DIY Planter Ideas

Ready to get started on building your first planter box? Will you be planting vegetables, plants, or flowers? We are here to get you on the right path with tips, tricks, and ideas to consider as you plan your very own DIY planter. Take advantage of our compilation of top, best, and new projects, as well as our DIY video tutorials.

12 Gorgeously Easy DIY Planter Boxes for Spring

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How to Build a Planter

Step 1: Measure and cut your wood: A medium-length container is usually 26 x 13” but the final size also depends on the plants to grow. Cedar and pine are suitable wood choices.
Step 2: Assemble your side panels: Each 26" wood panel should meet with the corner of the 13" panel.
Step 3: Secure assembled panels: Add a thin line of wood glue down the side and place the panels flush against each other. Then secure them with nails.
Step 4: Attach your bottom panels: Attach three panels to the bottom to form a base, using the same method. Ensure you leave a gap between each panel for drainage.
Step 5: Sand your box: Using sandpaper, smooth the box. Pay special attention to the corners and areas with joiners.

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Top DIY Projects for Building Planters

Here are our top projects for building your own planters. Have a look.

How to Make a Garden Box for Your Best Yard Ever

Do you want to grow fruits and veggies but have limited space? A DIY garden box may be the perfect solution for you. Whether you want to grow your own food or just some pretty flowers, garden boxes are a great option for every gardener. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, they also offer better drainage, higher quality soil and require less weeding than planting directly into the ground.

Best Of Hometalk

The Most Ingenious Vertical Garden Ideas For Small Spaces

When you’ve got the urge to grow flowers or veggies, but don’t have the space, vertical gardens are the perfect solution. Whether you live in an apartment, have a small yard or want to bring the outdoors inside, by going up instead of out, you can have the lush flower or food garden you’ve always craved.

Best Of Hometalk

My Old Desk Drawers Turned Into... Great Planters!

Well, that's the way it started... In the last year we renovated our house and there are too many things that are still waiting in our backyard to be reused (good luck with that.. ).

Leah Fried

Create A Welcoming Front Porch With This Planter

This planter gave my front steps the perfect amount of "oomph" it needed. Not only does it allow me to display a variety of beautiful flowers at the same time, but the pots are so bright and cheerful as well. My neighbors can't help but smile when they pass by my house now.

Julien K., Hometalk Team

Dresser Drawer Upcyle: Window Boxes

A few years ago, someone gave me one of those plastic coated pressboard made-to-look-like-wood dressers and it wreaked of cigarette smoke. But I'll pretty much take anything that's free! I decided to repurpose the drawers rather than try to do anything with the whole piece.

Kammy's Korner

Beautifying Our Old Shed Back To Life

Have you ever stared at a space in your home, knowing it's going to be completely gutted and redone as soon as you have the time, and finally decide to give it a tiny facelift in the meantime because you hate looking at it? That's exactly where I was at with our run-down shed in our tiny Queens backyard. This shed is way too small and is kinda falling apart, but it's just not on the top of our long list of things to be reimagined at the moment. But, one afternoon, I got sick of looking at the blank wall and decided to make it useful until we decide to take a sledgehammer to the whole thing. Our postage stamp yard is the only outdoor play space our pup has, so we didn't want to plant anything in it. I thought the side of the shed would be the perfect spot to add color to our back yard. As a professional organizer, I'm always telling my clients to think "up." I did the same thing here. Plants don't always have to go on the ground. We took an old window, mounted it to the wall, and then used fabric wall planters to add life and color. We also love to keep spare wood around for any DIY projects we might dream up. For a while, it just took up what limited space we had on our "patio." So, we also built storage for these planks as well using, well, spare wood! Sharing our before and afters with you because, while it's not a "forever" project, I think it's important for me to remember temporary fixes can ease my anxiety while we wait for funds and time to haul over a space.

Sarah K., Hometalk Team

Cinder Block Planter With Shelves

I was trying to figure out what to do with extra cinder blocks which were laying in the backyard of my apartment. It really was an eyesore! My landlord gave me free reign to take care of the yard so I decided to do a whole yard makeover. ..oh, the ideas I have! A garden. ..flower beds...container gardens...and those cinder blocks! Since I rent, I really wanted to do this inexpensively too. I came up with a cinder block planter with shelves. ..and it was free! (Well, I DID purchase the flowers)

Marc Erick

Crate Planters

Is there anyone here who can honestly raise their hand to admit they were born with two brown thumbs? If you could see me right now, that would be ME. As much as I love DIY, fashion, colors, and just all things pretty (including flowers), I’ve never been very savvy with keeping anything you have to plant ALIVE. However, there is always hope, right? I stumbled upon this super cute idea with planters and crates, and had to give it a little upcycle twist. Here’s to hoping I can keep these beauties alive! *Note: this project could cost a little more if you do not already have the necessary hardware and tools. My husband is in construction so we always have power tools laying around. :) We want to help you DIY, so some of the materials in this post are linked to sellers. Just so you know, Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Vertical Gutter Herb Garden / Planter

I seriously love using fresh herbs from the garden and have been meaning to get mine planted since spring, but have super slacked. The spot I kept my herbs last year had a mint take-over (which I'm ok with), so I decided a needed a new space for herbs that don't dominate. This stand alone vertical planter was perfect for my outdoor space since I don't have anything overhead to hang things from and I'm limited on floor space. With a wooden frame and some vinyl gutters I was able to make a stand alone vertical planter full of delicious herbs and some colorful flowers too!

