Using Old Sinks As PlantersOne way to recycle old sinks from your bathroom or kitchen is to use them in your garden to plant succulents in. These sinks make a great border around your garden and add to the look of the garden. Succulent plants don't need much water. It is easy to use the sink and they have a drainage system. Just dig a hole in the ground and place the sink and the drainage pipe in the hold.
Plant Pots for Vertical GardenEvery year I plant many different vegetables in our garden, but I always lack land. Growing vegetables in pots and even vertically on the wall, is an excellent solution to the problem of lack of land for a vegetable garden. In order not to waste money on buying pots, I decided to make them from a polypropylene woven bag. These pots are suitable for horizontal and vertical garden.
Recycled Wheelbarrow Herb GardenWe've seen that people are making gardens, especially now. My tip is to recycle an old wheelbarrow into a lovely and useful herb garden. There is no weeding and many herbs are perennials. My husband was about to trash his old wheelbarrow and I turned it into a herb garden. Now I just go out the door and snip whatever I need for cooking or to dry.
Add Cuteness to Your PlanterIn my free time, I like to browse around sites that have unique styles, but not necessarily purchase from them because they're quite pricey. I came across this Henry googly eye planter on Urban Outfitters and thought to myself, that'll be cute to add some cuteness to my planters! Plus, my kids have a bunch of those googly eyes laying around.
Using A Coffee Container As An Indoor or Outdoor PlanterBecause we drink a lot of coffee, we often have so many left over containers. I have given these sturdy and decorative containers a new life while helping with the land fill. I use them as planters for myself, friends, and family.
Reusing Old Tires to Make Individual Garden PlotsA smart way to re-use an old spare tire is to use it in the garden. So, we made individual plots for lemons from a pile of old tires. It was filled with healthy soil and we placed bamboo sticks around it so the free range chickens won't be able to reach the plant and feed on its leaves or fruit.
Using Old Cooking Containers As PlantersOften we have old pots that no longer serve their purpose for cooking. This is due to many reasons such as rust, burned, Teflon damage, etc. Instead of throwing them away, just upcycle them into decorative planters.
Easy DIY Plant HolderYou can easily make a plant holder from scrap wood you have laying around from other projects! This holder was made from a piece of scrap of 2x4. You simply cut the piece to your desired length, use a hole saw to create the hole for your plants, and you're done!
Making a Mini Fairy GardenA clay pot, a few plants, a 25 cent fairy from Goodwill, some potting soil, Popsicle sticks for a fence and some fairy garden items from a craft store and the result is a cute little fairy garden which was fun and easy to make! I plan on doing it again this spring. Some people like to make gnome gardens.
Pumpkin PlantersMy mom's neighbor made these awesome pumpkin planters at a special event at a nearby nursery. One is a jack-o-lantern filled with ferns, succulents, and grasses to create the hair and face. I love the warty texture on the pumpkin too!
Toys as Cactus PlantersIn the Dollar Store we found some plastic toy wheel barrows and dump trucks. We set them on a mat that keeps weeds out with pea pebbles, and filled them up (first hubby drilled drainage holes) and set them out front.
Toy Box PlanterOn a recent drive around town I saw this fun planter in someone's yard. They used a Little Tikes football toy box, which I frequently see at yard sales and thrift stores. Drill some drainage holes in the bottom and you have a durable planter for your flowers.
Re-purpose Foil Roasting Pans in the GardenWash and store the foil roasting pans. They can be re-purposed as a tray for seed cups when you plant your vegetable and flower seeds in spring.
Planting Succulents in a Cinderblock WallI have a short wall between my garden and the neighbor's driveway. It is a pretty old cinderblock construction with some of the cement patches over the holes gone. I had some leftover succulent starts and decided to plant them in the wall.
Gate TrellisIn my garden for the beans and peas I use chain link gates that were no longer needed to get in and out of my back yard. There is a decorative top to the gate so it looks quite attractive. It would be great for clematis or climbing roses, too.
