Reuse Old Marbles To Turn A Plain Planter Into A Dimensional Design

Making DIY planters is fun because it lets you get creative with materials, colors, and designs that reflect your personal style, as well as your home's decor. It can give you a sense of accomplishment to watch your plants grow and thrive in something you made yourself. Sure, you could make your own planters from inexpensive items you find at the store. Then again, it can also be a fun way to breathe new life into items you might otherwise throw away. Take marbles, for instance. If you have old marbles from games that are missing pieces, or old projects you no longer plan on completing, you can instead use them to create a unique planter for your home. All you need to DIY a planter using marbles is an aluminum can, marbles, fast-acting glue, and some spray paint. The end result of this project is a planter with an eye-catching beaded finish.

This DIY is great as-is, but there are also some interesting ways you can take it to the next level. Maybe even take the concept and apply it to other projects. No matter what approach you choose for this project, you are sure to end up with a decor piece that's a real conversation starter.

Before starting, ensure your marbles are cleaned with isopropyl alcohol so the paint will adhere to them. After you've cleaned and dried your marbles, apply a small bead of fast-acting glue to your can. Then, quickly press the marble onto the glue. Repeat this step until the entire can is covered with marbles, taking care to ensure there are no gaps between them where the can will show through. Then, use acrylic spray paint to cover the marbles. After the paint is dry, put your plant in and that's it.

The aluminum can you use for this project doesn't matter. It can be a great way to reuse leftover soup cans, canned vegetables, an empty tuna can, or a planter for a succulent if you want. The size of the container used will determine the number of marbles you need, though. An aluminum can is a sturdy option for keeping plants in, but for a faux planter, you could use a thick paper container or even glue together some toilet paper rolls instead. 

To customize this DIY, you can use multiple spray paint colors or forgo the spray paint altogether and display the marbles' normal colors. Simply purchase the desired color marbles in this case. Covering containers with marbles is also an idea that would work for a coffee table conversation piece, a decorative bathroom candle, or even for adding dimension to picture frames.