Refresh a Planter for $3!

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As a gardener, my garage and patio can quickly become overrun with planters and pots of all shapes and sizes. And while this makes finding space for all of my plants a bit easier, those pots take a beating as the years go by. Three kids, two dogs, sun, rain, and snow can take their toll, no matter what material your planters are made of.

The easy, but expensive, fix for sprucing up pots is tossing them out and buying new ones. I’ve done this in the past with pots that I thought were simply beyond repair. But what about a pot that’s still in good shape, but it’s just… ugly? No one wants to use a large planter on their front porch that simply looks tired! There’s enough tired going on around this house without adding planters and pots to the mix. What’s a gardener to do to stay on budget and give those planters back some style?

Spray paint! And I can assure you, I was not paid by Valspar to write this post. I found this gem while browsing around the paint section a few months ago. I used a rather worn out planter for my Tomato Cage Christmas tree in December, and I was looking for something to bring it back to life. Large planters, whether plastic, ceramic, or terra cotta, can be very expensive. I didn’t want to buy a new one, so I needed a quick (and cheap) fix.

And before I go on, can I put in a plug for plastic planters? While I love the high-end look of concrete and ceramic planters, they are KILLER on your back. Who in the world can move those, especially once they’re full? For years, I’ve been using plastic planters that have the curves and lines of their more expensive cousins, and I haven’t been sorry. I can plant and refill my planters in the backyard and easily carry them back to the front porch. I hold my garden trowel high in the air to you plastic planters! (Moving on…)

The How-To

1. Find a worn out planter (in my case, the planter was plastic). Wash/wipe the outside to be sure no dirt or debris is clinging to the pot. Place cardboard or newspaper down wherever you’re planning to paint to protect your driveway, yard, etc.
2. Follow the Valspar instructions for shaking up the paint to get it ready. Then begin spraying your pot in even movements. Be sure not to get too close with the can, or this will cause streaks of paint to run down the side of your planter. 
3. Evenly coat the outside, top rim, and inside rim of your pot. While the main portion of the planter’s interior may not be seen, the inner rim at the top may. Once all surfaces are evenly covered, let dry overnight. If you painted on top of newspaper, move your planter off of the paper while it’s still wet, otherwise the newspaper may stick to the planter as it dries.
4. Once your first coat has dried, you can reapply, but I found that one coat did such a great job, I didn’t need a second! And since I only needed one coat, one can ($6) could be used for two planters. Win!
5. Fill your pot to your heart’s content with whatever seasonal flowers, shrubs, or plants you like. Enjoy!

The results couldn’t have been better for a $3 planter refresh. I’d love to know how you spruce up your garden and porch for the spring! Until next time, happy gardening!

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