Sub-irrigated Planter From Recycled MaterialsThis is my original concept. It is perfect for growing smaller garden plants like lettuce, etc. I hope you like it.
Upcycle Sneakers as Garden PlantersI couldn't bear to toss my favorite gardening sneaks. So I used them for planters instead. I nailed them to a fence post and planted some orphaned pole beans in them. Even if I get no beans from the plants, it will be an interesting look.
Galvanized Pail Flower GardensI keep my eyes open for any old galvanized buckets, tubs, and pails that I can use in my garden. This one was once a "calf-a-teria" complete with rubber udder where the hole is at the bottom.
Tilted Pot Planter for StrawberriesMy strawberry plants needed more room to run and I found this planter project. Since the first one was made, I've made several more as birthday gifts for my gardening friends.
Clay Pot GalMy good friend Andrea, lives in an apartment. Outside her door is a place she can put a decoration or plant. She had one that "disappeared". She went looking and found it on the floor above her. DH wanted to make this to replace it for her.
Making Hypertufa PlantersThese easy to make, naturally porous hypertufa concrete pots are a great addition to any garden. We used recycled containers for our molds but you can use almost anything to create unusual planters or yard art.
Planting in Cinder BlocksIf you have extra cinder blocks around the house fill them with soil and put your plants in them. It looks pretty nice. I saw this the other day; a lady even had berry plants in them.
Planting Flowers in an Old WheelbarrowThis was an old wheelbarrow I got for $1.00 at a garage sale. It is filled with rosemary, chives, oregano, and mint. I have more than I can use! Make sure you drill some holes in the bottom for drainage.
Tipsy Flower Pot StandTo make a tipsy flower pot stand, get at least 76 inches of rebar and pound 1 foot of it into ground. Place a 12 inch pot over/down rebar through the pot drain hole and fill with dirt so that your second pot will rest on top of dirt.
Creative Planters for Garden Focal PointsInteresting focal points in your garden don't always have to include terra cotta pots. See what you have around the house that would make a creative planter.
Reuse Chair Back As TrellisI'm using the back portion of a broken "curb alert" chair as a trellis. My new clematis is pretty happy with it. Sink the side pieces into the soft soil, or like this, just lean it against a tree.
Use A Chair With A Missing Seat For A PlanterI have found that the kind of chairs with the seat missing are ideal for this. They are usually found that way in bentwood chairs because the seat is round. I just bought two at an auction for $2 and gave one to my daughter-in- law.
Galvanized Tub GardeningMy yard is mostly shade with the gravel driveway being the sunniest spot on the property. I refused to give up vegetable gardening when we bought the place, so I gathered up my galvanized tub collection.
Use Old Broken Instrument As PlanterI am very sentimental regarding getting rid of "special" items. My son's first acoustic guitar is missing strings, shows lots of wear, and has no monetary value to speak of. It is something I want to see daily so I have decided to use it as a planter in my garden.
Use a Child's Swimming Pool for a Patio GardenWe do not have a place in our backyard to plant a "regular" garden, but we did have room on our patio deck to do something. I came up with an idea for a small garden using a child's plastic swimming pool.
Cowgirl Boot as BirdfeederI guess great granddaughter has picked up on my passion for recycled items. She sent her worn out boots (via grandma) for us to use.
Old Log PlanterWe were recently given this old wash log and set it up on two old broken chairs then planted marigolds and sweet potato vines and hung the ferns on the fence. Goes to show that you can make something beautiful out of a little of nothing.
Use Kitty Litter Tubs as Garden PlantersThis is for fellow cat owners or anyone who knows a cat owner. If you purchase kitty litter in the plastic tubs with wire handles, do not throw away the tubs - use them as flower pots.
Train Cucumbers On Old Wooden ChairIn my garden I put out an old wooden chair which has no cushion on it. I planted cucumbers along the legs of the chair, and "trained" the cucumbers to climb all over it. Looks great and reduces garbage, while having a no-cost creative prop in the garden.
Recycled Planters From Old ShoesOur PTA president had us ask the school for a week to bring in old shoes for our green theme. Lots of the children brought shoes and the PTA bought soil and seeds.
