DIY Idea For Old Movie Reels | Succulent Plant Display

This DIY idea for old movie reels is a great way to repurpose them. The movie reel project is really simple. You can recycle old movie reels in a snap. I used sisal rope and faux succulents along with the reels to make this a fun display. I made a video of the process so you can see it up close and personal.

I’ve seen the old reels hanging on walls in cute little displays in Pinterest photos and around the Web. Sometimes they have been DIY’ed into something unique, and sometimes it’s just the reels themselves as the center of attention. Anyway, I’ve been on the lookout for some of the reels. The metal reels can be pricey.

I bought this big box lot at an auction. To tell the truth, I don’t remember the price but it probably wasn’t over $10 or so. The lot didn’t include any really big reels, but that’s okay. Some of the reels are metal but most of the smaller ones are plastic.

For this project, I selected five reels in various sizes and a few different colors. Next, I removed the film strips. I know I might get some grief over this. The movie reels were from a family estate up for auction. I’m sorry, but I can’t help what other families do.

I gathered my supplies; sisal rope, reels, faux succulents, and a hot glue gun. That’s it. I know you guys wonder how I come up with some of these ideas. Most of the time, I’m just wandering through the workshop, looking through all the junk, and my eyes land on two or three things, and a light bulb goes off.

The day I came up with this idea, I was trying to think of a plan for the reels when I spotted the sisal rope I had just used on a picture frame (post coming up soon). I figured I could wind the rope inside the reels but then what? It only took a minute or two for me to think of the faux succulents…..another craft item (along with sisal rope) I’m addicted to.

I started the sisal rope on the reel by just holding it tight and looping around the reel. I did not hot glue the sisal rope to the reel but it could be done.

When I was happy with how the sisal rope looked, I put hot glue along the stem and base of the succulent. The succulents came from Dollar Tree. I have a large supply. Some of them were on clips, but I cut the clips off.

Only thing left to do was hold the succulent to the reel for a few seconds until the hot glue set. Then I put a dab of hot glue on the end of the rope and glued it to the row of sisal below it on the reel. The video tells the story better than I write it.

How cute are these? They can be hung on a wall or just sit on a table. I set mine on my coffee table.

The “reel succulents” are so fabulous looking. The smallest metal reel didn’t need any sisal rope. The reels don’t need hangers. Easy peasy.

I planned to hang the reels on the wall but I first laid them out on a rough piece of wood in the workshop to get a few photos. I liked this look so much that I may just sit them all together on my coffee table.

I hung them on the kitchen wall to see how they looked. A couple are on nails that were already in the wall, and on the others, I used the loop Velcro sticky wall stuff. It works great.

Time to watch the video if you want to see the step-by-step……

Unique Succulent Plant Display Idea Using Old Movie Reels

You should take a look at my other succulent projects here….

Indoor Succulent Plant Hanging Display Idea

12 Silver Plate Repurpose Ideas Including My Latest Project

Hope you guys enjoyed this project. Do you have any questions? Leave a note and thanks for being here, Kathy

Kathy Owen

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Author: Kathy Owen
Kathy Owen is the founder of the home decor blog Petticoat Junktion where she shares tutorials on painting furniture and upcycling thrifty finds into unique home décor. Her DIY projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Kathy’s newest website is HappyHomeDIY.com