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One of the things that makes me the happiest is working outside. It doesn’t matter if I’m hauling bags of mulch around the side of the house and into the backyard or if I’m planting my most recent plant nursery finds… when I’m outside I’m just happier. I think it’s hereditary. Last night I got a call from my grandmother but my phone was inside and I didn’t hear it ring. When I called her back she said automatically, “I was outside watering, too.”
And I was. Barefooted I made my way around the yard watering and deadheading and taking my time about it. And I’m pretty sure my mom was probably outside around the same time. Three generations of ladies who love posies and dirt and being outside :)
I have a corner garden that I dug up last year during my first spring in my house. But that is a small bit of greenery compared to all of my many, many flower pots. Container gardening is the best! My back porch has seven big old flower pots. And I’m super into hanging baskets this year and I’ve put out three so far. And my mom is all about hanging baskets, too. FYI – if you’re around the North Houston Area you might want to check out the flowers (and strawberries, OMG!) at Quality Produce out towards Lake Conroe. So pretty!
With my mom in love with all garden things that are unique and quirky, I made her a Pipe Shepherd’s Hook that looks like it’s ready to water all of the pretty posies! Note * It isn’t a working plumbing fixture, it just looks like one :)
Supplies & Tools to Make Your Own DIY Faux Faucet Shepherd’s Hook
- 1/2″ x 10″ Schedule 40 Cut Pipe Nipple Fittings – Qty. 2
- 1/2″ x 6″ Schedule 40 Cut Pipe Nipple Fittings – Qty. 2
- 1/2 in. x 60 in. Black Steel Schedule 40 Cut Pipe Nipple Fitting – Qty. 1
- 1/2″ 90° Black Malleable Iron Threaded Elbows – Qty. 3
- 1/2 in. Black Malleable Iron Threaded Tee – Qty. 1
- 1/2″ Brass Gate Valve – Qty. 1
- Steel Rebar – 0.5-in x 4-ft
- Mallet or Hammer
All of my supplies were purchased in one go at a big box hardware store and with exception of the rebar, all were found in the same section of the store. If you need help locating them in store, these pipes are typically used for gases like natural gas or liquid propane (so you know what to ask for :). These nipple fittings are fairly heavy black pipes that are threaded on both ends so that they screw in to other parts to hold together.
A Simple but Messy Project
FYI, these threaded pipes have a very sticky black grease on them. I’d suggest wearing disposable gloves when piecing your pipe shepherd’s hook together and wearing old clothes.
How to Make a DIY Faux Faucet Shepherd’s Hook
Piecing your pipe shepherd’s hook is super easy and no special tools are involved. Simply screw the pieces together in the right order.
Above is the right order. Start with the tee fitting and screw a 10″ nipple fitting into the horizontal position and a 6″ nipple fitting into the vertical. On the 10″ horizontal piece screw on an elbow fitting. Working up, screw your brass gate (the faucet), the other 6″ nipple fitting, and then an elbow. Screw the last 10″ nipple fitting into the horizontal piece and cap it off with the final elbow.
What you want is a pipe shepherd’s hook that is sturdy with the weight distributed on each side. To do that you’ll need your arms to be across from one another. If you have any pieces that are pointing the wrong way after they are screwed on finger tight, no worries. Lay the hook on the ground or another level surface. Gently tap the fitting (the elbow or tee) to the right (righty tighty, lefty loosey) until it is flat with your surface.
To finish, screw the top part you just assembled onto your 60″ long pipe. If your pipe has plastic endcaps that are difficult to remove, use vice grips or pliers to grab onto the cap and twist off.
How to Install a DIY Faux Faucet Shepherd’s Hook
First and foremost find where you want to install your hook and make sure there isn’t anything below that area that you can damage (like a sprinkler system). I always fail to do this and I have had to patch up my PVC in the ground before. Take my word for it. Check first.
Smack your rebar into place driving it into the ground between 1.5 to 2 feet deep. My dad drove this one into the ground for me using hisreciprocating saw as an impact driver somehow and it was super quick but then we had to put the tool away and roll up the extension cord. When I moved the rebar take pictures in a different location I just dinked it into the ground with a mallet. It’s more of a workout but faster in the end :)
Slide your shepherd’s hook over the rebar and gently smack the top of the pipe to drive it into the ground around the rebar about an inch or so.
Using Your Pipe Shepherd’s Hook
There are quite a lot of things you can hang on your hook. I actually put together 2 hanging baskets for mine knowing that they would be the same weight on each side making it easy to stand straight. If you want to hang 2 things that are different weights, like a solar lantern and a much heavier plant on the other side you’ll need to drive the pipe of your hook deeper into the ground to help with stability. Should you need more height, you can purchase a 1/2 in. x 72 in. Black Steel Schedule 40 Cut Pipe Nipple Fitting for a few bucks more.
Alternatively, if you ground is soft you can drive a wood stake into the ground in the direction the shepherd’s hook leans to help keep it in the correct position. I actually wound up doing this myself, cutting down a 24″ wood stake down to about 9″.
Curious about those pretty posies? Every time I see somebody else planting something I want to know what it is :)
This hanging basket was planted with white pentas, purple petunias (my favorite), orange marmalade firecracker flowers, and lime green sweet potato vine.