Start Seeds in a Kids Swimming PoolI do not have the money to go buy the small trays to start seedlings. So, we had a little kid swimming pool we would use to remove the fish from the pond to clean it. I put two bags of top soil in it.
Planting In CinderblocksMy husband and I planted marigolds and herbs (dill, parsley and basil) in the 2 holes of each cinder block surrounding our small garden plots. This would be especially good for peppermint and catnip that tend to spread all over.
Colorful Boot PlanterI painted the boot with PVA glue to waterproof it then painted the surface with acrylic paint and added a potted plant
Garden: Toilet PlanterThis is a picture of a commode that I use as a planter with lovely impatiens planted in it. I think it's very pretty! The commode was about to be thrown away so my husband got it for free from the literacy council here in town.
Pumpkin PlanterLast fall I took a large pumpkin and cleaned it out, filled it with potting soil and put a mum plant in it. I used it as a decoration on my front porch. At the end of the season, I took the mum/pumpkin and planted it in the ground.
Salad Bar Garden BedMy husband is in the construction business. One day he brought this old salad display home. It is the large kind you see at buffets. It has a sneeze guard on the top.
Rocking Horse And Cart PlanterI saw this lovely planter as I was going down the road today.The person had taken a regular spring rocking horse, painted brown and white and it looked real, and had dismantled it from its rocking assembly, the springs and such were off of it.
Garden: Birdbath PlanterNo birds used the birdbath so my husband drilled some holes for water to drain and it is now a planter.
Make a Raised Garden in an Old BathtubWhy not make a raised garden in an old bath tub? The reason I ask is that when my hubby and I were at a flea market, they had a very large old bath tub for sale.
Reuse Plastic Cat Litter Bags as Tomato PlantersThe new tomato plants were out today, and I couldn't resist, thinking surely, I had some large planters at my apartment. You guessed it, no planters, but I do have a cat.
Concrete Block Raised BedMy new raised bed garden has been amazingly productive. The large leaves of the squash and zucchini are providing a little shade for some of those that prefer less than total sunshine. That is a bonus in sunny central Texas.
Make a Garden "Bed" Out of an Old Bed...This is an old metal bed frame of my sister-in-law's that she was selling at our 3 family garage sale for $3.00. I had always wanted a "flower bed" but decided to make a "salad bed instead".
Blue Jeans PlanterPlanter made from recycled jeans. Cut jeans leg 18 inch. Machine sew top of leg. Hemmed bottom is going to be the top.I used grommets and rope to hang mine with but you could also straps to make handle.
Making Planters from Plastic Trash CansWhen the city converted to robot trash and recycle pick-up, I had five extra 32 gallon Rubbermaid trash cans. I have limited space for gardening, so I cut the bottom half of the trash cans off, drilled three holes (about 3/4 inch) on the bottom of the sides for drainage.
Bamboo Wigwam for Climbing PlantsA handy gadget I've created is based on something I once saw in a catalog that joined bamboo poles together at the top to create a wigwam for vine plants. The company wanted almost $7.00 for a pair so I made my own by using margarine tub tops.
Make a Trellis Out of an Old Box SpringGardening is a hobby with my wife and me. As we have a number of clematis vines the trellises deteriorate. In my recycling travels I came upon a great way to make a trellis. I came by a motel and noticed a discarded box spring by the dumpster.
Use Your Swimming Pool as a GardenWe used to have a swimming pool. We did not like to swim or spend so much money to keep the pool clean, it takes lots of money and time to keep it clean. I suggested we have it filled up with dirt so I could have a garden, We had it filled up, I had a very pretty garden all the year, very good idea.
Potatoes in TiresWe just had our first frost last week, and I dug up my potatoes grown in a tire stack. I was disappointed to find only 6 potatoes. I planted 3 seed potatoes in the initial tire, and partially covered the greens, as they appeared to a final height of 5 tires.
Raised Veggie Garden On DeckHere is my husband's "veggie garden on the deck", built entirely from recycled pallets. Isn't he clever, we are growing lettuce, cabbage, onions, carrots, and spinach!
