how to make a DIY Southern bottle tree using blue beer bottles - super duper easy to make. Also known as a tomato cage bottle tree.
This tomato cage bottle tree is the story of a project a year in the making.
I started thinking about making this project a year ago.
I bought the supplies for making this project a year ago.
I even blogged about my frustration in not getting to make this project a year ago.
If I knew it was going to be so easy, I would have just made this *$#% project a year ago.
In actuality, it only took about ten minutes to put my bottle tree together.
The hardest part was chugging all that beer 🙂
I used a six pack of Bud Light Platinum, which comes in the prettiest shade of blue. When was the last time you said a bottle of beer was pretty?
And two tomato cages. I bought the cheapest ones that Lowes carries. They have three rings on them.
I used them upside down for the project.
I also used a pair of fence pliers to cut the caging. They are like wire cutters, but made for heavier fencing. I would think regular old wire cutters would probably work also.
The first cage on the left was left intact. I just bent the arms on the top of the cage (which is technically the bottom, but the top in this photo) outward a little so the bottles would not stand straight up, but rather lean outward.
The second cage's top circle was cut off along with about 4 inches of the wire (this will make the bottle holding arms closer to the same length).
I slid cage number one over cage number two, rotated the cages, so the arms would be spaced out equally. Then bent cage number two's arms out at the same angle as the first cage had been bent.
Put your bottle on the arms and you are good to go.
Unless you have a dog.
Lacey started to take quite an interest in the bottle tree, so I made some little stakes out of the left over pieces from the second tomato cage and poked them in the ground at the bottom of the cages in order to make the tree able to withstand a nosy dog.
Score one for the humans.
The moral of this story is you can either spend a year worrying about a project or just do the stupid thing. It might just turn out looking sort of cool. And blue.
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Sherry@Back2Vintage
That is a great idea, Pam! Love the blue bottles! Got any more great ideas from last year??? 🙂
Ivy and Elephants
Such a cool idea, I'd never seen it before!
The blue bottles are great pops of color in the garden.
Hugs,
Patti
Judy Biggerstaff
You are so green, smart use of your blue bottles, love how they look on the tomato cage.
SIMPLY SUZANNE'S
Suzanne of Simply Suzannes at Home
I LOVE the blue bottles!
Gosh, those would make beautiful vases for bright-colored Summer flowers. Several running down the center of a long table would be quite stunning!
Thanks for sharing!
Stacy's Snippets
Gorgeous! I have several of the colored tomato cages that I'm no longer using...I wonder if those would work instead..they are a sturdier wire so it might be hard to bend them....I'll try tonight! Thanks for the great idea!
Jody and Stan
Very cute idea! The blue bottles are perfect!
Jody
Inspire Me Heather
We don't get that kind of beer here but if we did, well I'd be buying LOTS of it - love those bottles!! Your bottle tree turned out super cute, well worth the wait!
Eclectically Vintage
Great idea - love how it adds color to the garden!
Kelly
Janel from NellieBellie
Love the blue. I think I may need a bottle tree as well. Gives me a great excuse to get working on some blue bottles!
moonlake
I love your bottle tree. What a good idea now you have gave me an idea on putting one in my yard. I have a bottle tree my husband made for me but I would like more.
Violet Muse
I LOVE it! I would change it up a bit using 3 tomato cages to make it fuller. Guess i'll just have to drink more beer........:)
And yes, you are so funny; really enjoyed your blog!
Pamela @ Flower Patch Farmhouse
I got a kick out of drinking all that beer was the tough part. 🙂 Not around here, it is a favorite. Though I restrict myself to one or two over the weekend, it has a tendency to make me chubby.
Vena
I love this! How DIY and REYCYCLE!
I have always wanted one! Now I can do it myself!?
Judy Newman
I love your idea of the tomato cages,for the bottle bush.I just ,afe 2 of them.On top I but a pot with flowerd,it seemed to finish it.
I am putting them in a charity auction,hope they sell