I recently picked up some new plant friends and needed to find some planters for them. I have a bad habit of just leaving them in the plastic pots they come in for waaaay too long. Which is fine, but it doesn’t add much to our home decor. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the planters I wanted anywhere in town. All I wanted were some relatively plain ceramic ones that would keep everything looking clean and streamlined. In case you’re also on the hunt for cute planters, here’s a list of unusual planters you can use for houseplants that won’t break the bank. (post contains some affiliate links.)
For most of these, you’ll be using them as what’s called a cachepot, which means the plant will stay in it’s original plastic pot and the entire thing will sit inside the cachepot which is really just decorative. This means it’s super important to measure your existing pot before you go shopping to make sure the inner diameter of your cachepot is larger than the current pot and the height is tall enough to accommodate the pot. I like to keep a drainage tray under the plastic pot inside the cachepot so any extra water won’t ruin the cachepot, so be sure to account for the height of the tray as well. This also helps elevate the pot so the extra water has room to drain.
Without further ado, here’s ten things you can use as cachepots to make your plants look even more beautiful!
1. Ceramic storage canisters
There are tons of options in the kitchen area of your local stores just waiting to be used as planters. Anything round and ceramic will work as a planter. Look for storage canisters, cookie jars, tea canisters etc. that will accommodate your plant.
canister 1/ canister 2/ canister 3
2. Ice buckets
These work surprisingly well as planters. I picked up this gorgeous Kate Spade ice bucket at Home Goods for $16.99! You can buy it here but not at such a steep discount.
Ceramic ice buckets work well, but so do metal ones. I always see beautiful copper ones like this one that would really make a statement!
3. Faux plant planters
Isn’t it funny how it’s so hard to find a nice planter sometimes but all the fake plants come in beautiful ones? Don’t be afraid to buy a faux plant and remove it to get that planter! Both of these came from Home Goods, but there are currently some perfect ones at Target on clearance. Faux plants can be surprisingly pricey, so shop around on this one.
Here are the original faux plants in the planters:
And here are those same planters with live plants in them:
4. Fancy wastebaskets
Well, I never thought I’d be displaying wastebaskets around our house, but turns out the fancy ones are just begging to be used as planters. Our lemon tree looks right at home in this textured wastebasket!
Mine was another Home Goods find, but check out these gorgeous options from Target. They tend to be a little tall, but just place something (like an empty plastic container) in the bottom before adding the plant to bring it up to the correct level.
wastebasket 1/ wastebasket 2/ wastebasket 3
5. Baskets
This is a well-known trick by now, but an easy upgrade for plastic pots is to stick them in a woven or fabric basket. Just make sure you have a saucer under the pot inside the basket to prevent the basket from getting wet! It’s easy to find large baskets, making this solution a good one for larger plants.
I love the looks of these ones:
6. Wooden boxes
If you have more of a rustic/farmhouse vibe going on, you might also think about using wooden boxes. You can buy unfinished ones from craft stores and stain them to your desired color.
Or you might find a cute pre-decorated wooden box that’s just right!
Again, make sure the bottom isn’t getting wet under the plastic plant pot by adding a plant saucer.
7. Empty candle jars
If you love candles, chances are you may have some empty metal or ceramic candle jars laying around. Even an opaque glass candle jar could work. Clean out the leftover wax and they’ll work great for small plants! If you’re looking for a new candle that can become a planter later, take a look at these:
8. Compost bins
This could probably be combined with #1, but since they’re sometimes in different areas of the store, I thought it would be worth mentioning separately. We have a white ceramic compost bin, and it could definitely be a planter in another life.
9. Teacups, mugs, and wine tumblers
Specifically ones without handles! (Though ones with handles can look cute and eclectic.) I have a set of stacking teacups from college that I’ve always treasured, but I noticed that they look just like small planters. There are tons of options if you just look for teacups/mugs without handles or for wine tumblers. Here’s a few to get you started.
10. Vases
Look for short vases with wide openings to use as planters. Ceramic vases are having a moment, making them easy to find. Look at the one on the right–it’s a perfect planter!
For an extremely budget friendly find, buy cheap glass vases from the dollar store and spray them with a matte spray paint.
As you can see, there are lots of potential planters once you get a little creative! What are your favorite unusual items to use as planters?
