Old Bucket Planter DIY

It’s a New Year and a new Thrift Store Decor Upcycle Challenge! We took a few months off for the holidays, but we are back to show you more upcycled thrift ideas! This time we have joined forces with even more bloggers and have tons of thrifty upcycle ideas to get those wheels spinning.

Thrift Store Decor Upcycle Challenge

The Rules:

  • Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
  • There’s no monthly theme.
  • There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

Amanda | The Kolb Corner    Maureen | Red Cottage Chronicles    Kim | Made in a Day
Dru | Polka Dot Poplars    Erlene | My Pinterventures    Colleen | Life on Kaydeross Creek    Pili | Sweet Things    
Shirley | Intelligent Domestications    Ann | Duct Tape and Denim    Debra | Shoppe No. 5    Marie | DIY Adulation    
Chelsea | The Johnsons Plus Dog    Jes | My DIY Envy   Lindsay | Crazy Organized
Molly | Just a Little Creativity    Ashley | 3 Little Greenwoods    Kimm | Reinvented    Michelle | Our Crafty Mom
    Ali | Home Crafts by Ali    Sue | A Purdy Little House   Sara | Twelve on Main
Claire | Pillar Box Blue     Chelc | Inside the Fox Den    Kim | Farmhouse Made       Victoria | Dazzle While Frazzled    
Sherry | Savvy Apron    Jennifer and Vicki | 2 Bees in a Pod    Lora | Craftivity Designs    Megan | C’mon Get Crafty     
Denise | My Thrifty House    Toni | Small Home Soul    Deborah | Salvage Sister and Mister

Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!


I’ve always had a love for old containers especially buckets. My first thrift store purchase when I was 18 years old was an old wooden bucket that had been part of a crank ice cream maker. I used that bucket for many years as a planter and ended up giving it away to someone who loved it, too. When I saw this old, well-used metal bucket at the thrift store I immediately thought it would make the sweetest plant hanger in my kitchen.

An old bucket with a plant and the supplies to create a stenciled planter.

I already had everything I needed at home except for the plant and went to my local home store and found this one that was marked down to $2.00. Because I am such a cheapskate and knew I could love it back to good health I bought it.

Old Bucket Planter Supplies

Here’s what I used:

Old Bucket Planter Instructions

  • Rinse the bucket out and wipe around the outside. Let dry.
  • Seal the bucket with a spray varnish to brighten up the patina and to protect it from any water.

An old metal bucket that has been cleaned and sealed with a gloss varnish.

  • While the varnish is drying screw up the plant hanger where you would like it. Preferably near a window for light.

A plant hanger screwed to a cabinet holding a plant in an old metal bucket.

  • (Optional) I like to add little encouraging words around my home so I stenciled “Count Your Blessings” on the bucket. I wanted it to look as old as the bucket so I used a vintage looking font and sanded it after it was dry. If you would like to see how I stencil here is a stenciling tutorial.

An old metal bucket stenciled with the words "Count Your Blessings".

  • I planted my plant in a bigger pot than it came in, fed it some plant food and water and stuck it inside the bucket with a drainer dish in the bottom.

Cute old metal bucket used as a planter hanging in a kitchen window.

I’m thrilled with the vintage detail it adds in my kitchen. 

A kitchen with an old metal bucket holding a plant in the window.

I would love to see your unique planter ideas. Send me your links and I will add them below.

How to create a hanging planter with an old metal bucket.


And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!


Dru About Dru

There are so many things I could say but I will just start with the basics. Mother to 4. Grandmother to 11 (Yes, 11. All under the age of 9.) I am a former Army wife and we spent 15 years traveling around the world. It was such a thrill to have seen so many places and meeting lifetime friends. I spent many years working in the craft industry and love getting together with friends and creating. I have a lifelong love of thrift shops, antiques, and yard sales.

Comments

  1. Love the rustic look of your bucket and the stencilling idea.

  2. I love the patina of the bucket and creating a hanging planter out of it was such a good idea!

  3. Great upcycle! Fun idea. Visiting from Thrift Store Challenge.

  4. This is great. I did one awhile back with burlap to cover a logo. I love a galvanized bucket.

  5. So very creative & the stenciling really kicks it up a notch! Love it!

  6. It looks lovely by the window, sure the plant will like the spot. Nice upcycle, love the patina it has.

  7. That is so cute! And it fits in that spot just perfectly!

  8. I love the stenciling on that beautiful old bucket. A little shiny contrast with the rustic bucket is great. And it’s always great to count our blessings 🙂

  9. I love it! The bucket & plant are perfect near the window and it’s out of the way too.

  10. I like this idea using an old bucket for a planter. Super cute.
    Kim

  11. I love this farmhouse look. It’s so lovely.

  12. The bucket looks great. And certainly, fills you with many emotions as you stand there and read the saying.

  13. Ohmygoodness. What a good idea to turn one of these buckets into a hanging planter! New item for my thrift store list 🙂

  14. Love the sweet little saying you added! Great use for an old bucket!

    Thanks so much for the DIY inspiration!

    {BIG hugs}
    ~ Ashley

  15. This is adorable!!! I love the look. Good find!

  16. I love the rustic vibe! It’s adorable!!

  17. Very cool! I love using old buckets for planters, that old metal patina is amazing!

  18. Very nice upcycle here, I love the old bucket look, even though my planters are sparse due to my black thumb. 🙂

  19. Thanks Megan.

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  21. From Packaging Mart! Oh wow, this Old Bucket Planter DIY is such a brilliant idea! I’ve got a couple of old buckets lying around, and I never thought about turning them into planters. This is such a creative and sustainable way to repurpose items. Can’t wait to try it out this weekend and add a touch of vintage charm to my garden. Thanks for the inspiration!

  22. This Old Bucket Planter DIY is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I love how it combines rustic aesthetics with functionality. The step-by-step instructions make it seem so easy to follow. I’m thinking of creating a set of these for different herbs on my balcony. It’s such a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to enhance my gardening space. Kudos for sharing this fantastic idea! Custom Packaging Services.

  23. This Old Bucket Planter DIY is a game-changer for my small urban garden! I’m always on the lookout for creative ways to maximize space, and these repurposed buckets are just perfect. The fact that they add a vintage touch is a bonus. I’m envisioning a whole row of these along my garden fence. Thanks for the inspiration and for making gardening even more enjoyable! Custom Printing services.

  24. I was very encouraged to find this site. The reason being that this is such an informative post. Thanks for sharing!

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