Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Indoor plants

Liven up your plant collection with these DIY plant holders

Stacey Nguyen
By

When you’re a houseplant enthusiast, you have an endless world of opportunities to get creative with your plant decor! While you could always get a terracotta or plastic pot at your local garden center, why not get a little original with your plant homes? Creating your own plant holder isn’t just fun—it’s also often eco-friendly, as it encourages you to upcycle items you likely have around the house. From using disco balls to old boots, here are creative DIY planter ideas to inspire your next weekend plant project!

Disco ball

Make your plant decor part of your at-home discotheque. The blog A Beautiful Mess breaks down how to create a planter that can double as a gorgeous disco ball—or at least half of one, anyway! Start by removing the center mirrors and use a jigsaw to cut the disco in half. Drill in holes on two opposite sides and attach carabiners and chains to them. And there you have it, a disco planter! Just pop in your nursery pot with your plant and attach the chains to a ceiling hook. One optional step is to paint your chains and give them a color that contrasts with your disco ball. Get ready to turn up the music and grow some leaves!

Plant in teacup

Teacup

Do you have an old teacup lying around? If the mouth is wide enough, you can carefully drill a hole into the bottom of your porcelain teacup to make it a whimsical cottagecore-inspired planter! You can also make things easier for yourself by using your teacup as a cachepot—just pop in your nursery pot, and you’ll be good to go. If you’re drilling a hole into your cup, add a fancy saucer beneath your plant for aesthetic and practical purposes. Get more tips on creating a teacup plant holder from Tigershed’s horticultural blog.

Boots

Your boots may have been made for walking, but what about when they’re too worn down? Upcycle your old rain boots (or maybe even your old gardening clogs) into succulent planters! According to the Upcycle My Stuff blog, you’ll want to start by drilling some holes into your boots; if you don’t have a drill, a hammer and nail will work just fine. If they’re worn out and have holes in them already, you may even be able to get away without this step. Add stones and gravel for extra drainage and put in your cactus soil. Then, place in your plants, and voila, you’ve got a gorgeous succulent display. Adjacent to this boot idea is upcycling your old sneakers and other worn-down accessories, such as handbags. If you’re working with a material that isn’t waterproof, you might want to insert extra gravel and liners to keep your DIY planter intact.

Coconut shell

One hack from @judybaogarden on TikTok is using a coconut as a planter. You’ll want to crack open your coconut and take out the water and meat (to enjoy, of course). After washing the shell, drill holes into the side to add hooks and holes on the bottom for drainage. Add hooks and chains for hanging your plant, then pop in your plant and soil. Prior to adding your plant, you can also put in some activated charcoal to help remove toxins and odors.

Plants near tin can

Tin cans

If you’ve got a fancy tin of coffee lying around (like those from Cafe Bustelo or Cafe Du Monde), you’ve got the perfect material for a gorgeous planter! You can simply put a nursery pot in an empty can or drill drainage holes into your tin and put your plant in it. We recommend adding varnish to the inside and outside of the can to prevent it from rusting. For a more personal touch, you can also paint the outside with your very own design. Browse the Pillar Blue Box blog for more tin can plant holder ideas.

There’s nothing wrong with opting for a plastic or clay pot, but if you’re looking to give your indoor jungle extra pizzazz, consider a DIY pot to custom-make a beautiful plant holder that’s worthy of a #plantshelfie on Instagram! These are just a few starter ideas, of course. You can virtually make a planter from anything that has a basin to hold your plants. Just add some drainage holes, put in some stone and gravel for drainage, or pop in a nursery pot—don’t be afraid to let your imagination run a little wild.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Are these common houseplants safe for your cat? Read this guide to find out the scoop
Which houseplants to avoid if you have a curious cat
Cayla Leonard
By Cayla Leonard
December 21, 2022
Indoor plant collection

Bringing new plants into your home is an exciting part of being a gardener, but you may not be the only one taking an interest in your plants. If you have a curious kitty, you might need to worry about them chewing on your houseplants. This isn’t great for your plants, of course, but it can also harm your cat! While some plants are harmless to chew on, others are toxic. If you want to know if your houseplants are safe for cats, you’re in luck. Here’s a list of some of the most common houseplants and how safe they are for cats.

Cat-safe houseplants
Spider plants are low-maintenance houseplants safe for your cat to nibble on. While you should still try to keep your kitty from eating too much of it, this is more for the plant’s sake than theirs.

Read more
These are the most popular indoor plants of 2023 – add one or all to your collection
Trendy houseplants of 2023 that you need for your home
Cayla Leonard
By Cayla Leonard
December 17, 2022
A small collection of houseplants

It’s time to start looking forward to the next year, and that includes looking for new indoor plants. Whether you just want to know what plants you can expect to see in stores or are looking for a gift for the plant lover in your life and aren’t sure where to start, we can help! We’ve got the inside scoop from Breanna Sherlock, an in-house plant expert for the plant care app Planta. Here are the top five plants you can expect to see rise in popularity during 2023.

Hoya
Hoyas are fantastic plants that come in a wide range of varieties. From beginner-friendly, low-maintenance hoyas to more challenging and finicky varieties, there’s a hoya for every home gardener! With their diverse appearances, hoyas can match even the most specific interior decor themes.

Read more
A complete guide to caring for the holly plant, a common symbol of Christmas
This pretty red plant is the quintessential holiday decoration that's easy to care for
Kiera Baron
By Kiera Baron
December 10, 2022
A fresh holly branch

Whether you call it common holly, Christmas holly, English holly, or just plain old holly, this striking plant with the bright red berries against deep green leaves just screams Christmas. The holly plant is a popular holiday tree or shrub (depending on the variety) that’s often used in garlands, wreaths, mantelpiece decor, and so much more. The berries give your home a vibrant pop of red to really accentuate the festive colors of the season. And hey, what's more fun than decorating for the holidays with fresh greenery?

Although the English holly plant (Ilex aquifolium) is the most common variety, American holly (Ilex opaca) is another one you might see used in holiday greenery. Appearance-wise, there isn’t much of a difference; however, the English holly plant has a slower growth rate and is native to the U.K. while the American holly is a medium grower native to parts of the U.S. Really, you can’t go wrong with growing either.

Read more