I've been watching for old fireplace poker sets, someone mentioned cutting them down and using them

I stick rebar in the ground, put electrical conduit over that...just to the ground level, so it spins when the hose goes around it, and stick an insulator on top. I make them at least 2 feet high, so I don't trip over them! They're sturdy, attractive and awesome!!

~Sandy~

Soinspired,
I say Kudos to Sandy's idea and plan. I've always thought that insulators would make great ones....and they are a dime a dozen (well for me I got some recently for $3 a dozen! Happy Hose Guide Making!
Love, Jules

Here's what mine look like.

{{gwi:151343}}

~Sandy~

Ahhh, cape, I just did a couple with insulators (just like your pic) but mine are on the ground...and I don't know if that works or not yet...haven't wrapped the hose around them yet! So with your method, you don't actually use the insulator (except for beautiful decor, of course!) & the conduit spins when you pull your hose??? Is that right?

I had a couple of those green plastic hose stakes from Menards or somewhere & the tops got broke when I probably ran over them with the 'Gator or something! So I used pliers and snapped the circle plastic off and fit the insulator on top of it ...tightly & stuck in ground. Hope they work...probably won't be good if I run over the glass insulator with the 'Gator! LOL! I like your plan better!

Good luck, soinspired! Jeanne S.

Right, Jeanne! The insulator is purely decoration on top of a very functional hose guide. I inherited a box of insulators from my dad, this is the perfect use for them! I love it!

I got sick of the little plastic hose guides. They were forever breaking under the pressure of the hose, they would pull out of the ground and be useless, and the worst part?...I would not see them...and trip over them. I threw them all out!!

These are wonderful...work great...and I can see them and not trip over them!! Plus, they're decorative! Probably the best thing I've come up with! The beauty of them is, you can vary the height according to the location.

~Sandy~

I have a few of the green plastic ones that are fine...but my dd got some with frogs on top a few years back and they are great. There was one idea that I thought was super but my ole brain can not think right now...

Oh I remember, 2 terra cotta pots....
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/accout/msg0623521525077.html

here are some of the places you can look

one lady used a tire rim

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/accout/msg0719020310620.html

my favorite is
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/junk/msg0609484311842.html

Here is a link that might be useful: old lamp

Oh what clever ideas! Thanks so much for your responses. You've got my creative juices going now! I especially like the one made from lamp parts and the simple one with the insulator on top. Hmmm... So many ideas!

I used the metal tent stakes and popped a blue propel bottle on the top.Didn't cost me anything,we had the tent stakes from when we used to go camping,and i was drinking propel.So it was all recycled stuff.

The propel bottles aren't that pretty blue that they used to be,they're very light blue now.Bummer!!
Kathi

I found a large box of pot feet at Wallysmart at the end of the season and bought them. Didn't know what I would do with them, but at that price......some fleur d'lise, some shamrock types..in white resin.
Then my DH suggested putting pvc pipe in the ground and drilling the pot feet underneath so they would sit on the top of the pvc. Voila great and pretty. I will put a photo on here later...need to find the camera.

use2bcapecodr, that's a good idea. I bet I could use some pvc pipe on the rebar and it would spin too.

I was so happy to see my thread back up with ideas! My husband and I ended up cutting heavy pipes we had on hand and I found several insulators of brown crockery and green and clear glass at GS which we glued to the tops. They work so well. And, so many ask if they are garden lights when they visit us. Hmmm...That would be cool too to add some kind of little solar light. Thanks!