You can upcycle your old typewriter, paint cans, tires and many more things into places for your plants. Here’s a room-by-room guide to where in your own home you might “shop” for new planters.
5 surprising things you can upcycle as planters
Jake Moss Designs, original photo on Houzz

Jake Moss Designs, original photo on Houzz

You can upcycle your old typewriter, paint cans, tires and many more things into places for your plants. Here’s a room-by-room guide to where in your own home you might “shop” for new planters.

Colleen Brett, original photo on Houzz

From the kitchen

You probably have one in your house already, and if you’re doing the low-carb thing and haven’t needed your pasta strainer much lately, you’ve got an instant hanging planter on hand, for free. Need a few more? They’re easy to come by and easy on the wallet, making them a prime alternative to pricey pots.

Related: Expert Tips for Growing Edibles in Containers

Between Naps on the Porch, original photo on Houzz

From the bedroom

That papasan chair your teen has grown out of? Keep it out of a landfill by filling it with organic matter and then kick back on your patio to watch it teem with new life. Possibly the most creative repurposing of an old bed that I’ve ever seen, this antique iron frame has retired to the garden, where it serves as a planter whose size rivals entire patio gardens.

Related: Repurposing Your Old Bed Frame? Find a New One

Rikki Snyder, original photo on Houzz

From the closet

Here’s a two-in-one idea: Convert a wood pallet into a DIY garden bed and top it with a pair of rubber boots that you’ve filled with dirt and festooned with greenery. Any vessel with an opening can house dirt and roots as easily as any other, so why not wood clogs or even men’s thrift-store leather shoes, if that’s what you happen to have available?

Eclecticgirl, original photo on Houzz

From the library

As much as the archaic precursors to today’s electronics have come back in vogue, some typewriters and record players are simply too faded to be coaxed back into working order. They’re still relics of another somewhat simpler time, however, and for that reason deserve salvation as reclaimed artifacts, though not necessarily in the expected way. Here, an old typewriter lives out its second act as a treasured haven for plants. Its rust only adds to its charm.

Jake Moss Designs, original photo on Houzz

From around town

Alternatively, if you happen to have a contact in the public works department, see about picking up a galvanized culvert that is being retired from its post beneath the urban jungle. We think of cities as having everything, but if you’re looking to dodge the cost of custom-built raised garden beds, you’ll want to strike out on a country road trip to the closest feed store. There you’ll find livestock water troughs of the type featured here. They just so happen to be the perfect size for holding veggies and flowers without breaking the bank.

Related: Scan Professional Projects to Inspire Your Own

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