Everyone needs a plant in their life. They give you clean air and bring a smile to your face. You might be thinking, “Great, but I kill every plant I touch.” Don’t worry, there are plenty of low maintenance plants that anyone can keep alive! Now, when you decide to get a plant, what will you put it in?
If you are into upcycling and repurposing, you’ll love these ideas for plant containers.
Containers for Small Plant
1 Egg Cartons – Eggs are a staple that we use often, so why not use their carton to start some seedlings? Any egg carton will do, but cardboard egg cartons can be put right into the ground since they will decompose. Just tear apart the sections and plant them in some dirt and you’ll have your own baby plant from seed!
Suggested plants to start from seed:
- Vegetables
- Flowers
- Herbs like oregano, thyme, or parsley
2 Shells from the Beach – If you’ve been to the beach and collected some shells recently, or if you plan on it, those would be a great, unique container for some small plants.
Suggested plants:
- Small succulents
- Mini-African violets
- Mini wax plant
- Any other tiny plant you can find. There are usually sections of tiny plants at plant nurseries.
Containers for Mid-Size Plants
3 Empty Yogurt Cups – Personally, I love yogurt and eat it almost every day. The cups that yogurt come in are perfect for small plants.
4 Steel or Aluminum Cans – Similar to yogurt cups, cans are also a very common kitchen item. You can paint both yogurt cups and cans as a fun craft and poke a hole in the bottom, so the plants get proper drainage!
5 Thrifted or Unused Mugs – There are so many cute mugs out there, but I think most of us have too many. If you have any you’re not using, plants could be put in them. If you don’t have any extra mugs laying around but you like the idea, there are usually plenty at any thrift store. Make sure to put some rocks or another drainage solution at the bottom before you put the plant in, so the plants can breathe in the mugs!
Suggested plants:
• Spider plant
• Chinese money plant
• Peperomia
• Nerve plants
• String of pearls
• Herbs
Containers for Large Plants
6 Coffee Container – Coffee ground containers are a common kitchen item for most people. Like yogurt cups and cans, you can poke a hole in the bottom for drainage.
7 Colanders – These would be great for any outdoor plant, especially since they have naturally great drainage. Use a colander you have that’s old and rusty or find one at a thrift store and put a plant in it!
8 Old Basket – A basket would be an adorable home for a plant. If you have any old or damaged baskets, those would be perfect for a plant or two, depending on the size of the basket and the plant.
9 Tires – Tires make a great gardening container; they are sturdy and relatively easy to find. I would recommend only using tires outdoors as they can be quite dirty. You can get creative with old tires and paint them any color you want. Tires are also easy to stack to make whatever design you desire.
Suggested house plants:
• Pothos
• Philodendron
• Snake plant
• Ferns
• English ivy
• ZZ plant
• Hoya
• Calathea
Suggested outdoor plants:
• Croton
• Lantana
• Caladium
• Million bells
• Foxtail ferns
• Pelargonium
Unique gardening containers are anything you want them to be, from an old shoe to tires. Use your imagination and have fun. You might be surprised by what wonderful creations you come up with.
Inspired by the upcycling ideas for plant containers? Check out these ideas for repurposing everyday items.
