Turn a thrifted container into a DIY succulent planter for a charming addition to your garden. This is an easy DIY that doesn’t take a lot of time.

Three succulent planters made from wire baskets and an old flour sifter found at a thrift store with the text "DIY Succulent Containers"

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Instead of using traditional planters from garden centers, think about transforming unusual items into unique planters for your garden. Check out thrift shops, antique stores, and yard sales for inexpensive items that you can turn into fun planters. Each of the baskets I used for this project were less than $5.

An old sifter and wire basket converted into succulent planters.

Wire baskets are a great choice because they have good drainage. If your container doesn’t have drainage holes, you will need to add them.

To prevent the soil from falling out of the baskets, I lined the DIY planters with natural coconut fiber. These coco liners also help with water retention. However, be aware that water will spill out the bottom of the lined basket so only place on surfaces that can get wet.

Add succulent soil and plant a variety of succulents. I used succulent because i like the way they look and they are some of the easiest plants to grow, in my opinion. In a short amount of time, you’ll have some attractive new planters for your garden.

Wire basket with a coco liner and small succulents.

Wire teapot with a coco liner and a small succulent.

Instructions

Here’s What I Used

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Materials

Interesting baskets and containers
Natural coconut fiber liner
Succulent soil
Succulents

Tools

Scissors
Gardening gloves

Project Steps

Time needed: 1 hour

Learn how to make a succulent container garden from repurposed objects found at thrift shops.

Find interesting objects to repurpose as planters
Visit a yard sale and thrift shops to find items you can use as planters, such as wire baskets. Wire baskets are a great choice because you don’t need to add drainage holes.
Cut natural coconut fiber line to size
You can find coconut liners made for hanging baskets and other sold by the roll. Simply cut the liner to fit into your container. The liners help with water retention and prevent the soil from falling out of the basket.
Place liner in basket
After cutting to size, place the liner in your basket.
Water coco liner
Thoroughly water the coconut liner.
Add succulent soil
After watering the line, add a succulent soil mix instead of regular potting soil. I used Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix for this project. You could also use sphagnum moss.
Plant succulent plants
I planted a small succulents from the Home Depot and Lowes in my planters. For visual interest, I used a variety of succulent plants. I looked for plants with different colors, different textures and different shapes.

Make sure plants in the container need the same amount of sun. Don’t combine plants that need full sun with others that don’t need as much sun.