Turn Trash Into Cute Succulent Planters With These 12 DIYs

If you want to give your home and outdoor spaces a unique atmosphere, try repurposing used containers into succulent planters. This hack will recycle materials that might otherwise end up in a landfill while also adding greenery to your home. You don't have to be an experienced gardener or DIYer to do this, either. Most of these projects are so simple that almost anyone can do them in just a few minutes. You will also save money on ceramic pots with these ideas. Some of these planters will be made from recycled kitchen supplies, such as teapots and mugs, or from old furniture, such as bookshelves and drawers.

All you need is a little bit of imagination to turn something with a hollow space into a planter. You just have to follow a few rules. First, you need a quick-draining soil mix. Try mixing one part sand, one part potting soil, and a half part pumice. Second, your container needs to be large enough for the succulent to grow healthily. A good rule of thumb is that the container's diameter needs to be 10% larger than your succulent's width. And lastly, the container should drain well, as succulents prefer dry soil.

A mug is ideal for growing small plants, such as succulents and herbs. All you need to do is puncture a hole in the bottom for drainage, which you can complete without using a drill. For this project, you'll need a hammer, a nail, and a bucket of water. Place the mug in the bucket of water and punch a hole through it with your nail. The water's purpose is to reinforce the ceramic and prevent it from shattering. Once you've made your hole, fill the mug with soil and a succulent, and place it in the sunlight.

If you decide to replace your old teapot, perhaps because it has cracked, consider repurposing it as a succulent planter. Start by drilling one or several drainage holes into the bottom of the pot(for stainless steel, use a cobalt bit). Place a layer of gravel and a layer of potting mix under your succulent, and then fill in potting soil around it.

Instead of throwing away your worn-out shoes, you can make a small, portable succulent garden out of them. A cowboy boot works well, but any closed-toe shoe will do. Simply drill a few holes through the heel and fill it with fresh soil. If the boot gets a little too top-heavy and you worry that it may blow over, try filling the bottom with gravel. Not only will the rocks weigh down the shoe, but they will also help with drainage.

Watering cans are already associated with gardens, which is what makes old ones clever succulent pots. Doing this will add an eccentric touch to your yard. Just drill some holes in the bottom and add some dirt. If you decide to keep this can inside your home, you should keep it on a plate to catch the drainage. You will need to buy a second watering can to help keep those succulents healthy, of course. This DIY is one of several brilliant ways to repurpose an old watering can that you no longer use. 

Maybe you're not too concerned about aesthetics and just need an improvised container to grow succulents. A plastic water bottle should do the job fairly well. Simply cut the top off with an X-Acto knife and puncture holes in the bottom. Remove the cap, turn the top upside down, and place it in the other half. Fill the top with soil or rocks and plant your succulents. But remember to place the bottle on a plate to catch any drips.

A lot of music freaks clutch their pearls over the treatment of instruments, even wincing when a guitar is smashed as part of the act. However, if you like music and don't feel too strongly about repurposing instruments, then you should try turning an old acoustic guitar into a planter. You just need to remove the strings, fill the inside of the guitar with soil, and plant your succulents. Just make sure the instrument is not valuable. The last thing you'd want is to cut a guitar in half only to learn that Kurt Cobain had performed with it on MTV.

If you ever have to replace a tire from your car, instead of throwing it out, try turning it into a backyard planter. You just need to pick a spot to lay the tire and then place a black trash bag under it. Pierce some holes in the bag for drainage and then fill the tire with potting soil. You can even stack a second or third tire to make the planter taller. 

Many people will probably regard this as an aesthetic crime, while others will view it as kitschy. Either way, it's a conversation starter. Use a pair of pants as your planter. This works well with jeans, but any pants will do, as long as you can knot the legs. Then just fill the pants with potting soil and hang them from a hook on the side of your house using a belt loop. If they are cargo pants, you can even grow succulents from the pockets.

Instead of using a boring pot, try removing a drawer from an old desk and filling it with soil. Imagine the discarded filing cabinet from work overgrown with flowering succulents — is it an anti-capitalist statement or simply a clever way to recycle? You can even paint an old drawer to give it a little more character before you plant those seeds. Just make sure it drains. There are plenty of other brilliant ways to upcycle a desk drawer into something beautiful for your garden, including a tiered herb garden and window boxes.

A waste basket lacks the surreal quality of a desk drawer or a pair of pants filled with succulents. Guests might not even notice your flower pot is a repurposed waste basket, as it will blend in with the other pots. But this is a good way to use something you already own to cultivate a patch of succulents. Just make sure the basket can drain and, if you keep it inside, there is something to catch the drainage.

Tote bags are excellent succulent planters because they come in various sizes and are very portable. You can also get those succulents planted inside them in a relatively short amount of time. You simply need to line the inside with a plastic bag else your tote will become muddy and decay faster. You should puncture some holes in the bottom to allow for drainage. This is a great decorative flower pot for an outdoor space with a roof like a porch.

Some gardeners like growing plants in raised beds because they provide strong drainage and let you choose the right soil. Raised beds are also a great way to repurpose an old bookshelf. You just need to lay the shelf flat and drill some holes in the bottom. Though the above image features vegetables, there's no reason succulents won't work in it. This should last several years before needing to be replaced. There are several other ideas you should consider for upcycling an old bookcase, including using it for craft storage and as a minibar.