Simple DIY Galvanized Wall Planter

 

When I first saw these galvanized wall planters I fell in love, and I just knew I had to have them… But then I realized that to get the same look as in the photo, I would need 6 or 7 of them… So I took a second look at them, and I thought to myself “hey, those kinda look like cookie tins!” And that’s when I knew, I just had to make my own.

    

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So, I buzzed down to our local thrift shop and picked up 6 cookie tins for under $5 bucks… total… not each.  I was feeling high on the horse after landing such a good deal that I carried on straight to the garden center. There I loaded up on modern-looking plants to fill my soon to be knock-off galvanized wall planters.

 

This is such an easy diy with just the right amount of style and danger… It would make a super fun ladies afternoon garden craft project. So, call the gals and pour some mimosas cuz it’s time to make something rad.

 

Let’s jump right into how to make a DIY Galvanized Wall Planter 

 

What you’ll need to make your own DIY hanging planter:

• Cookie tins – I chose various sizes but your’s could be all the same
• A ruler & Sharpie marker
• Tin snips
• A Dremel hand tool with a metal cutting blade
• Safety goggles
•  Sandpaper – I used a fine grit
• Hot glue gun
• Spray paint – I used Dark Steel, but you could easily use bright fun colors
• Craft paint – I used black & silver to create the aged metal look
• Sponge – For the faux metal finish
• Potting soil – I used a combo of Cactus mix and Pro-Mix HP (more details below)
• Plants of your choosing
• Decorative or wildcrafted moss

How to make this simple DIY planter

 

 

Prepare the cookie tin by measuring and marking your cutline on the lid. I chose to cut mine at about 60% the overall height. So for a 9-inch tin, I marked a line at 5 inches resulting in a 4-inch planter depth.  Feel free to mix it up, but that’s what I did.

 

 

Put on your safety glasses. Using your Dremel on low speed & with a metal blade, carefully cut the cookie tin lid along your marked line. Tip: work slowly, and use a delicate plunging motion to move the blade along. Don’t move too fast and don’t plunge too deep, the blade will bind and kick, remember safety first! 

 

 

When you get to the edge, remove the lid and cut the edge with tin snips. Be careful of sharp edges. With a fine grit paper or pad, sand the new cut edges, taking care not to cut yourself on the sharp tin.

 

 

Line up the lid so that the seam of the cookie tin is on the bottom.  With your hot glue & working fast, apply a generous bead of hot glue along the rim of the lid and quickly place it back on the cookie tin. Use pressure to make sure the two are joined. Then use the hot glue to seal up the inside of the tin where the lid and base meet (does that all make sense? let me know if it doesn’t).

 

 

There are a few ways to hang your wall planter, I’ve chosen to simply punch a hole in the back of the tin for a small nail to go through. This seems to be the simplest and easiest method that I’ve found 🙂

 

 

Painting your DIY Wall Planter

 

 

In a well-ventilated area apply 1-2 coats of the base layer Dark Metalic spray paint to the tin, making sure to get inside the tin too.  Allow the paint to dry before moving on to the faux finishing.

 

You heard me right! FAUX FINISHING! And sponge painting to boot! 90’s STYLE. Ok, on a plate or plastic lid pour 2-3 tbsp of black paint followed by 1 tbsp silver craft paint (don’t mix them together, let them blend together as your work). Dab your sponge in a bit paint and begin dabbing all over the cookie tin, working all over the tin to set a base layer. Layering tones of paint, continue to dab and blend the paint until the desired “zinc or galvanized” look is achieved.  Let your hanging planter dry 30 minutes plus before moving on to planting.

 

How to plant your DIY Hanging Planter

 

 

Blend up and slightly moisten your soil mix.  I create a soil blend of 50% & 50% Pro-mix HP (high porosity) and Cactus Soil. This custom blend will be lightweight and porous, while still providing aeration and drainage. This blend works well in this type of DIY hanging planter because we won’t be adding drain holes.

 

Lay your plants out and assess/arrange them for composition, aka get an idea of what looks good to you.  Add a bit of soil bend to fill the bottom of the wall planter and begin filling with the selected plants.  Mulch with moss to hide any visible soil and keep the plants moist

 

 

 

How to Care for your Wall Planter

 

 

Hang your wall planter out of direct sunlight, you don’t want the tin to overheat and damage the roots of the plants. I’ll be putting mine on my front porch, on either side of my front door.  While the porch itself does get hot, the wall by the door seems to stay somewhat shaded (morning & evening) by the roof overhang. I’ll let you all know if I need to find a different location.

 

Watering your Wall Planter

Water often, even small plants need regular water in hot weather. I would suggest watering every 2-3 days depending on your weather.  You’ll be the best judge if the soil feels dry add some water, but if the soil feels cool, then watering can wait another day.

 

 

End of Season care for your Wall Planter

I live in a cold climate so I’ll be dismantling my wall planter and packing it away for the winter. If you are in my shoes too, remove hardy plants from the wall planter in the fall and add them to your landscape. I’ve chosen to use mostly perennial, this way I can transplant them before the weather gets cold. I’m happy to do this fall task, I think the new plants will add some new life to my garden come springtime. 

 

So that’s it, you now have a DIY Galvanized Wall Planter. Isn’t it cool!? If you liked that then you will love my Succulent Kokedama Kit Post, linked below. And feel free to check out my other crafty DIY posts HERE.

Thanks for hanging out and please share this article with your garden fanatic friends, I know I will.

Bye for now,

Jana

 

How to Plant a Beautiful Succulent Kokedama Kit

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