Think Outside the Box: 2 Creative Uses for Rebar

Posted on April 24, 2013

Rebar is by far one of the most widely used materials in the construction industry. These steel rods are durable and work to reinforce concrete so that it does not crack or break under pressure or due to harsh conditions in the environment. It is something most of us never even give a thought to, though it is used in virtually every modern building we step foot in and every roadway we drive on. Despite this fact, no one ever said rebar had to be used just for traditional building purposes. Thanks to the ingenuity of some creative minds and the use of rebar cutters and rebar benders, a number of fun and alternatives uses have been developed for reinforced steel. The key is thinking outside the box. At first glance, it may seem difficult to think of ways to creatively use rebar outside of professional contracting and building, but when you take into account the functionality and form of the material, you can start to come up with some pretty neat ideas.

Creative Ways to use Rebar in Your Garden

Did you know that many homeowners use rebar in their gardens? The steel bars are great for hanging planting boxes and flower baskets; simply insert the bar into the ground and you are good to go. To make sure the rebar won’t sway, it would help to take a hammer or mallet to drive the metal into the dirt. The weight and pointed metal end will make this easy work, and you won’t have to worry about performing any major digging or prep work.

If you are a bird lover, have you ever thought of using rebar to hold your feeders or bird baths? If you are growing fruits and vegetables in your garden, you can also use the rebar to hold netting and cages (i.e. for tomatoes). If you ever need to build a fence to keep animals out, you might want to use rebar stakes instead of wooden posts. They will hold better and last much longer; reinforced steel is maintenance-free and can also be painted for a decorative look.

Rebar is great for furniture too!

If you want to get really creative and are in need of some outdoor (or indoor if you dare) furniture, rebar stakes can be molded and bent to complement any shape. Thus, feel free to make chairs and tables at your leisure. Keep in mind that this will require a little bit of welding know-how, so take the material to a local shop if you don’t have the necessary tools or experience.

Another cool idea would be to build a staircase with rebar railings; there are plenty of examples online that homeowners have used to help you get started. This rebar design element can definitely give your living space that industrial chic look that is so popular today. Whatever your indoor or outdoor design ideas with rebar are, have fun being creative and unique, and don’t let that old metal go to waste!

Check out some of our most popular rebar benders and rebar cutters (https://www.bnproducts.com/) that can be helpful for these projects and let us know if you have any questions about our collection of rebar tools.