We love upcycling. Reusing and/or repurposing one item for something else helps us reduce waste and save money. As gardening and planting season rolls around, I'm always looking for new planters. That's why I created this fun list of DIY planters for indoors and outdoors.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
DIY Planters for Outdoors
This year, we've been working on renovating our washrooms. Yes, we do have an indoor plumbing system for our off-grid toilets.
There is also a bunch of construction debris to get rid of, including a couple of old pedestal sinks.
My daughter thinks they'll make excellent birdbaths or planters.
She's ready to paint them and set them up in our garden bed. And after seeing the cute DIY cork bird feeder she made, I think I'll let her!
When you're making DIY planters for the outdoors, think ahead through the seasons. Will you carry them indoors once the snow flies? If not, choose materials that will withstand cold temperatures.
And before I forget, if you're looking for other garden activities, check out these 15 Fun DIY Garden Projects using upcycled materials.
DIY Indoor Planters
I've used various things for DIY indoor planters, including chipped teacups, old mason jars, baskets, and even cloth bags.
Upcycling items for indoor planters help you stick to your farmhouse decor budget!
Always make sure you use a liner to avoid spills. Also, check your indoor planters for drainage holes. If needed, drill a hole and put a tray underneath.
If you can't (or won't) drill a hole in the planter for drainage, add some rocks, broken pottery bits, or pebbles to the bottom of the planter. This lets the water pool at the bottom, below the plant roots. It helps avoid plant rot.
When we planted beans indoors, we didn't do this for some of our dried beans. Those plants rotted. As I had carefully calculated how much to plant per person for our family, I had to supplement our food supply with store-bought dried beans instead.
So if you want some inspiration, here are a few of my favorite DIY upcycled planter ideas from around the internet.
DIY Planters for Indoors and Outdoors
Looking for some creative and inexpensive ideas to make DIY planters for indoors or outdoors? Here are some of my favorite from around the internet.
Dalmatian Spot Planters
Pretty up an old planter with some transfer paper and paint for a unique indoor planter.
Watering Can Planters and Garden Art - Recycle your Watering Cans
We have more than one old battered, broken, and leaking watering can that I just can't bring myself to take to the dump. Now I'm going to do this for a fun summer planter that can sit on our front steps.
Repurposed Porch Light Planter
Here's another unique planter that can be used indoors or out. Grab a can of spray paint and brighten up an old outdoor light fixture or porch light.
Pop in a tiny cactus or other succulent, or even a little pot of herbs. This makes a pretty centerpiece for a patio table.
Wood Shim Planter Box: a DIY that's easy enough to tackle!
Got some extra wood shims lying around? If so, upcycle them to make this rustic and simple planter box. This one is perfect for growing indoor herbs too.
DIY Flower Planter Boxes
With the cost of lumber these days, there's no way I'm going to leave any scraps lying around. That's why I love this homemade planter box. It's a great way to use up odds and ends of lumber from our many homestead projects.
How to Turn Placemats into Hanging Planters
I LOVE this one! We use these round placemats all the time - they brighten our kitchen in the winter and pretty up our porch table in the warmer seasons. But with all the kids and adults that we feed, they get pretty scruffy. I'm totally going to upcycle last year's placemats to hold my trailing indoor plants!
DIY Coke Can Succulent Planter - recycled coke can craft ideas
This unique DIY coke can centerpiece could be a fun homeschool activity. Use cans from any of your favorite soda or beer companies.
Actually, this could even be a fun Father's Day gift. Just remember to add holes for drainage at the bottom of the cans.
Make Your Own Gradient Planters
If you have an assortment of mismatched planters as we do, this is a great way to pretty them up to match your indoor or outdoor decor.
Dan often gets planters at yard sales, at the curb, or from friends who give up on growing things. So this is another fun summer upcycling activity we're excited to try!
Mason Jar Succulent Planters
Are you into canning and preserving at all? If so, chances are you have old mason jars around that are chipped or otherwise unsuitable for more canning. And they make the cutest little DIY planters.
I first saw this post a few months ago and loved the spring and summer colors. This would make an easy and inexpensive hostess gift as well.
Recycled Rainboot Planters
How cute are these?!? With all the kids we've grown, we have so many rainboots kicking around here. All the way from toddler to men's size 13!! And we're all tough on our boots so I can't wait to try my hand at this project.
Sea Glass Planter: make this planter from your collection of sea glass
Up until a few years ago, we enjoyed multi-generational family vacations down in South Carolina. Collecting sea glass and sea shells was a favorite activity for my kids and my parents. This is a lovely idea for upcycling those collectables into a planter to share and keep memories of a wonderful time.
Upcycled Oxidized Copper Planters
Old cans, copper flashing, and a few other items most home crafters and gardeners have hanging around make this a unique and trendy way to upcycle old materials into a DIY planter to use indoors or outside.
DIY Terrazzo Planter with Oven Bake Clay
So another of our projects is repainting our house. And that means we have a TON of old paint cans. With some oven-bake clay and Sculpey glaze, the girls and I are going to create and decorate planters for their room and our soon-to-be-renovated glassed-in sun porch overlooking the lake. So excited!
How to Make Plastic Bottle Planters
Are you encouraging your children to get into gardening? If so, then this makes a great hands-on upcycling AND gardening/growing activity for little hands.
Save your old large sodapop plastic bottles, add some acrylic paint and googly eyes and you'll have a fun set of planters.
Use them on a window in a child's room or homeschool room. And don't forget to celebrate your hard work together crafting by curling up with great gardening book for kids.
Looking for more DIY planters and gardening ideas? Check these out!
