Cheap Cover for the Improvised Lawn Aerator

In a previous entry, I explained how you can assemble a homemade manual lawn aerator. Essentially, the lawn aerator uses spikes to create holes in the ground. Putting away and storing the garden aerator, however, may pose some problems.

The exposed pointed and sharp nails (spikes) can become very sharp even after continued use. There have been times when the spikes scratched my fingers and hands when I reached for this garden tool in the storage rack. So there has to be a way to store the garden tool without causing accidents.


Protection Cover for the Lawn Aerator Spikes

Initially, I thought of using a bag to contain the whole lawn aerator contraption. Forget about plastic bags though. The sharp nails of the garden aerator would just easily rip through the plastic, thus defeating the purpose of covering them.

An old heavy duty shoulder bag would work, but it also would look bulky when stored. I'd rather have tools easily seen and not hidden. I then realized that you really just need to cover the exposed nails, or more importantly, the sharp points of the nails.

So here's a simple DIY project for a cheap protection cover.

Materials:

• Thick Rubber Bands - 3 pcs.
  (these will hold the protection cover against the spikes of the lawn aerator)
• Cake Roll (or something similar) Disposable Plastic Tray - 1 pc.
  (this will be the protection cover)

Procedure:

1. Measure the the protection cover's length against that of the lawn aerator's. If it fits and sufficiently covers all the nails, then you're in luck. If it's too long (as in my case), cut the cover in half as shown below.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Put one half of the protection cover over the other, so the ends overlap each other as shown below. Do not cut anything else.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Slide the halves against each other until you get the desired length. Press the lawn aerator against the halves to get the correct fit as shown below.
   
   
   
   
   
   Use a pencil to mark the correct position of the halves.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Apply a thin coat of construction glue in between the overlap of the two halves. Let it dry completely.
   
   
5. To use, secure the protection cover against the lawn aerator with 3 pieces of thick rubber bands or velcro fasteners. Obviously the 3 bands as shown below are inadequate and were utilized for demo purposes only.
   
   
   
   
   

By covering the spikes this way, you protect yourself from potential punctures, scrapes and scratches. It is a very cheap yet effective DIY project that you can do to practice safe and enjoyable gardening.