These Tire Planters Look Like Pottery

These Tire Planters Look Like Pottery FARM HOME Miscellaneous ARM SHOW reader Roy Manfredi recently wrote to tell us about tire planters created by Amy Atwater and her business partner Pat Garrett saying that the painted planters are as beautiful as they are functional
    “We’ve taken the design process to a new level ” Atwater says “At art shows some people think they are pottery when they first see them ”
    The venture started accidentally when the couple decided to do something with four old tires Garrett had taken off his pickup He used “brute strength” to turn them inside out and cut in a design with a sharp knife After cleaning them thoroughly Atwater painted them Others noticed and asked if the couple could make more and they’ve been making tire planters ever since
    The artists sell them online and at their shop 8725 UpCycled Arts located in Raton N Mex which is located at the intersection of Hwys 87 and 25 in the northeast corner of the state
    Between Garrett’s precise cutting and painting and Atwater’s painting and eye for color and design they continually come up with new designs and customize according to clients’ wishes
    “We do everything from the smallest riding lawn mower to pickup tires But our favorites are golf cart tires ” Atwater says They have local sources that provide plenty of free tires It saves the businesses disposal fees and keeps the tires out of landfills
    Atwater explains that in their area the soil is poor and the growing season short The tire planters can be filled with good soil and they keep plants warm and hold moisture Customers grow a variety of things in them including vegetables flowers and cactuses
    Prices vary according to size and design starting at $15 for unpainted small tires to $125 for large tires with custom designs Quality primer automotive and acrylic paints are used
    The recycle artists also make hose winders dog beds and toy storage units out of tires They recycle other items as well including empty shotgun shell cases which they transform into strings of lights Their work as well as other recycled artists’ work can be purchased at their Raton N M store and seen on their Facebook page
    They also ship items including the tire planters
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Amy Atwater 648 Mora Ave Raton N Mex 87740 ph 507 440-9803; Facebook 8725 UpCycled Arts; amyatwater71@gmail com

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