Yes, You Can Grow a Plant in That: Creative Container Ideas from Every Room

I bought my first home during planting season. The interior was cookie-cutter, the concrete block cold—desperate for greenery. At the home center, affordable ceramic pots didn’t exist. Torn between pricey artisanal clay and hollow overpriced junk, I got creative with items on hand. If Houzz existed then, I’d have had all this inspiration. Here’s a room-by-room guide to “shopping” your own home for planters.

From the Kitchen

That pasta strainer gathering dust? Instant free hanging planter. Need more? Cheap and easy to find—prime alternative to expensive pots.

Charming tea and spice tins? Too cute to trash. Turn them into tiny windowsill herb planters—they’ll look right at home in the kitchen.

Old coffee cans: once seedlings sprout in tea tins, transplant into vintage coffee cans for more room. Nail to a fence or prop on a windowsill for sun.

From the Bedroom

That outgrown papasan chair? Keep it from landfill—fill with organic matter, kick back on the patio, watch it teem with life.

Possibly the most creative bed repurpose ever: antique iron frame retired to garden as a planter rivaling entire patio gardens.

From the Closet

Two-in-one: convert a wood pallet into a DIY garden bed, top with rubber boots filled with dirt and greenery.

Any vessel with an opening works—wood clogs, thrift-store leather shoes, whatever you have.

From the Bathroom

Old claw-foot tubs have immense creative potential—shame to toss them. Even a decommissioned, rusting tub being reclaimed by nature is an enchanting plant vessel.

From the Library

Justina Blakeney (queen of “Jungalow”) repurposed an old library card catalog—plants tucked into drawers. Textbook lively bohemian style; exhortation to see design in obscure thrift finds.

Faded typewriters and record players too far gone for function? They’re relics of simpler times—salvage as reclaimed artifacts. An old typewriter becomes a treasured plant haven; rust adds charm.

From the Living and Dining Rooms

Design-obsessed movers purge items that worked on a mantel but have no place in a fireplace-less new pad. Small decorations like candleholders are common outliers—their pedestals are perfect for inexpensive craft-store pots.

The Laax table (Hartstone Tile and Maynard Studios) of reclaimed timber and cast stone is designed for champagne and oysters on ice—or a bed of greens.

From the Garage

Old, nearly empty paint cans taking up shelf space? Clean thoroughly (paint residue isn’t organic) and transform into plant pots. Free up room for a bocce set.

Blown-out tire can’t return to car, but used tires find new life as wreath-like foliage carriers on your home’s side.

Outdoor shutters and old doors—formerly functional, now experiencing a renaissance. Flea markets snap them up for vertical gardens and wall-hung organizers. Stored in crawl space since last millennium? Bring them out—they’re hot commodities.

From Around Town

Contact in public works? Pick up a retired galvanized culvert from beneath the urban jungle.

To dodge custom raised bed costs, take a country road trip to the nearest feed store. Livestock water troughs—perfect size for veggies and flowers without breaking the bank.