Amanda C, Hometalk Team

Concrete Dipped Berry Box Planters ~

I love planting in unconventional containers…my niece recently bought her 1st house and ended up with all sorts of things left behind by the previous owner including stacks of old green pulp berry boxes…

Diana Wearing

How to Make a Garden Box for Your Best Yard Ever

Best Of Hometalk

The Most Ingenious Vertical Garden Ideas For Small Spaces

Best Of Hometalk

My Old Desk Drawers Turned Into... Great Planters!

Well, that's the way it started... In the last year we renovated our house and there are too many things that are still waiting in our backyard to be reused (good luck with that.. ).

Leah Fried

Create A Welcoming Front Porch With This Planter

Julien K., Hometalk Team

Dresser Drawer Upcyle: Window Boxes

Kammy's Korner

Beautifying Our Old Shed Back To Life

Sarah K., Hometalk Team

Cinder Block Planter With Shelves

Marc Erick

Crate Planters

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Vertical Gutter Herb Garden / Planter

Amanda C, Hometalk Team

Concrete Dipped Berry Box Planters ~

Diana Wearing

DIY Planter Building Videos

Check out DIY video tutorials that will teach you to build your very own planter.

Tired of Leaky Coconut Liners? Try This Hanging Planter Hack!

Everytime I water my hanging flower baskets with coconut liners, I end up with a flooded mess! I don't even think half of the water saturates the roots before it all leaks out onto my front steps. This hack keeps the water in and your planters with the perfect amount of moisture to keep them growing strong! All you need is some burlap and a diaper! Kick those expensive coconut liners to the curb.

Julien K., Hometalk Team

Self Watering Concrete Planter

We can’t keep plants alive. So today we’re making a DIY concrete self-watering planter in the hopes that the plants will take care of themselves haha.

Evan and Katelyn

Make Your Entryway Beautiful With This Flowerpot Idea

If you can't get enough of cute flowerpots, then this DIY project is for you! It involves not one, not two, but three! Get ready to draw attention to your front porch!

Junk Monkey Paint Company

Modern Planter

For this project, I'm going to make a modern planter. Feel free to make this box as big or small as you like. The dimension is listed below for this box.

Glen

Hometalkers' Favorite DIY Planter Building Projects

We've collected the top DIY planter building projects here for your enjoyment.

Easy Flower Planter

Spring has finally arrived in my neck of the woods and now it’s time for planting . Planters made of wood are so expensive . So I ve decided to build one myself with some help from some gals !

Crystal

DIY Hanging Nightstand/Side Table

I'm excited to share another incredibly simple DIY that will cost you just $5 to make! Recently I have been loving the look of hanging nightstands/side tables. They really transform a space despite being such a minimal design, and they are so much fun to style.

Katie Bookser

Concrete Pots in 15 Minutes

Concrete is the new terra cotta. Whether you use Rapid Set, which creates a smooth, light finish, or QuikCrete, which creates a rougher look, you can't go wrong. It's super simple and so satisfying. Clip off a few new growth succulents and you have a gift or decoration that only you could have made.

Joy Peters Kurtz

No More Coconut Liners for My Hanging Baskets!

I always have hanging baskets, all over the place! On stands, on my trees anywhere I can find a place that needs some color, and every year have to replace the coconut liners, this year they had gone up to $4 a piece 🙄 You can buy a new basket and liner for $5.00! It was going to cost me a fortune this year, I use to get them at the Dollar Tree for $1.00, but that still adds up when you have a lot of hanging baskets! And then there is the dreaded don't to forget to water them everyday in this Arkansas heat they dry out fast and there is nothing worse than killing a plant right off the top of the season, so I created a heat tolerant , permanent liner and well maybe once in a while I might put a new coconut liner in but that is a big maybe, lol, but not every year anymore! Save $$$ to buy more plants!* * * * * * UPDATE: since posting this I have started using oilcloth ( vinyl table cloth material for those who aren’t ancient like me lol). And have found that it lasts so much better! I am on the 3rd year with it and still holding up great! It is so inexpensive and so many colorful patterns to choose from. Keep your eye open for end of season clearance sales and you can get a premade tablecloth for really cheap or just buy it by the yard at most Walmart’s for like $3.00 a yardglad everyone is enjoying this tutorial and thanks!Shelter down , stay safe and God Bless

Lora Taylor Hyatt

Apple Baskets Turned Fall Planters

I am not a fan of the boring generic hanging baskets for flowers, so I am always looking for different things that can be used. My inspiration came from these two baskets I found used for picking apples.

