From the Desk of Clearissa Coward’s Command Center
How To Repurpose Thrift Store Glass Containers into Planters
Awhile back Mister and I visited his family over a weekend. As always, it was a pleasant day with lots of laughter. My husband’s family is dynamic. They joke with each other, they enjoy each other, and they still spend that precious time around the kitchen table catching up and sharing stories, both old and new, like families used to do. But this visit forced me to plunder through my local thrift store once we returned home. 🙂
During this visit, my mother-in-law, who not only has a green thumb but green hands – the woman can grow practically anything, gifted me some cutting of Wandering Jew/Tradescantia, Hens & Chicks/Crassulaceae, and another plant of which I have no idea of the common or official name. I would have done more research to find out the type of plant except for this article the plants aren’t the focus, the containers used to plant them are. I came home with all these clippings and nowhere to place them or nothing to plant them in. Or so I thought. Out of desperation, I found several small thrift store and dollar store glass containers and repurposed them as very small terrarium type planters. The best news is they were so cheap I still hold my self-imposed status of the budget diva. That sounds so much better than cheap but you know the deal. 🙂
What you will need if you try this:
- Glass container(s)
- Rocks
- Peat moss
- Potting soil
- Plants
In order to make this work and to not have the young plants water logged, I used the layered effect for planting these small and delicate cuttings. The first layer – rocks, the second layer is peat-moss and the third level is the soil. When I first tried this it was experimental. I wasn’t sure it would work. But it has and because it has worked so well I thought it would also be an inexpensive and attractive way to grow some windowsill herbs as well.
As I said, all of the glass planters for the first go round were re-purposed, the peat moss was from a previous project, the plants were gifted, the rocks or glass marbles are Dollar Store originals, and the soil cost me a whopping $3.00. How’s that for an on-the-fly DIYer project on a budget? The budget diva strikes again. Did I hear you whisper cheap? 🙂
It’s always fun to play in the dirt and be creative at the same time and I love it when a project comes together and is successful.
This project has bred yet another, as always. It’s spring and all of the stores have the cutest herbs that need a new home. So I’m thinking I will combine a couple of projects and create an all glass herb garden. I am thinking of hitting the thrift stores for glass containers of varying heights and even bonding some with candelabras for height deviation and planting my herbs. What do you think? Wouldn’t that be really cute on a windowsill? Do you think you would try this? If you do, please share your photos. I would love to see how your’s turn out.
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Until next time…
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Love this! I have used a glass container. Never thought about layering with rocks, moss and soil. Great Idea!!! Keep them coming!! 🙂
Such a cool idea! I’ve never seen anything like this before. Thanks for sharing =) Found your blog through wake up wednesday.
Blessings,
Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com
Thank you Edye. I am so glad you enjoyed it. I hope you will give it a try and share your results. 🙂
This is such a cute upcycle for all those glass containers that we always seem to accumulate! It looks so neat being able to see all the layers through the glass, which you don’t typically get to see in a regular ceramic pot.
Thank you Celeste and thank you for reading along. I’m happy you enjoyed this post. It is a very cute idea and I love that you can also see when the soil is dry and the plant needs water. Takes the guess work out of it. 🙂 Please stop by again.
Hi Clearissa! I love this idea. I have been doing this with ceramic pots without holes. I have a quite a few cuttings in my office that are thriving in these pots. Next time I will try the pretty glass containers I can find at my thrift store and add the peat moss.
Hi Thomasyne. How nice of you to stop by. I love to reuse, DIY, upcycle and it can be so simple. But these little glass containers cost little or nothing or are free from your own home and make cute planters, candy dishes and if painted can become all sorts of things. I am glad you enjoyed the article and hope you will stop by again.