DIY Plastic Bucket Planter

Create a faux galvanized planter with a plastic bucket and some spray paint!

Spring is here and that means that it is time to get planting.  Last year I did very little gardening because we spend most of the summer camping and often my plants become neglected.  But this year I wanted to add some planters to our backyard to complement our newly finished deck and patio. 

Finding the perfect planter turned out to be more challenging than I thought so I created our own do-it-yourself version.  Here is our awesome DIY Plastic Bucket Planter…

How to make a DIY plastic bucket planter:

I was hoping to find extra large galvanized planters to create floral focal points in our back yard.  We need large planters so that when we are camping during the summer months, they will retain some of the moisture from watering and not dry out so quickly.  Everything that I found was well over $20 each and not what I was looking for.  So I picked up three of these large plastic buckets from Walmart for $5 each (they were in the Rubbermaid bin/organizing section) and grabbed a can of Metallic Rust-oleum spray paint.

One can of spray paint did two coats of paint on each bucket.  This is the difference that the paint made after just one coat!  I love it!  It’s the perfect look for our space.  And the possibilities with this spray paint are endless!  You could chose any paint colour to match your outdoor decor.

I spray painted the handles and the top three inches of the inside of the bucket as well.  Spray paint on plastic is not the most durable finish if you were doing this to something like a chair that would have a lot of handling.  The paint can easily be scraped off.  But this is the perfect finish for these buckets because after planting they will be moved to a permanent spot and simply be viewed from every angle.

I love how this do-it-yourself plastic bucket planter turned out.  Be sure to check out these bee friendly plants that I found to plant in our faux galvanized bucket planters!

Have you been busy planting this spring?  Please share your garden…