Melanie

Easy DIY Living Rosemary and Boxwood Topiary on a Budget

We've all seen these lovely little creatures... And I even have several preserved topiaries... But I decided it was time to add a few live topiary plants to my home. After looking around a bit, I decided that $79 per topiary was much more of an investment than I wanted to make! (Mr. B would definitely not approve of such a purchase...) So, like I do when I get an idea in my head, I decided, I can make that for way less! 😬 So, I set out to find a Rosemary shoot (seedling) from a nursery to grow my own. To train it, and teach it to be the lovely little topiary creature I knew in its heart it wanted to be! Here's what it looked like when I bought it. (Cost: $3.95).

Heather

Easy Flower Planter

Spring has finally arrived in my neck of the woods and now it’s time for planting . Planters made of wood are so expensive . So I ve decided to build one myself with some help from some gals !

Crystal

DIY Hanging Nightstand/Side Table

Katie Bookser

Concrete Pots in 15 Minutes

Joy Peters Kurtz

No More Coconut Liners for My Hanging Baskets!

Lora Taylor Hyatt

Apple Baskets Turned Fall Planters

Melanie

Easy DIY Living Rosemary and Boxwood Topiary on a Budget

Heather

Popular Planter Building Discussions

You've found the building planter boxes discussion board. Follow what's trending.

How can I make a flowerpot out of a handbag?

/> Wendy L. Staystork

I want to change a handbag/purse into a flowerpot

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How can I make a wooden wall planter?

/> Cecilia Munoz

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How can I turn a nightstand drawer into a flowerpot?

/> Kathleen V Cox

View discussion

What can I use to fill up space in deep planters (other than soil)?

/> Suzan

I doing an up-cycled horizontal 2-drawer file cabinet (without drawers) and the amount of soil will be extensive. I’m aware of peanuts but want something more affordable. Any thoughts? BTW I don’t have plastic bottles. Thanks fellow Hometalkers!

View discussion

New Planter Building Projects

New projects in the world of planter building. Stay on top of trends here.

Decoupage Terracotta Pots

We all have many women in our life that are very are special to us. Although we may appreciate and care about someone, we often neglect to let them know, and regret it when it is too late. Makingsomeone’s day special doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.These easy decoupage terracotta pots were $0.78 each and I used scraps I already had from previous projects to transfer them into works of art. And you can do the same! Besides, does Mom actually need another mug?

Missi Perez

DIY 'MOSSY' AND AGED TERRA COTTA POTS

I was looking for a way to make some very simple Spring-themed gifts for friends, neighbors and family, came up with an idea and love how it turned out. If you are anything like me, this time of year you are yearning to soak up all growth that this season brings.Flowering spring bulbs are a great way to do that and so I knew I wanted to go that direction. If you start soon enough, you can force some bulbs indoors. But if you’re like me and don’t always plan ahead, you can always find a pot of bulbs at your local hardware store that are just starting to bloom and divide them as needed. I picked up a pot of 5 Hyacinths that were just about to start blooming for less than $9.00. While at the hardware store, I also picked up 4″ terra cotta pots and saucers. The total for each pot set was less than $5.00. Using some paint I had, I was able to make each of these gifts for less than $7.00 each and under 1 hour. The majority of that one hour was drying time, hands on painting was probably 5 minutes total.I do love terra cotta as is, but since I’m all about channeling moss and greenery this year, I wanted to give my pots a little treatment to make them look aged and mossy.

Lynn @ Nourish and Nestle

Distressed Stamped Décor Pots...

Distressed with white paint, and stamped with cute pictures, these DIY décor pots, are fabulous for holding bits and bobs.

Tracey Lee Cassin

DIY Spring Clay Pots

Ready for a dose of Spring and itching to get back to gardening? Get your clay pots ready to go for Spring flowers, seedlings, and herbs with these decorative tips... http://sophiasdecor.blogspot.com/2014/02/diy-spring-clay-pots-michaels-pinterest.html

Sophia's - Live Beautifully

Zest up Those Terra-cotta Pots!

It was my momma’s birthday recently and she is a fellow plant lover (let’s face it she rubbed off on me- tee hee). So it only seemed fitting to get her a gorgeous house plant, but when it came to the pot I wanted to make it a little more heartfelt and unique. Time to zest up some garden pots!! You can find decent sized terracotta pots at the dollar store, score!! Now we can make quite a few fun designs without breaking the bank….makes for a great christmas gift-hint hint!Original Blog Post

Zest it Up

DIY Aztec Print Succulent Pots

I love the look of these perfectly imperfect painted terra cotta pots. These days, I'm loving all things desert-inspired with a decidedly Southwestern feel, so creating these DIY black and white patterned pots was the perfect way to beautify my house with an easy art project!