Well, ok, only 3 1/2, but it felt like a lot when I was lugging soil and rocks to the car!
My story begins one fateful day one day when my mom asked me if I wanted some used planters from their garage. Since they are eager to get rid of junk stuff and I have no budget to speak of, I jumped at the chance for free planters! Especially since I’d been into Rona the week before to price out new planters and came away completely indignant at the inflated cost of plastic receptacles.
The only catch? They looked like this:
Hm. Not exactly the matchy-matchy magazine picture I envisioned. (And in case you’re wondering why they are pictured upside down, it is because it was about to rain and I am too lazy to pass up a free wash.)
So after several wasted hours a quick search of pinterest, I decided to spray paint those babies.
Enter helpful Rona lady, who directed me to Rust-oleum’s hammered metal finish spray paint. Visions of charcoal grey hammered metal planters danced in my head!I bought my can for a mere $10 (or so), and strolled out with a certain amount of spring in my step.
The can told me to lightly sand any glossy surfaces before spraying, so I did that on the first two planters. I was annoyed that on the second planter this step left scratches in the plastic, so I decided to go out on a limb and not sand the third planter. Surprise! It worked! The world did not stop rotating and the paint most definitely stuck.
And here is a picture demonstrating the importance of reading instructions carefully. Students: take note!
Don’t you just love my outfit? I like to think of it as spray-paint-gumboot chic. All the range on L’Ile Perrot.
And here they are after! *Cue sounds of angels singing*
SO much better! Bless you, kind Rona lady with your excellent suggestions!
Fast forward to Mother’s Day, when my lovely mother, Linda, was visiting from Ottawa. While my dad and Erick went fishing, she was kind enough to lend her knowledge of plants to my project.
We went round to the local garden centres, finally ending up at Maxi. They carry all the President’s Choice products, so for about $55, I bought a bunch of plants and flowers to fill up my newly spray-painted planters.
Selfie!
I’ll include a run-down of exactly what plants went where in the final reveal.
The first step was to put a layer of small rocks at the bottom of each pot, to enhance drainage.
Then I put down a fairly thick layer of newsprint, to stop the soil from seeping into the rock layer.
After putting in my soil on top of the newsprint, I divided up the plants amongst the planters and sorted out their placement.
I had purchased some bell pepper and tomato plants, which is why I said that I ended up with 3 1/2 planters. Not wanting to over-crowd them, the peppers ended up in their own pot:
Once I’d placed and re-planted everything, I gave them a good drink of water from my cheerful yellow watering can (thanks, Aunt Sheila!).
And now for the big reveal… Drum roll, please! ………………………..
Ta-Da!
I feel pretty pleased with the whole project, and the best part is that I got to create them with the help of my mom.
So here’s a run-down of what I used.
I love to read your comments! If you have a tip or a trick for planters, or just to tell me about your own garden projects, please drop me a line in the comments section.
Have a great Victoria Day weekend, flourishers!
Oh boy did I love this one! You are my mother’s spirit reincarnated. She was a great one for recreating items, whether it was an ugly lamp base repainted, or a dress refigured. Loved your idea of painting all the pots. They look marvellous that colour.. I like to create arrangements in pots too, but don’t forget to fertilize them every two weeks because they don’t get the benefit of the worms that Come to eat up all the goodies under them, leaving their cmmm… Behind.
Thanks for the great tips! I had no idea about the fertilizer… Any favourite brands? I plan to make over some more pots, but I’d like to try out some other ideas from pinterest. Ah, pinterest…
I’m a big fan of using painter’s tape to create designs on the pots and spray painting different colors…I found that Lowe’s valspar outdoor works wonderfully. Rustoleum also works but I would suggest a clear finish spray paint coat if it’s an outdoor planter.
Also, Rustoleum’s textured spray paint…the tops looks like sand is stuck in it…they have a cream, a brown, and a tan….I love the tan especially…gives objects a clay pot type look. I used it for candle holders and to cover my grandmother’s faux gold birds that hang on the wall. I sprayed a light green under the birds since they were going in a room that used green hues. On the candle holders, I used a light coat of blue gray at the base. You dont have to do this but I thought it gave a nice added color to the sand.
Thanks for the excellent ideas – I did the painter’s tape thing on a pot for my cactus garden. Hm, I should post pics. Thanks for the tips about the textured spray; it sounds interesting!
You’re welcome! I’ve done a million projects but never thought to take pictures and now I keep forgetting to shoot the various stages. Lol
Hahaha I forget to take photos ALL the time. Some projects don’t need a million “during” shots, though, as long as you have a good set of instructions. Don’t be afraid to post your projects: you should be proud of what you make with your own two hands!
These are beautiful, practical and frugal, too! Thanks for sharing your wonderful project with us at Together on Tuesdays 🙂
Looks like so much fun! Thanks for linking up at #bloggersbrag Pinterest party!
Thanks! I can’t wait to show you what my planters will look like THIS year!