Do you want unique planters for your home? I love thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, and repurposing what I have. I recently went digging in my stuff as well as on an adventure to these places to find items I could repurpose into planters for the summer!
Who needs a typical terra cotta planter when you can have original planters that are the perfect size and give new life to your yard.
Where can I buy unique planters?
Shop flea markets, thrift stores, garage sales, and other places. Keep your mind open and you will find plenty of items that can become planters.
First, find something you want to turn into a planter. I’ll be using this watering can that I found at the flea market.
I added some dirt into the watering can with a garden shovel.
Optional – I use gardening gloves to protect my hands.
I pulled the flowers out of the plastic pot they came in. If the flowers are in the container kind of tight, give the plastic container a little squeeze to help loosen them.
I placed my flowers into my watering can on top of the dirt inside.
I added some more dirt around the flowers and pressed down around the roots to make sure I got them planted in the watering can securely.
I watered the flowers a little after planting to hydrate them.
I placed my unique planter where I wanted to display it.
You are welcome to add a drainage hole to the bottom if you like.
WHat can I use instead of a planter?
There are so many options for unique planters. We’ll take a look at several options for great planters.
I found this sauce holder minus all the cups at the thrift store and knew it would make a fantastic outdoor planter. This little sauce holder became a trio of planters.
I removed basil, rosemary, and parsley from their plastic containers and replanted them in a dollar tree ceramic planter. I placed the flower pots in the holes in the sauce holder and I now have an herb planter for home decor.
This is an old fondue pot that I found which would make another unique planter.
I used the top bowl to plant some lavender in and placed it on my porch. Not only does it smell wonderful, it also is a bug repellent.
How do you make a planter?
You can make a unique planter out of anything! I planted some flowers in my son’s old Tonka Truck. I added some dirt to the back and then planted the flowers in the back of it. Don’t you just love these fun unique outdoor planters?
What do you fill the bottom of a planter with?
I used a unique pot, and placed some rocks in the bottom to lift the roots from sitting in any water. I added dirt, then the flowers, then more dirt around the flowers. This is one of my porch planters.
What can I use for outdoor planters?
You can use regular flower pots, and wood boxes, or you can find unique planters and add some personality to your yard.
Need small planters? I planted a mini rose plant in this teacup for another easy unique planter.
This was a pumpkin candle holder and I placed a ceramic pot that I added basil to in the center.
I planted lavender in a thrift store tin pail I found. I placed the pail inside a clearance Easter Basket and made it into a hanging planter.
This one consists of a candle holder that I hot glued to the bottom of a glass. I planted a small flower into the glass and now I have a front porch planter.
Here is my plant stand on my front porch. Other unique planters I used included flowers in a mini strainer, a teapot, an old bunt pan, and you can see the blue pot on the bottom.
It’s fun to use different colors to create a unique design for your outdoor space and create a focal point. You can turn someone’s junk into beautiful planters. What a great idea right? These decorative plant pots become a whimsical planter. A stylish planter for tiny plants or different sizes. You can create a cute planter or modern planters with a unique piece from the thrift store. Save money! No need for new pots when you can create unique styles for decorative pots and a garden planter. It’s so fun to create DIY planters. I love my unique garden, there’s nothing else like it.
Find out “What Exactly Does It Mean To Repurpose Or Upcycle“, save money, and create the most amazing things.
11 Thrift Store Finds For Unique Planters
Shop any of these stores and I receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Did you need to drill drainage holes in the bottoms of your creative containers? If so how did you keep the plastic ones (esp Easter basket) from splitting? Thanks!
You can drill drainage holes in the bottom if you want. You can also add a small amount of rocks to the bottom to bring up the level of the soil for drainage. I don’t tend to drill holes in mine. I water lightly, just enough to keep the soil damp but not “wet”. This has worked very well for me. None of the thrift store containers I used were plastic, even the one inside the Easter basket was metal. 🙂 Hope this helps.
These are such great ideas Chas! You make my brain think. LOL I can’t do a dump truck right now because my grandson wouldn’t be happy but maybe in the future. 🙂 Garage sale season is here so who knows what I’ll find.
Thanks Linda, I’m so glad you are inspired and like the ideas too. I can’t wait to see what you come up with 🙂
They all turned gorgeous and thanks for the inspirations..
Thank you so much and I’m so excited you are inspired 🙂
creative ideas and liked the Tonka truck one- guess we all need to look more around the house at repurposing
Thank you Sue. I had just pulled that one out of one of the kid’s storage boxes to clean it up and decide what to do with it sine the kids don’t play with it anymore.
