If you visit a serious gardener, you’ll most likely find old water hoses lying around or pieces and parts used in creative ways.
Below you’ll find some clever ways old garden hoses can “live on” and remain useful long after they are used to water reliably.
Protect Young Or Newly Planted Trees
To cushion and prevent support wires from damaging or cutting into branches and trunks.
Cut a length of hose and thread the support wire or rope through it before attaching it to the support stakes.
Or to use the hose instead of rope or twine. A rubber hose is flexible and gives when the wind blows, and does not cut into the sapling’s tender trunk while holding it upright.
Giant Water Level
When building greenhouses, we would attach a 3-foot length of clear vinyl to each end of a garden hose and fill it with colored water.
Since water “seeks” its level, a hose acts as a large water level. Excellent for leveling structures and patios.
Landscaping Tool
Perfect for laying out a flower and landscape beds. Hoses can be easily curved and moved to create a visual layout and borders before digging and planting.
Grips Of Bucket Handles
Split a section of old hose and slip it over the wire bail of a bucket… makes carrying the full bucket easier and cushions your hand.
Earwig Trap
Earwigs love cramped, small, dark places. To attract them, place 6-inch pieces of hose in your garden. Later, shake them free and drown them in a bucket of soapy water.
Protect Car Bumpers and Doors
Screw lengths of hose at the car bumper level to the corners of the garage door frame to help prevent dings and repair dented trim. Can also be used for boat docks.
Soaker Hoses
Crimp one end and drill small holes in the hose. Works great along a row of bushes; leave it year-round. Drain in winter. Bury just under the soil around plants and fill with water. Keeps plants watered for days.
Tool Hanger
Attach a board to the garage wall, make a loop large enough for a shovel handle, screw the hose to the board, and repeat as many times as needed.
Lifting
Cut and put over a rope to make lifting a heavy object or container without hurting your hands
Blade Protector
Cut the hose to the length of the blade and slit along the side so it can be slid over saw blades, hacksaws, and chainsaws as covers. Works great with knife or ice skate blades too.
Swing Protector
Thread the chain of a child’s swing set through it to keep little fingers safe.
Faucet Extension
Bury lengths of linked hose about 4 inches deep underground for an outdoor spigot.
Snake Scare
Scare birds from the garden by creating “snakes”… Cut 1-2 foot long pieces of hose and lay them out like an “S” in your garden.
Un-Clog a Downspout
Snake a rigid rubber hose up the spout until it reaches the clog. Then a few pokes with the hose should dislodge the trapped debris, allowing rainwater to flow through freely again.
Play Telephone
Make an old-fashioned play telephone for the kids. Cut a length of hose, and attach a funnel to each end with duct tape. Let the kids chat all they want… No texting!
Curve Sander
A great solution for sanding tight curves, such as trim or crown molding. Wrap a piece of sandpaper around a length of split hose… start sanding.
Make A Door Stop
Squeeze the hose flat, jam it under the door. Hose expands and holds the door or gate open.
Drain A Kiddie Pool
Use an old garden hose to siphon and drain a kiddie pool while watering the garden, provided the water is chlorine-free.
Dog Chew Toys
Sliced up into manageable pieces, they make good chew and tug toys.
Towel Protector
Nail or tie in sections to pool fences to hang up towels, etc
Garden Art
- Wreath: make a wreath and decorate it with a garden theme, e.g., old garden gloves, garden tools, etc.
- Flowers: Shape into flowers, nail or screw them to the surface, and paint the inside of the petals in different colors to decorate ugly exterior walls.
- Basket: Wire together to make a gardening basket!
Cushion For Garden Tools
Cut two eight-inch pieces, split down one side, wrap around a tool handle (hoe, rake, rake head, etc), and secure with a 1.5″ hose clamp on both ends to make a padded grip.
Stop Scratches
Place old hoses around the top of tomato cages made from fence wire to
Stop getting scratches all over your arms.
Electrical Uses
- For outdoor electric cords, slit the hose lengthwise and press the cord into the slit for protection.
- Cover for exterior drop cord…. keeps knots out and easier to loop & store
- Conduit for small-gauge wire in harsh environments
- Electric fence insulators – To run your electric fence line on the ground for gates, the animals (stock) can walk over and not get shocked, and it does not ground out
Protect Patio
Cut into lengths and glue to the bottom of flower pots to prevent patio marking and improve drainage.
Driveway & Yard Accents
Paint with glow-in-the-dark paint and outline walkways, driveways, or attach to the fence top or place around the yard for a cool night look
Rain Chain
Braid 2 to 4 other old hoses and string from the gutter down into the flower bed makes awesome rain chain to save on the water bill and watering flowers
Fire Pit Rainbow
Cut into pieces, place the copper tube inside, throw it into a bonfire, and watch the color change to blue, green, and purple. It’s beautiful… NOTE: Although the colors may be beautiful, breathing the burning fumes may also be toxic.
Chair & Seating
Weave hose lengths in a crisscross pattern and nail to the frame of an old bench or chair to create a repurposed garden seat.
Flower Beds
Run along flower beds, so weed eaters will cut weed,s not flowers
Listen To An Engine
My dad used to cut a piece to listen to where a noise was coming from on the car & lawn mower engines. Worked great for diagnostics.
Hinges
Cut into 6-inch lengths to use as hinges on greenhouse and cold frames.