Turn An Old Thrift Store Produce Bin Into The Cutest Hanging Plant Basket

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If you're an avid thrifter, odds are you're constantly on the hunt for new ways to elevate your secondhand treasures. While it's not always possible with bigger items like furniture, smaller decor offers the opportunity to take on DIY thrift flips you can start and finish in one weekend if not even less than a day. In a lot of cases, all you need is a creative eye and some basic supplies. If you stumble upon an old produce bin, you can easily transform it into a unique hanging plant basket, which is perfect for your patio or sunroom, by adding a basket liner, soil, and plants.

For this project you'll need a thrifted produce bin or fruit basket with a banana hanger, a liner like the LAVEVE Coco Coir Liner Replacement for Plant Hanging Baskets, scissors, soil, and your favorite plants. You can use just about any plant you would normally see in a hanging plant arrangement. Consider the foolproof rule to crafting patio plant baskets – thriller, filler, spillers. Start with a focal point plant (the thriller). Surround it with supplementary plants that complement it (the filler) and round it out with a beautiful draping plant (the spiller). If you're planning on putting your basket somewhere like a sunroom where it can stay nice and warm, consider a beautiful trailing plant such as burro's tail (but bear in mind that strong afternoon sun can harm the plant). Once you have your plants on hand and the supplies ready to go, you're ready to craft this simple, creative thrift flip for plant display.

Putting your DIY hanging basket together is as simple as it gets — just fit your coco coir insert into the fruit basket basin. In some cases, it might slide right in. But don't fret if it's a bit too snug. All you need to do is cut two slits across from each other down to nearly the bottom of the coco coir bowl. Fold in the slits so the sides of the inserts overlap, and fit it into the fruit basket. Adjust the sides until it fits securely.

With your coco coir liner in place, your next step is filling your new planter with the appropriate potting soil. If you'd like to craft your own soil, combine 2 parts peat moss, 1 part vermiculite, and 1 part compost. This will be lightweight enough for a hanging basket while still supporting proper water retention and drainage. Now you can transfer your plants in. Embellish your basket with butterfly plant buddies, copper plant stake decor, or self-watering glass globes. Use a hook to suspend your basket by the banana hanger or simply place it flat somewhere on your porch or sunroom.

Keep in mind that coco coir dries out rapidly. Not only does water evaporate from the top of this pot, but also out of the sides. With that in mind, you'll need to diligently keep up with regular watering. You might also want to consider selecting plants that can handle a bit more time between waterings. As long as you're tending to your plants with care, your DIY plant hanger should serve you well!