Turn An Old Tomato Cage Into A Clever Beverage Chiller For Your Porch Or Patio

When you're enjoying sitting outside in the summer, having a place to store cold drinks makes it even sweeter. Regular coolers, though, can be expensive. Fortunately, you can easily make your own drink chiller with this genius way to reuse tomato cages. In a YouTube video, The Daily DIYer, who also goes by Shannon, showed how these simple wire cages make the perfect base for a cold beverage station. With just a tomato cage and a large plastic planter, you'll be able to keep your beverages ice-cold and nearby on your patio or porch.

This project is extremely simple and can be completed in just a few minutes. You'll want to choose a planter that is large enough to hold ice and drinks. Check that it also fits nicely inside or on top of the smallest ring of the tomato cage. This DIY is a great outdoor party idea or works as a fixture to add to your patio throughout the summer season. Keep in mind that planters with drainage holes will allow the melted ice to leak out onto your deck. If you don't have a plastic planter, you should be able to use a large bowl instead. Whether you need to keep a bunch of drink cans cold or want to chill bottles of wine, this project is a cute and budget-friendly solution. 

After choosing the perfect planter, there are a couple of ways to assemble this DIY beverage cooler. In her video, The Daily DIYer used a container with a bottom that was about the same size as the smallest metal ring on the tomato cage. With the cage upside down, she bent the long wire stakes outward to make space for the round planter to sit on top of the ring. Finally, she folded the wires into the planter to hold everything together, creating a genius patio piece for summer.

Alternatively, with a different shape or size planter, you can style this in another way. First, cut the long wire ends off the tomato cage. Then, simply nestle the bottom of the planter or bowl into the small ring of the cage. This gives your drink chiller a little more of a streamlined look, though the beverage stand won't be as tall. With this option, it's also easier to remove the bowl if you want to dump out melted ice.

If you'd like, spray-paint the tomato cage and the container to change the aesthetic of your cooler. Once it's assembled, fill the bowl with ice and add your drinks. For parties, you might make several of these drink chillers to set around your outdoor space. Even if you don't have a patio, this upcycled tomato cage would be great for just hanging out in your yard.