Planters, Vases And Funnels From Plastic BottlesWhen I'm done with the larger bottles I take a pair of old scissors and cut the top 1/3 off. What I'm left with is a bottom part that I use as a vase or a planter to start cuttings or seeds, and the top half is just the right size and shape to use as a funnel to add oil or tranny fluid to your car.
Newspaper PotsI take a large Foldgers coffee can and put a folded sheet of newspaper over the top, I then take a smaller coffee can and gently push the paper inside to form the pot, making sure that the sides are folded in as I go along.
Giving Clay Pots an Aged LookHow do you "age" clay pots with the crusty white and green patina? Tips from the ThriftyFun community. Post your own ideas here.
Old Clothesline as a Garden TrellisPlant any kind of vining plant below an old clothesline. As the plant grows, you can anchor it to the pole with string or yarn. When it reaches the top of the pole, you can train it across the clothesline itself by attaching it to the line with clothespins.
Use Vintage Metal Buckets for PlantersUse vintage metal buckets found at yard sales for container gardening. In most cases, the buckets already have holes in the bottom, acting as great drainage holes.
Flower Bed GliderWant something different for your flower garden or front yard? Use an old iron chair or glider, as I have used, to create a flower bed. I lined the bottom with coconut shell liners, filled with potting soil and planted away!
Flower "Bed" That's DifferentWant something different for your front lawn or garden? Use an iron chair or glider and fill it with ivy and flowers. My husband put some wooden sides on it and I lined the bottom with coconut liners.
Hanging Planters From Paint CansIf you have empty cans of paint left after a project, don't throw them away! Turn them into hanging planters. Take off the lids and let any remaining paint dry, you will not need the lids.
How To Make Tire PlantersInformation on making recycled tire planters. Post your own ideas here.
Strawberry Pot Side TableUse a strawberry pot as an inexpensive side table on your deck! First plant small vines or other trailing plants in the holes of the pot.
Using Found Items For Garden DecorI used an old wheelbarrow by drilling holes in the bottom for drainage, throw in some gravel then top w/soil and plants. Plants that hang off the sides look great and something big and flashy in the middle.
Old Chair for Container GardeningMany household objects can be used as containers in the garden. I love to use old chairs in the garden to add height and interest to an area that might be otherwise plain without it.
Use a Dresser as a PlanterI saw an interesting idea the other day for a planter. An old dresser was was painted white and the top drawers pull out and used to plant various flowers and some ivy. It looked beautiful!
Copper Jello Mold PlanterOld copper jello molds cost next to nothing at yard sales. Drill a few holes in the bottom and they make great planters. I always have a few plants on hand started from cuttings for a quick gift when I need one.
Suitcase PlantersOld hard suitcases work well as planters. Drill a few holes for drainage in the bottom and lay small rocks over them then fill with dirt and plant. Also, try closing the lid and cutting a space in the top for a plant to grow out of instead of just leaving it open.
Wine Crate PlantersAsk your local liquor store for wooden wine crates or wherever wine is sold to use for planters... line with moss if need be.
Bathroom Tile PlanterFor an unusual looking planter, take 5 bathroom or floor tiles and glue together with epoxy (4 sides and 1 bottom).
Use for Self Stick Curlers - Cactus HoldersWhat to do with those self stick curlers that just lay around in the bathroom in all different colors? They make great cactus plant holders! Fill them with dirt, and water little.
Make Planters With Old Record AlbumsA pal had a bunch of plant clippings she was wanting to get rid of at a yard sale. With not having any excess planters, she made her own planters with record albums she no longer wanted or needed.
Tea Kettle Flower PotsWhen my children were young and still living at home, they made a habit of burning my tea kettles dry. I decided to plant flowers, and/or herbs in them. They look really cute outside or inside!
Laundry Basket PlantersToday I was driving by someone's home and saw what I thought were pretty white "pillars" down the side of their driveway with gorgeous plant boxes sitting inside of them hanging down over the sides of the "pillars".
