10 DIY planters to dress up your garden

By Jennifer Noonan

Why put your plants in a boring pot, when you can make your own unique planter with materials you may already have on hand?

Not just for spaghetti

How many colanders do you come across at weekend yard sales? Fit one with a linked chain to create an appealing hanging planter for colorful pansies.

Radio flyer

A rusted wagon is reborn as a planter displaying pretty annuals. The wheels on the wagon mean the planter can be easily moved around the yard or garden to gather sun or serve as a showpiece.

Getting the boot

Pairs of red rain-boot planters parade across this porch. Though “made for walking” (as the song goes), these repurposed boots are filled with a variety of herbs and geraniums in a matching hue. Contrasting flower colors would create an equally pleasing look.

Wheel winners

This cluster of tires, all dressed up in show-stopping colors, makes for a fun and funky wall of flowers. Best of all, these tires won’t end up in a landfill.

Got oil?

In this bright and playful courtyard, recycled and painted oil drums provide new homes for trees as well as plants. Some of the drums are fitted with platforms to serve as benches. Who wouldn’t want to sit and stay awhile?

Cinder(ella) blocks

Stacked cinder blocks, with their readymade potting compartments, create a geometric platform to show off a variety of plants. Unfinished or painted in bold colors, cinder blocks make quick and easy planters with structural heft.

Teapots, short & stout

Cracked teapot got you down? Look at this charming, cheerful series of teapots adorning the railing of a stone staircase. Any cracks would be perfect for drainage!

Dressy drawers

Three stacked dresser drawers create a planter with stepped-up height and flair. Shabby chic makes its way to the garden!

Bountiful bathtub

A waterfall of petunias cascades out of an old cast-iron bathtub. So many of these antique beauties are discarded to make way for new fixtures, yet here this classic household icon is whimsically reborn.

Vibrant wheelbarrow

A flourish of flowering plants breathes new life into an old wheelbarrow. What a festive way to dress up a utilitarian tool!

Related:

• How to Make a Deck Rail Planter
• 10 Window Boxes That Bring Your Garden to the Curb
• Landscape Edging: 10 Easy Ways to Set Your Garden Beds Apart

Bob Vila is the home improvement expert widely known as host of TV’s This Old House, Bob Vila’s Home Again, and Bob Vila. Today, Bob continues his mission to help people upgrade their homes and improve their lives with advice online at BobVila.com. His video-rich site offers a full range of fresh, authoritative content – practical tips, inspirational ideas, and more than 1,000 videos from Bob Vila television.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.