Stop Tossing Broken Plant Pots When There Are 14 Clever Ways To Reuse Them

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Broken pots are a reality of life if you are a gardener, but just because they are a normal (though hopefully not constant) hiccup doesn't make them any less frustrating. A broken plant pot brings with it not only the annoyance of having to clean up the mess — pot shards, dirt, and disrupted plant included — but also the loss of a valuable gardening resource that you may have spent money on or spent energy collecting. Fortunately, however, it's possible to save your broken and chipped terracotta pots, ceramic pots, and plastic pots by reusing them in a number of different ways rather than simply throwing them away. 

No matter how your plant pot broke (maybe your cat knocked it over, you dropped it, or the wind blew one off of your patio table), you'll be left with pieces of material that can be converted into something else entirely. If you're having trouble imagining the various ways it could be reincarnated, there's no shortage of inspiration and ideas. You can use some mortar to nestle cracked pieces into a garden wall for a rustic vibe or add some pieces to the bottom of a pot to cover a large drainage hole to keep soil nice and wet for moisture-loving plants. Other ways to reuse these pieces include making a fun fairy garden display, with different levels crafted from segments of terracotta or ceramic pot rims. Plastic plant pots can even be put to good use as protection from frost.

A garden wall can be a great way to add character to your yard, but if it's just a plain cement wall then it's really underachieving its full potential. Instead of leaving it drab, use some mortar to stick pieces of terracotta and ceramic pots to the surface of the wall. You'll be left with an absolutely romantic visual that looks old-world — even more so if you can get some vines growing over the shards of cracked pots.

Is there anything more charming than a fairy garden? Your old broken pots can be saved and turned into an adorable potted fairy garden display with a little time and effort. Use pieces of broken rims to form a variety of levels for the garden, employing some fern or moss to give it that added degree of woodland charm. Don't forget to check out these 20 fairy garden ideas that are downright magical for some extra inspiration.

If you have a plethora of broken pots, you can collect them to repurpose as the material for a walkway or patio space. Over time, as the pieces are walked on, they will be broken down into smaller pieces. Because of this, you'll want to prepare the area to be covered with a stone base, landscaping fabric, and edging to keep it all in place. Bear in mind that there are a number of mistakes to avoid when using gravel for a patio area, and the same applies to other crushed materials.

Somewhat similar to a fairy garden is this idea to create a succulent garden. You can arrange multiple broken pots inside a larger pot — each one holding its own succulent plant. Remember that succulents need well-draining soil in order to be happy for the long term, so consider using small pebbles, stones, or even broken up plant pot pieces as the top layer for drainage.

Large drainage holes in the bottom of pots are there for a reason, but if you have a plant that doesn't want drainage (in other words, one that is a lover of wet soil) you may want to cover up that hole. A piece of terracotta pot that is fitted over such a drainage hole can do a great job at retaining moisture for your plants that like to be in squishy, wet dirt.

No plant markers? No problem. Using cracked shards of terracotta as your plant labels is brilliant and easy to do. Just select a piece that is large enough to write the name of your plant on it, then nestle it into the dirt in front of the plant. It won't be blown over or disrupted by wildlife, and if you use a permanent marker, the label should be visible for a long time.

Animals in the garden are cute to look at, until they start going for your plants and are downgraded to public enemy number one. If you find that your plants are being disturbed by pests, you can use crushed up pots placed over the soil as a protective barrier. You can also get the added benefit of enhanced drainage for plants that like gravelly soil.

A broken pot might seem like it's past repair, but so long as the sections are large enough to piece back together you could be in luck. There are all sorts of ways to repair a cracked pot, but one of the easiest methods is utilizing a putty or a fast-drying adhesive to hold the formerly broken segments together. Remember to let it fully dry before trying to use it for a new plant, or the added pressure on the walls might cause it break again.

Whether you have a large or small broken pot on your hands, one of the easiest ways to reuse it in your garden is by simply sinking the broken side into the ground in your garden. You'll then need to select a flower that trails or has a spilled aesthetic to plant at the opening of the pot. What you will achieve with this hack is an adorable broken pot planter that uses the damaged nature of the pot to elevate the look of your garden. 

Broken plant pots might be frustrating at first, but if you get in the habit of saving them, you could be well on your way to crafting charming new creations from them. Take a fresh pot, then smear it with concrete grout and arrange the pieces of your broken pots along the outside. Work in small sections so you can plan out where to position the pot bits without risking the cement drying prematurely. Once it's completed, you'll be left with a pot that looks rustic and utterly adorable. 

Broken plant pots? No problem — you can easily use them as materials for mosaic stepping stones for your garden. Keep a wooden bin of collected pot pieces and simply add to it whenever another pot gets broken. Before long, you'll have a sizable pile to draw from. The stepping stones can be made from a cement mix like this Grout 360 Premium Stepping Stone Mix from Amazon, then decorated with whatever pattern of pot shards you like.

While cracked ceramic or terracotta pots are quite common for the avid gardener, perhaps you have a collection of plastic plant pots that are cracked or otherwise broken. One easy and practical way to use these is as frost protection for smaller plants that are prone to cold-weather-induced damage. Simply place one plastic pot inside another, then turn them upside down and cover smaller plants on chilly nights. Don't worry — a crack or two won't get in the way of providing cold protection.

If you're trying to help some new plants grow successfully in your garden without interference from pests, you can use a broken plastic pot to create a plant collar. This works especially well if the bottom of the pot is broken, since you'll be cutting away that portion anyways. Simply slip the plastic collar over the plant, snuggly nestling it into the soil a bit for a solid barrier of protection. Remember to choose pots that are large enough to accommodate the plant to avoid ripping any leaves when placing the collar.

No matter what condition your plant pots are in, you can put them to work in your garden as a birdbath. There are a plethora of plans available online if you want to create a certain aesthetic of a watering station for your flying friends, or you can go off the cuff and craft one that is entirely your own design. While cracked pots are fine for the supports of the birdbath, it's best to opt for pots or saucers that are less damaged for the bath itself or you'll risk the water leaking out quickly.