DIY planter box ideas on a budget

Ronda Cochroche Ronda Cochroche
Projeto para um carrinho de flores, Casa Nova Paisagismo Casa Nova Paisagismo Jardines de estilo rústico
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Less wallet more pallet and home recycling! Making your own planter boxes can be a fun and creative way to express oneself. It can also be a fun family activity for all to explore the confines of their imagination. Wood pallets are certainly more and more in vogue since they cost little to no money, they are available anywhere, they are fabricated in a way that is very sturdy and in a rectangular shape which is perfect to house potted plants. 

That being said, there are certainly many ideas that can stem from wood pallets, but there are other materials and objects that would normally be lying around the house that can be reused to create planter boxes. It all depends on one's taste, the space available and the location where the plants will stay. Whatever the means, the goal is to bring in a lush green colour into the home or the balcony. Plants have the benefit of being agreeable to have in a home as a decorative piece but also to add a splash of life into a room. The following article will help all who wish to build their own planter box with more than one option.

Bottles for a greener world

Plastic bottles are everywhere, literally! They are a major part of daily life and in the worst cases, piling up and leaving a very polluting ecological footprint. The current image shows how there is a brilliant way to decorate a garden or a room. The idea is pretty straightforward and very ingenuous. One should pick out a few plastic bottles, as many as needed, cut out a cavity on one side of the bottle and finally, to pierce a a few small holes on the opposite side for the drainage of the plant. Then, the bottles can be suspended in any order and wherever it is wanted with rope to create a delightful suspended garden. 

This is probably one of the most wallet friendly ways to plant a garden. Another method to use a plastic bottle as a pot for a plant would be to cut out the top part where the bottle cap is and make a few holes at the foot of the bottle. That will be the vertical way to store plants that can also be hung of left freestanding. 

Wheelbarrow in full bloom

If an old wheelbarrow is stored away and forgotten somewhere in the shed or the house, then this is the perfect opportunity to give it another purpose. The process is very simple for this planter box inspiration. After finding a wheelbarrow, one must check if it has leaks or holes while making sure that there still is at least one or two holes remaining at the bottom for drainage, then follow the cleaning or rinsing out to avoid any harmful chemicals and debris that might still be there. As soon as these steps are done, it is time to place rocks at the bottom of the wheelbarrow: this will help the plants to have a good drainage system to steer clear from the pilling up of the ground at the bottom which prevent the water from filter through the earth. Then comes the filling with earth without pressing it in; only lightly fill the wheelbarrow. The final and best steps are to choose one's favourite flowers, to plant them and voilà! This very easy procedure that can be done with almost any unused container like an old wheelbarrow. There is no better way to spend a little time on this great project to create a recycled wheelbarrow planter box.

Fresh herbs made available

This idea is another uncomplicated process to undertake with the multipurpose wood pallet. Some wood pallets aren't completely sealed, so it is important to verify if the ground will seep out if when the plant will be watered. If there is a gap bigger than 2 cm then there should be another wooden piece added to the pallet to avoid getting earth all over the kitchen counter. Before putting in the earth, the pallet must be rinsed or checked for any debris. Once that is done, the ground can be placed in with rocks at the bottom for irrigation and drainage.

A further possible solution for too large gaps is to simply leave the plants in their pots and place them in the pallet, that will save a lot of time and trouble. As soon as these effortless steps are done, what remains is to choose the types of plants to place in the pallet, for the kitchen having an accessible mini garden of fresh herbs can be a great helper. Other types of plants can also be planted in the pallet. This type of planter box can be kept inside or outside depending on one's preferences.

Reviving and old tub

homify Jardines de estilo ecléctico Plantas y flores

As mentioned in a previous post, if some old and forgotten objects are still lying around somewhere at home, there is a solution for that. This different approach concerns aquatic plants that will grow marvelously well in an old bathtub. The difference here is that one must not make a hole for soil irrigation since water plants filter their water themselves and create their own ecosystem. Firstly, the tub needs to be cleaned out properly. The second step is to fill the tub with water and the final one is to place the aquatic plants in. 

These types of plants thrive in a warm climate, so the bathtub should be emptied if winter comes with temperatures below 0. There is a great variety of plants in the aquatic world that can be found in a plant depot or a pet shop where fish are sold. Most water plants are easy to take care of and they won't always require for the water to be changed depending on the type. Maybe the local frogs will come over for a visit in this fun recycled pond. 

Easy peasy

Kräutergarten DIY, mydays mydays Balcones y terrazas de estilo mediterráneo Plantas y flores

Here is another inexpensive and amusing way to decorate the home and bring in a dash of green into the decor.  After choosing a variety of potted plants, they can be placed inside a wicker basket and hung anywhere in the home or all over the garden. If the plants are kept in their pots as shown in this picture, making sure the basket is lined with a plastic film is necessary otherwise leaving a plant saucer will do just fine. 

Another decorative possibility can be included into this project by hand painting or spray painting the basket in the colour of one's choice. The baskets can be hung from the ceiling in a room, from a pole or from the top of a vine arbor in the garden. In the current picture, the baskets have been hung along a wall and hooked on a checkered metal frame which provides a lot of hanging spots. This type of hanging garden can be useful in the kitchen for fresh herbs or as a decorative piece in the bathroom, the bedroom, the living room and anywhere else in the home. This idea is a simple and efficient way to hang plants around.

Balcony enhancer

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Here is another option for a wood pallet that can be a fun activity. It requires a few more steps to complete. After finding the perfect wood pallet that doesn't have too many large gaps, it should be cut in several parts that would look like an L shape as shown in this picture. This step should be performed with someone who is handy with power tools to avoid any accidents. This will create a few wood pallet boxes that can be placed in any desired location with access to some sunlight. 

After that, it should be rinsed out, have stones placed at the bottom for drainage and filled with earth. The gardening part comes with the planting of selected plants. Some plants require little to no care at all which is ideal for people on the go. An assortment of a variety of colourful blooming plants can also be added into the mix for a joyful and colourful planter box to place on the balcony or in the garden. This type of construction will last a long time since wood pallets are made with strong wooden pieces. Take a peek for more designs by Woody Dekor.

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