Cheapo Modern Planters

I was picking through the dollar bins at my local Target and I came across these metal buckets for $2.50 a piece. And I thought, hey these would make cool planters! So I scooped up a handful and brought 'em home.

This project is so easy and it takes less than ten minutes start to finish. You'll need a few items out of your tool box.

Items needed:

• metal buckets
• hammer
• screwdriver or nail set
• potting soil
• plant of your choice

                                 

 Since the buckets are not meant to be planters, the first step is to punch a few holes in the bottom to allow the water to drain through. Take the buckets, flip them over and line up your screwdriver and tap a few times with the hammer. It didn't take much muscle to bust through the bottom of the buckets, so don't unleash the guns- because you'll dent the bucket! I repeated this four or five times for each bucket. 

 

The hardest part is now over, ha! Time to drop in your soil and your plant of choice. I went for two sempervivum, or as my Granny calls them "hen and chickens." These plants are super hardy, don't need require much water, and look pretty darn neat! So, behold my new planters framing the brick walkway in the back yard.  

I really dig the shiny chrome of the buckets, and their modern industrial feel. However, these could easily be adapted to anyone's taste with spray paint, fabric, contact paper, or chalkboard paint.

Cost breakdown:

2.50 per pot
3.00 per succulent
0.00 potting soil from another potting project
0.00 labor!

Total spent for this project, $11.00. 

Happy planting!