Renewing old planters with just a can of paint

Renewing Old Planters. A Little Paint & We Saved $$$

Have I ever mentioned that I like to save money? You may have read my post about being an Economical Gardener, and I must admit I do sometimes overspend for things I want. But when an easy opportunity arises for me to save a few bucks, I am all in!

Come to think of it, this applies in the case of a lot of favorite things I have accumulated over the years that are looking a little faded and forlorn but still have a lot of useful life in them. So I am going to show you how I go about renewing old planters from the garden. It is easy and not expensive at all.

And it is almost like getting something new anyway.

Renewing Old Planters in Just an hour or so. Easy and Cheap!

I can renew a lot of pots and be ready for the springtime when it arrives. So many months to wait! But this can help through those winter months. Or maybe you are not experiencing cold weather just now and can do this anytime.

Wait a minute, you say.  You still have soil in the old planters stored in the garage or basement? I think we can overcome any extra work by covering the soil with cloth or plastic to protect the soil from any contamination from the paint. If you are extra cautious, after you have finishing renewing the old planter, dig out a few inches of the soil and dispose of it.

Renewing old planters with the soil still in them.

What kind of paint for renewing old planters?

The planter that I am painting is for outdoors, so I am choosing an outdoor paint. It seems that a lot of the paints are labeled indoor/outdoor so it is easy to find one. I have chosen spray paint for the quick and easy method. But you could purchase a quart of paint and apply with a brush or sponge if you prefer. I have painted a lot in my basement, including some furniture pieces, so I am comfortable doing that.

Here are some links to Amazon for a few items. I am an Amazon Affiliate and can receive a small commission if you make a purchase, but this doesn’t affect your price.

I am using a texture paint [easyazon_link identifier=”B000LNQS2K” locale=”US” tag=”thehypegard0d-20″]Rust-Oleum 7226830 Textured Spray Paint, 12 oz, Bronze [/easyazon_link]because I really like that color. You can layer your colors if you like to accent any special design on your surface.

Be sure to put down a sheet of painter’s plastic (an old tablecloth or shower curtain will do) to shield the floor or tables where you are painting. An old shower curtain works or a table cloth that I pick up at garage sales and at the Dollar Store  make me feel even more thrifty. I have them for hypertufa making too. After letting this drop cloth  dry, it can be folded and used again and again.

If you are able to paint outdoors, put down an old blanket or painter’s tarp so that the paint doesn’t harm the grass. If you need to use plastic outside over your grass, you must remove it before the sun shines upon it. It can “cook” your grass!

To make the painting easier. use a [easyazon_link identifier=”B001KZC7K0″ locale=”US” tag=”thehypegard0d-20″]Rust-Oleum 243546 Standard Spray Grip [/easyazon_link] since your index finger does get tired pushing down.  These can be used again and again on different cans. Wonderful item!

So How Does It Look?

Renewing Old Planters - $$$ Money Saving Tip!

Doesn’t it look nice? I will set this new-looking planter aside on the deck. I think I will leave that cardboard circle in it so that the little chipmunks or squirrel won’t dig in it. It will be all ready to plant in spring. I have saved my Black and Blue Dahlia tuber and will see if it will grow. Maybe not, but it was worth a try.  Meanwhile I am searching around for more planters that I have put back because they looked dreadful but were still intact.

Oh dear Husband, I have saved so much money this way, we can go shop for more plants, right?

4 Comments

  1. Nanette Brawer says:

    Once I had some cracks in my clay pot. I drilled with a small drill bit on both sides of the cracks, far enough away, so as not to strengthen the crack , drilling holes as I followed the crack down. Maybe six holes altogether. Then I took some wire (that fit through the holes that I drilled)
    and carefully twisted it on the inside, creating something like a twisted staple (about three of them…out of six drilled holes.) Years later, I still have my beautiful pots! Hope this helps!

    1. Sounds like you have a great solution. I have “glued” some of mine back together with masonry adhesive and it works well. These that are shedding will probably just erode away into memories.

  2. Zelda Van Tonder says:

    Hi Kim I have 2 LARGE pots but they have cracks in and I am scares they crack all open and braek. I have put some twine around the necks and the larger part of the pot then I soaked roof cloth in cement 1-1 solution 1cement & 1 water. But it looks like the cloth is comin loose and I do not know what to do. Please will you help.

    1. If these are regular plastic or resin pots, it sounds like you have done all you can to save them. Maybe just repeat the process? If they are hypertufa or cement, you could mix a batch and use that as “glue” to try and glue the split back together. It might work. Hope it turns out well.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.