If you're looking to fill your home and patio with more greenery, it's easy to feel daunted by the cost of planters at garden centers and big box stores.
There's no need to spend a fortune on sturdy and beautiful pots for those geraniums though. With a little creativity, almost any old container can be upcycled into a lovely garden planter.
From utilitarian mop buckets and cinder blocks, to expensive looking faux copper, and a vine-handled creation that's pure cottagecore, there are ideas here that are perfect for any aesthetic. They're fun to make, and filling an old container with plants instead of sending it to the landfill feels like a win for your wallet, and the planet!
1. Upcycled Faux Copper Succulent Planter
I just love the look of old copper, but it's hard to find aged copper items cheaply in thrift stores. This tutorial offers the perfect fix.
Take any wooden tray, and transform it into your own "aged copper" planter, perfect for an adorable selection of succulents.
Get the tutorial here.
2. Paint Pour Flower Pots
These sweet little pots add such a splash of color to any room or patio.
I made these with my own kids several years ago, and you'd be amazed at how long that color lasts on the pots, and stays bright and cheerful looking!
Get the tutorial here.
3. Basketball Planter
This is definitely one of the most out-of-the-box planter ideas I've ever seen, and it's so creative.
I love the round ball look of the finished planter, and guests with sharp eyes will immediately sleuth out what that interesting orb used to be...a basketball! So much fun.
Get the tutorial here.
4. Plastic Bottle Mickey Mouse Flower Pots
Oh my goodness, these little planters just crack me up. They're so bright and whimsical.
We all end up with old empty water bottles at some point, no matter how much we try to stay away from disposables, so why not turn them into something adorable!
Get the tutorial here.
5. Rainbow Herb Garden from Tin Cans
I love the bright rainbow look of this planter wall! It's just so playful and cheery.
Follow the directions in the tutorial, and you'll be surprised at how long the color stays looking fresh on those cans. This really is a fun way to bring some height to the plantings in a patio area.
Get the tutorial here.
6. Repurposed Cooler Planter
What a great use for an old cooler that may have a crack in it, or otherwise is out of service. The other day, someone was selling vintage 70's coolers on FB Marketplace, and now I'm wishing I'd snapped them up!
This has enough space in it to really function like a little raised bed, and would be a great way to get an herb garden set up right outside your kitchen door!
Get the tutorial here.
7. DIY Stone Planter With A Vine Handle
Take some dried-out wet wipes, a balloon, some casting stone, and a twisty old vine, and what do you get? Apparently, a stop-you-in-your-tracks beautiful planter!
I just love the rustic look of this one. The whole thing is just so creative!
Get the tutorial here.
8. DIY Cross Stitch Planter
Here's an idea I never would have thought of, and I'm pretty crafty gal. Cross stitch planters!
Made from an aluminum can, and a simple cross stitch strip, they're so sweet and crafty.
Get the tutorial here.
9. Recycled Jean Planter
I love the vivid blue denim look of these. Throwing away jeans is always so hard, even after they're patched beyond use, and scavenged for patch fabric.
Here's a great way to get one last use out of "unusable" bits of those favorite jeans!
Get the tutorial here.
10. Repurposed Tea Tins
If you love good tea, you're bound to end up with a stash of little tins like this. They're great for storing buttons, safety pins, and other do-dads, but also...they make sweet little planters!
I actually had a little bonsai tree that thrived in a tea tin for almost a decade before finally needing to be transferred to a new home. They last longer than one might think!
Get the tutorial here.
11. Cinder Block Planters
I just love the bright, but rugged look of these easy cinder block planters. I made mine quite a few years ago, and even with being left outside over the winter, they're still lovely.
That drainage hole tip for putting a bottom in these is what makes them work so well. It's definitely a step not to skip!
Get the tutorial here.
12. Start Seedlings in K Cups
If you've got the type of coffee maker that cranks out delicious single-serve cups of Joe every morning, you're bound to end up with lots of these little cups.
What a great way to reuse some of them, by repurposing them as sweet little seedling starters!
Get the tutorial here.
13. Faux Copper Planter From a Salad Bowl
I really love the look of this, and can't wait to make one. Salad bowls are 50 cents down at our local thrift store, and while I don't need a new salad bowl, I always need more gorgeous planters in my life.
This gift-worthy planter comes together quickly, and really has that beautiful aged patina look.
Get the tutorial here.
14. Faux Terra Cotta Pots
Here's a quick and easy DIY to make over a cheap plastic dollar store pot, and give it the look of an expensive old terra cotta one.
It's a quick and easy DIY that definitely elevates the look of your plant shelf or patio!
Get the tutorial here.
15. Repurposed Mop Bucket Planter
There's something about old functional pieces that have seen so much life, and aren't quite done being useful yet. This old mop bucket is no exception, and I just love the character of this whole planter idea.
The tutorial will walk you through giving a second life to a clanky old mop bucket. If inanimate objects had feelings, I like to think this is the retirement old buckets deserve.
Get the tutorial here.
21 Ways to Add Whimsy to Any Garden
If your garden is feeling a bit ho-hum, try adding some whimsical accents that make it a more joyful place to be.
Sweet little simple touches make it more fun to spend time in the garden, and more time in the garden is good for both body and soul!
Here some fun and easy ideas.
23 Beautiful Blossoms You Can Grow and Eat
Edible flowers offer so much joy and whimsy to any dish. If you have plenty of edible flowers growing right in your own garden or backyard, it's easy to add a bright touch of color to even weeknight meals.
Here are 23 edible blossoms that are easy to grow, and fun to add to your dinner plate.
Anna Chesley is a freelance writer living a homestead lifestyle, with a special love for family travel, old books, vintage skills, and seaside living. In addition to founding Salt In My Coffee, she runs the website, New England Family Life, as well as The 1800's Housewife, a website devoted to re-creating authentic 1800's recipes.
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