Upcycled Outdoor Planter

Diva of DIY
by Diva of DIY
9 Materials

I love the look of large stately planters but the cost can be outrageous! I remembered seeing a tutorial on pinterest showing how to make planters with old shutters once. I wasn't sure how they would stand up to the outside.


Then one day I walked into ReStore and there they were... tall vinyl brown shutters! Bingo! Stately planters that would for sure stand up in the outdoor elements. And did you see the price? Now that's what I'm talking about!


Supplies Needed:

Begin by marking the center point of your shutters.


Cut shutters in half using a mitre saw. My shutters were 72" so the center was 36".


Now take the shutters and make a box, checking to make sure all 4 pieces line up.


To attach the sides together, drill a hole in the corners making sure you go all the way through both pieces.


I used Vinyl spikes that came with the shutters, you could also use large screws. Attach all 4 sides.


Now screw corner braces into the shutter planter as shown above.


Cut a piece of wood to make a shelf to put your plant on. I used an old cabinet door that I cut to size. It's a great way to use some leftover wood.


Here is the planter finished. I had the large silver screws on hand, if you do not plan on painting your planter you would want to use dark screws or spray paint the screws so they do not stand out.


Add a nice large plant to fill out your planter.


When I took the planters to the lake house I decided they needed a pop of color so I simply spray painted them navy with rustoleum spray paint. If you decide to paint your planters make sure to use a paint that works on plastic. I put yellow mums in them for the fall.... amazing!


To see the full tutorial and more out of the box projects follow the link below and check us out! Sign up for our emails so you never miss a diy project!

Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Diva of DIY
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 29 questions
  • Connie Clapp Thueson Connie Clapp Thueson on May 27, 2020

    The picture with the corner braces looks odd. I thought a corner brace would be either inside or outside and connected with screws to each side. What are we seeing here?

  • Pamela Pamela on Oct 18, 2021

    Great idea but unless u have old shutters laying around I don't see how it only cost 5 dollars. What did I miss?

  • Sherilyn Lawson Sherilyn Lawson on Oct 25, 2021

    are these a bit top heavy? do they need to be weighted in the lower half some how? or is the vinyl really sturdy enough? also, you could use some caulk to fill in the seams before you spray paint for a smoother finish

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 336 comments
  • Markeen Markeen on Nov 12, 2023

    I love this idea.... I have major question as to durability.... My thought here is, if these are vinyl, won't the weight of the plant tear out those brackets? And, isn't this very top heavy with plant on top of hollow base? I mean, truly I love the idea.

  • Katen Katen on Dec 20, 2023

    Very pretty. I have almost exact same look 40” high. Bought my planters from open box/returned goods section of on line retailer $25 each. I believe I got better deal. 24 hrs later I was planting in new pots that I just love

Next