Putting drainage holes in plastic – use a screwdriver or knife or big old serving fork. Heat the metal part up and poke through the bottom of pot. Put the pot on ground so tool can go all the way through and not burn anything. Or turn pot upside down and poke through.bottom.
Also. You can use chunks of Styrofoam instead of rocks in your pots.
Much easier to lift or carry pots around.
Thank you for sharing Maggie 🙂
These type of containers look more interesting than just clay pots. Love your ideas-
Thank you so much Judee 🙂
I love repurposing old containers, too. You came up with some great ones!
Thank you Donna, it is so much fun isn’t it? Love letting the imagination run wild with ideas 🙂
I tried to pick a favorite and ended up with two: the fondue pot and the Tonka truck. Love the eclectic potting choices you’ve put together.
Thank you so much Audra and love that you picked some favorites 🙂
These are so cute! I love the watering can especially. <3
Thank you Rachael, and I love that little watering can too 🙂
Love the Tonka Truck. Makes me wish I had saved some of the kids toys to reuse. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty
Thank you Donna. We just pulled that one out to try and decide what to do with it. I was having a hard time letting it go with all the memories.
I love all of these ideas! The watering can is my fav. Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
Thank you Kim, I love that find too. I was with my dad at a flea market when I picked it up. He fell in love with it too because it was so old.
Chas, I love these ideas! The teacup and saucer are priceless and the old Tonka Truck really made me smile. Sharing later today on the Hearth and Soul Link Party page. Thank you so much for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party!
Thank you so much April and thanks for sharing on your party page. I had a lot of fun putting these together.
Hi again, Chas! I just wanted to let you know that I am featuring this post at the Hearth and Soul Link Party tomorrow. Thank you again for sharing it!
Wow thank you so much April! So sweet of you and I look forward to linking up tomorrow!
What a fun collection of ideas. We have a few repurposed old planters in our garden too, not quite as many as you though! I love the little tea cup, it’s so sweet.
Thank you Julie, love that you do the same thing as well. I do like how the tea cup turned out as well 🙂
You can use anything for a plant holder, my favorite was the dump truck such a cute idea. My grand kids would love it and in fact I may do it it with them.
Thank you so much Maria
Great ideas! I like the way you repurposed so many things we all have around the house. I love the dump truck, but I think my grandsons might dump the load the first time they saw it. LOL
Thank you so much, Sarah, and I love that one too. Thank you for the giggle about the grandson’s my son totally would have done that too when he was younger.
So many cute ideas! I really love the watering can! thanks for sharing!!!! It was so fun being in the “hop” with you!
Thank you so much Kimberly, and thanks for sharing which one was your favorite. It’s always fun to learn what speaks to everyone.
I am over here swooning at your watering can! I need to find one of those! Beautiful job and great inspiration, Chas!! Loved hopping with you on this one!
Thank you so much Leslie, I love learning what everyone’s favorites are. Wonderful hopping with you.
Your post and video have me thinking outside the box for unique flower planters. I love the Easter basket hanging planter!!! You are very talented in finding ways to upcycle almost anything into a flower planter.
Happy Spring,
Kippi
Thank you so much Kippi, and love hearing which one speaks to you friend. Thank you for organizing the hop.
Oh wow, you’re so creative! 11 Different ideas that’s wild. Definitely inspired for the Spring. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much Olivia, and springtime here we come!
Oh wow, so many creative ideas! They are all so cute, but the little toy dump truck might be my favorite. How fun would it be to do tha with a child and have it be “their” plant to water and care for?!
PS. I’d love it if you’d like to share this at my link party that opened today– Sundays on Silverado. 🌷
Niky @ The House on Silverado
Thank you so much Niky and I love reading which one is everyone’s favorite.
Thanks for all of the great ideas, Chas! You’ve shown that just about anything makes a great planter. My favorite is the Tonka truck! I would’ve never thought of that. I’ll have to look through my daughter’s old toys for more inspiration. Pinned 🙂 It’s always fun to hop with you, my friend!
Thank you so much Rebecca, and it makes my day that you’re inspired to. Thanks for sharing your favorite, always love learning which one speaks to everyone.
Chas! What great ideas. I would have never thought to use my kids truck! Love it.
Thank you so much Kristen.
There are so many clever ways to reuse things. Whimsical, useful, and good for the environment. Great post!
Thank you so much Jeanne
Chas. Seriously, you are just brilliant. So many good ideas, and so doable! Thank you.
Thanks so much for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I’m featuring you this week!
You are so very sweet Richella, thank you! Thanks for the feature and the kind words, I really appreciate it.