MacGyver Challenge: Slide Carousels
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Evan Bee’s picture-perfect planter is an indoor farm in the round.
Posted by ReadyMade
Project by Evan Bee; Photo by Kritsada
“I’ve had some carousels on hand for years that I picked up for a dollar at a garage sale, but they didn’t fit my projector. I also had a friend who wanted help growing plants in a dark corner. She has a very Danish modern apartment, and the carousels have a vintage modern charm, which I thought would be a great match. I was lucky that my carousels happened to be that classic off-white color—I definitely would have spray-painted them a more fun color if they had been a drab gray.” --Evan Bee
Maker: Evan Bee
Age: 31
Where: San Francisco
Day Job(s): Server by day, sushi-slinger by night, and even later he runs a crafts table at club Tiara Sensation
Favorite Tool: Hot-glue gun
Skill Level
Moderate
Active Time
Half a day
Cost
$
- Two 100-slide trays picture-hanging wire, at least 6 feet
- Two 3½-inch-diameter
- Jar lids
- One IKEA Hemma cord set with both fixture and hanging hook
- 1 plastic food container (a sour cream container works well.)
- One fluorescent grow lightbulb (Do not use incandescent bulbs, which are too hot for plants and can be a fire hazard.)
- One plant potted in a 4-inch round container
Materials
- Wire snips
- Sturdy box cutter
- Work gloves
- Scissors
Tools
Face the bottoms of each tray toward each other. Cut three equal lengths of wire to 22 inches long. Thread one wire through each of the trays using these number combos: 1/1, 33/67, and 67/33.
Tie the ends of these wires to the slide tray at equal lengths. (Tuck away about a foot so you have slack to work with once the plant starts growing.)
Carefully cut a 1½-inch-diameter circle in the center of each jar lid with a box cutter. (Wear gloves to protect your hands.)
Unscrew the fixture and thread through the first jar lid, top facing up. Thread the fixture through the top tray, then through the second jar lid, top facing up. Screw the fixture back together with the jar lids sandwiching the top tray. The pendant lamp should now support the entire grow lamp structure.
Cut the plastic food container to fit the bottom slide carousel. (No edges should show from above; it’s there to catch any water drips.)
Screw in the lightbulb. Test to make sure it works.
Place your plant in the bottom carousel and watch it grow!
