If your homemaking mantra, like mine, is “Never enough houseplants,” then you might also be ever on the lookout for fun, new planters to hold your green babies. Am I talking about you? Yeah? Well then, this might be the perfect DIY project for you!
Generally I have good luck finding nice pots or vases at thrift stores and flea markets, and I’ll occasionally splurge on something I really like from favorite shops like West Elm, but lately I’ve been exploring easy DIY options to create unique planters I just haven’t been able to find in stores. You may have seen my recent lucite plant stand project, which was so easy and nice looking that I just had to translate the idea over to a planter too! And here she is. Lookin’ mighty fine, if I do say so myself.
Supplies:
-wooden bowl (I got mine here, but these can easily be found at thrift stores.)
-3 wooden ring display cones* (I got a set of 6 from here)
–epoxy cement
–masking tape
-disposable surface (such as a paper plate or piece of cardboard) + disposable stir stick
*I lightly sanded and restained the cones I received in order to better match the bowl. I always have a variety of wood stains on hand, so buying stain for this project wasn’t an issue for me. If I didn’t have stain options at the ready, I would’ve been happy enough to leave them as they came.
Step One: Situate the wooden cones equidistant on the edge of the bowl’s bottom. Mark their placement with masking tape. This will make it easy for you to perfectly place the cones during the next step when time is an issue.
Step Two: Squeeze out an even amount of the two epoxy ingredients from the tube onto a disposable surface. Quickly mix them together with a disposable stir stick, then goop some epoxy onto the flat edge of the cones/feet. Spread the epoxy lightly and evenly, then press the feet into place on the bottom of the bowl. The epoxy will set up very quickly, so you don’t have much time to fuss here. Hence the taping from the previous step.
Make sure to immediately remove the masking tape, lest any of the epoxy set up over top of it!
Drainage Considerations
If your wood bowl is not already sealed, I definitely recommend lightly sanding and spraying down the bowl with polyurethane to make it waterproof. You may choose to drill drainage holes into the bottom of this planter, in which case I would recommend sealing the wood inside the holes with polyurethane as well. If you don’t, you risk rotting the wood as it becomes soaked with water.
I cut down the sides of a fancy plastic self-watering pot to fit inside this planter so the water could drain into the saucer inside of the wooden bowl. I bought two plastic pots to try out, and one ended up being the perfect size! Using this interior planter is great for the succulents I’m using and certainly is a lot easier than dealing with drainage holes in the wooden bowl itself. If you are planting something like pothos that doesn’t need soaking and ample drainage, I wouldn’t worry about drainage holes. Just don’t overwater it.
This footed planter is a nice size for a table centerpiece, and the contents can be changed up depending on the season. And hey, if you feel really crafty, why not paint it a fun color? I have a feeling a little paint job may be in this guy’s future, but for now, the wood finish provides the perfect cozy touch for the fall and winter seasons. –Mandi
Credits //Author and Photography: Mandi Johnson. Photos edited with the NEW A Beautiful Mess actions.
21 Comments
You really an never have enough house plants, or too many cute pots to put them in. But they can be really costly, so thanks for this super nice DIY!
– Natalie
http://www.workovereasy.com
Quite an amazing idea… Love your simple DIYs!!!
Such a great idea! I think I’d just paint the feet a fun color:)
I literally cannot wait to make this one! I have a ton of house plants and love natural surfaces – such as wood!
Lena
http://zoyaandme.com/
Oh my god this is so clever, will definitely recreate it! x
Cityscape Bliss // Notes on The White Company
What a super cool idea!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
This is such a good, practical DIY project. I’m in desperate need of more planters and I find wood bowls like this for cheap all the time at thrift stores. Loving this idea! Thanks for the tutorial 🙂 So perfect for fall.
Wow, this is a great idea, thanks so much for sharing!
Incidentally, I have a wooden bowl hiding in a cupboard which screams to be used for that purpose…
This wooden planter looks adorable. And I love this shade of brown.
xx
Renaud | http://xxmuchlove.blogspot.com
Oooooh! This is great and I have a corner that has this planter’s name on it! Thanks so much for this, it’s perfect!
http://www.englishgirlinnewyork.org
Omg this is such an adorable planter! I’d totally make this myself if I could actually properly take care of my plants, lol
Now this is a diy worthy of a blog post. Nicely done!
Love this easy way to (literally) elevate a thrifted wooden bowl!
So simple and effective! I love it!
Would this bowl work? Or does it need to be taller?
http://www.target.com/p/threshold-large-angled-acacia-bowl/-/A-15389483?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=&adgroup=&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9025754&gclid=CjwKEAjwjqO_BRDribyJpc_mzHgSJABdnsFWvU177OKPWRFVN-wsCDCqp-P0pd0_GXDIMdIGW-kj0hoCRPzw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Also, do you drain the plant at all?
OMG how cute!!! I always have a hard time finding planters that I like and that will go with my decor. Not sure why I never thought of making one myself! Thanks for the idea!
Bridget | http://nuttyhiker.com
That pot would probably work for a grouping of plants that aren’t deeply rooted, like succulents, thought succulents would need proper drainage.
I used a self-watering plastic pot to put inside of the wood bowl. I talked a bit about drainage if you’d like to check out the paragraph titled “Drainage Considerations.” Depends on what the watering needs are for the plant (heavy soaking, light watering here and there, etc) and if you are placing a pot with a built-in drainage saucer inside, as I did. So, there’s no straight answer without me knowing what you’re planting. 🙂
-Mandi
I really love the simple design of the planter! 🙂
Amazing once again. You are skilled my dear! Love your style.
Love this! What plant is that?
I have saved this pin for months. I bought the cone feet immediately. I have been trying to source bowls and finally found some at a local boutique. I literally cannot wait to do this project and I am doing one for me and one as a housewarming gift for my sister! Thanks for the inspiration!!!!