With every new growing season comes the need for outdoor planters… and we’ve rounded up some unique DIY planter ideas for every gardener, whether you want a traditional wooden box, a concrete pot or a vertical space saving garden. These outdoor planter ideas & projects have complete instructions, so check them out, pick one or two, and plan some DIY garden projects for the weekend. Your patio & porch will thank you… And, maybe your neighbors too!
DIY OUTDOOR PLANTER IDEAS
WOOD OUTDOOR PLANTER DIY
Our first outdoor planter idea comes to us from ‘Popular Mechanics‘. Learn how to make this simple DIY wood planter with this great tutorial and lots of step by step photos.
DIY LARGE OUTDOOR PLANTER ON WHEELS
Want to make a large DIY planter on wheels? Then head over to ‘Four Generations, One Roof‘, and find out how Jessica and her dad made this one! They have excellent step by step photos in their tutorial. This is great for small garden spaces… You can create an entire garden in this one planter! Love this! And if you are looking for more outdoor planter ideas, be sure and check out our post Stunning Planter Box Ideas & Projects on our sister site OhMeOhMy.
CRISS CROSS DIY OUTDOOR BOXES
These Criss Cross Outdoor Planters from ‘Centsational Girl‘ look fantastic. Love them painted white but could look really nice in a natural stained finish as well.
DIY MODERN OUTDOOR PLANTER IDEA
Ok, we’re in love. These slat wood planter boxes from ‘DIY Huntress‘ are beautiful! We love the modern vibe, but they aren’t so modern you couldn’t use them on almost any style porch or patio. Easy to make, step by step directions and tips on how to seal them properly so they last and last.
PATIO PLANTER DIY
Made from cedar 2×4’s, this square planter box is a simple build with the tutorial from ‘Two Feet First‘. They even have a video to make is even easier! And cedar is naturally weather resistant, so it will last. Perfect size for a porch or patio!
LARGE OUTDOOR PLANTER
If you don’t have pocket jig and you want some large cedar planters, this project by ‘Twelve on Main‘ might be just what you are looking for. She made seven large planters for less than $300. If you break that down, that’s about $40 a box. Way cheaper than you could buy one this size. Large planters are really hard because they are so freakin’ spendy, but they are the ones we need most of all. They make a great impact on the patio or deck, and they don’t dry out as fast as a smaller container either.
CONCRETE DIY PATIO POT
If you want concrete planters that last, and you need large ones that are cheap, here ya go. ‘Craving Some Creativity‘ has the tricks for making large pots from concrete. They show you how to paint them so they have a custom look as well. Match them to the trim on your house, or get colorful. Or leave them as is for a more modern look. Also, they tell you how to seal them, which is an important step when you plant in concrete.
LARGE DIY TROUGH PLANTER BOX
Another option when you need a large outdoor planter but want something different is this trough made with tiles by ‘Grillo Designs‘. It’s unique, it’s gorgeous, and it’s on wheels! Which is perfect, because this one is going to be really heavy when filled with soil. Perfect for a patio planter! Lots of instruction to walk you through the entire project.
CHEAP WOODEN PATIO PLANTER
Ananda over at ‘A Piece of Rainbow‘ has a secret to making really inexpensive planter boxes, but ones that actually last. I’ll let her share her tip and her full tutorial (video too!) Just know, she made these large planter boxes (from wood) for less than $10!
CEDAR LADDER GARDEN
Create a small space garden in even a sliver of a patio by making a ladder style outdoor planter like this one from ‘Ana White‘. She used inexpensive cedar fence pickets to make this garden container, and I happen to know that to buy something like this would cost around $200. Lots of step by step instructions with photos, and a detailed supplies list.
VERTICAL WOOD FLOWER BOXES
This Coppice Vertical Planter is sold on a UK website called ‘Garden Site‘, but we think it would be very easily DIY’able! Even better would be to use old wine crates as the boxes. Update: We found a tutorial for a very similar (but better, after all, it’s DIY!) project over at ‘The Handyman’s Daughter‘!
TIERED OUTDOOR PLANTER IDEA
From ‘Ruffles and Truffles‘, this DIY vertical planter is really easy! Great for awkward corners of your garden. Good tutorial! There’s also a similar project on our post Budget Outdoor Planter Projects over at our sister site.
We hope you enjoyed our post on Outdoor Planter Ideas & Projects! We think you will want to jump right on over to our posts on Pallet Planter Box Ideas, 14 Cool Backyard Furniture Projects and DIY Raised Garden Beds! Also check out DIY Window Box Ideas over at TBD!