10 Easy DIY Planters That Only *Look* Expensive

updated Jun 17, 2020
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Nothing breathes new life into a room as quickly and easily as a new plant baby. The best part? There are plenty of budget-friendly ways to grow new plants, including picking up plant cuttings from a friend or growing your own plants from seed. But if you’re a seasoned plant parent, you already know that finding planters to house your new fronds that also match your decor can be the most expensive aspect of the journey. Good news: There are plenty of DIY options that have high style for a low price, so you can give your plants a chic new home without blowing your budget. Here, 10 easy DIY planters that only look expensive.

Credit: Club Crafted

1. 3D lettered planter

A monochromatic, three-dimensional lettered planter is a subtle, sophisticated take on trending cheeky puns or sayings. This one, from Club Crafted, looks like a high-end kiln fired piece—but it’s really modeling clay covered in spray paint.

Credit: Fall for DIY

2. Modern hanging terra cotta pots

Terracotta’s warm texture and ability to blend with any style makes it a classic. But you don’t have to be limited to pre-made options, and you definitely don’t need to buy your own heavy-duty kiln! Fran of Fall for DIY used air-dry terracotta clay to design these modern hanging planters.

3. Minimalist plant stand

Elevate a whole family of plants closer to the light with a plant box stand. Manda of The Merrythought breaks down how to create a sturdy home with Scandi style using just a few pieces of select pine.

4. Upgraded grower pot

Usually when plants reach a store, they don’t need to be repotted. In fact, it’s usually a good idea to wait until their dormant season to minimize shock. While you’re waiting to transplant a hanging plant, you can make a quick, easy style upgrade with leather straps and wood beads. See more at ctrl + curate.

5. Faux-vintage planter covers

Another great upcycling project is to create planter covers. Mandi at A Beautiful Mess shows how you can upcycle any jar or container by covering it with these marbled copper wraps. Yup, that stunning color and texture is actually oxidized copper—and it’s shockingly easy to create.

6. Vertical wall planter

Laura of A Beautiful Mess created this brass plate wall hanger, which acts like a vertical plant tray. Instead of mounting lots of separate wall planters, you can unify all your flora with a quick hardware store trip.

Credit: BlissMakes

7. Abstract art details

Kristin of BlissMakes beautifully incorporates the abstract line art trend with her planter DIY. Play around with different clay forms, glued to plain terra cotta, for a wonderfully expressive pot that costs no more than a few bucks.

8. Sculptural mid-century style

Erin of Francois et Moi created this DIY that’s definitely one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” moments. Using just two items already in your cupboard, you can make this stylish and sculptural mid-century modern planter, too.

9. Geometric accents

Update a plain pot with some architectural details that make your plant look good from every angle. At ctrl + curate, see how you can create a wraparound, architecture-inspired design with either a vinyl cut file or printable paint template.

10. Modern and colorful outdoor planter

Ananda of A Piece of Rainbow needed several outdoor planters for her patio, so she created these modern boxes that are large yet portable. You can customize her design in any color you’d like.