Mostly I trip over the stack of them, cuss them soundly, try to kick them out of the way, get poked in the ankle, restack them and then swear I'm going to put them out for trash pickup next Friday. Then I forget until the next time I trip over the stack of them, cuss them... etc.

I like your idea though. Sounds more constructive and less painful than mine.

Kate

I just use them for their intend purpose. Although I made a grapevine Christmas tree on one years ago for my SIL's herb shop.

Tomato cages make GREAT Christmas trees! Cover them with grapevine, green (or other color) garland, papers of all sorts, light them from the inside or outside. HD and Lowe's probably sell as many tomatoe cages in December as in March. And I saw where someone had made a planter from one by turning it upside down and wiring a window screen "basket" at each ring. They lined the basket with weed block and planted vines, flowers, etc. The legs were simply turned down to keep from poking someone in the eye. It was really neat! cora

Last fall I found 4 rusty-spotted tomato cages on clearance for a quarter each at Target.

I too made them into Christmas trees - just wrapped with garland and lights! Voila! 4 more trees to add to the outdoor display!

I use them to make "vine-covered" birdbaths. It's a really easy and cheap way to add a birdbath to your garden. Put your tomato cage in the ground where you want a bird bath [you can reinforce them with rebar if it seems too wobbly] then plant a small vine at the base [I like using cypress vine]. Then find a plastic plant saucer that will fit in the top ring. Fill the saucer with water and you are done!

nova

Nova, what a great idea for a birdbath. I love it.
BTW, did you ever get the seeds? I don't understand what happened.

I like the birdbath/vine idea!

Katkin - I have no idea what has happened to the seeds! Hopefully they will show up somewhere, sometime!

Here is a picture of a "Vine Covered Birdbath" I had in my old garden. I am currently trying to do one with a climbing rose but the results are still mixed.

Sorry about the quality of the picture! It is "PD" [pre-digital!] so I had to scan it in!

nova

VERY good Susan :)

Nova, I love the vine idea. I had not heard of cypress vine and I googled it. Very pretty. I like the delicate leaves - kinda fernish. It dies when it freezes? Does it self seed?

The cypress vine is an annual. If you plant it you will have it come back everywhere. Some people don't like it for it's "reseeding" ability but I like it because it grows fast and hummingbirds and butterflies love it.

nova

I made my mom an angel. I used a styrofoam ball covered in batting for her head. Wire formed her arms with more batting. I also covered the tomato cage with batting before adding the lace dress to make it soft.
I found a very delicate piece of lace for her dress and golden doll curls were glued on her head .I used slick paint for eyes and mouth and golden Christmas wire for a halo.She keeps it up all year but I don't have a photo. She is a snowbirs and up north right now.I keep thinking Ill make one for myself.I did one other for a friend ,hers with dark hair.

Thanks Nova. I like reseeders, fast growers, and butterfly attracters. And I can't seem to have too many vines or birdbaths. I'm kinda into the unkempt natural look. lol

I really love that bird bath idea and will have to copy it, thanks Nova. The cypress vine has been a favorite of mine, I used to have the white and the pink too, but didn't get to save seeds because of the mess I had after the hurricanes.

Goldenpond, your angel idea gave me the idea to make a garden angel form from a tomato cage but to use vines. A topiary like Disney does. Hmmmm.

The sugar babies figured out what to do with the cages. I did not suggest or help them one bit.
{{gwi:883493}}

Ok, I am not blonde anymore, but still dumb, what are sugar babies, Tony? ;o)

Katkin,

they are watermelons.

Nice sweet refrigerator size.

Thanks Tony. I had no idea what it was. ;o)

Thanks to everyone's ideas here, I decided to use a small tomato cage as a teepee for my beans. I just moved it into the garden today, but I'm hoping it will help them grow tall and strong! :)

I used mine for beans and peas as well. And they seem to deter the new puppy, who has already decimated the okra crop and periodically comes in the house with a new bromeliad that hasn't rooted yet. they're all in the pot ghetto now, where they can be better supervised. :) But I'm thinking about using the two cages I have left to protect the new bromeliads when I put them back in the yard. Or maybe everything new that I put in the yard for awhile. I may actually need more tomato cages!