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I've had so much fun creating this awesome milk crate planter today. It all started last week when Allison said that she'd been thinking about using a milk crate as one of those many holed planters... That set off a light bulb in my head! Hey now... I've got a couple of milk crates in my back yard. Read on and I'll show you how I made one of these great milk crate planters.
Trash to Treasure Making a Planter from a Milk Crate
I can't stand to spend money on planters. They are too expensive and I'd rather recycle what I already have laying around the yard.
Recently, I wrote an article on a Many Holed Coleus Cutting Planter. Just before the article was published, I wrote to the gal that was the inspiration for the planter and she said she was thinking about trying out a milk crate, rather than drilling holes in an existing planter.
During that time, I was painting a bird cage to use in my yard as a focal structure. I saw a milk crate out of the corner of my eye and thought to myself, I already have the paint out, I'll just give it a coat of paint and then when I need it, it will be ready to use.
This is what the original milk crate planter looked like. Pretty hideous wasnt it?
By the end of that day, the "new" milk crate looked like this:
A few days have passed and I need to move some coleus from my Ostrich Topiary because I want to move the topiary into a full sun position. So I decided that now was the time to transplant the coleus into the milk crate.
I started out by cutting a square out of landscaping fabric that was the same size as the bottom of the milk crate. I placed it into the bottom to keep the soil from falling back out of the holes.
Then I started soaking some sphagnum moss in a bucket of water. Here it is soaking in the bucket. I wrung out the moss and started placing it up the sides of the crate in big handfuls, pressing it against the sides as I went.
About halfway up, I filled in the center cavity with soil. Then I kept on putting the moss up the sides until I reached the handles of the milk crate. This moss will absorb moisture and provide a cooler environment for my plants than just soil alone would. It helps retain moisture.
Once that was done, I moved the already rooted coleus (in clumps) from the ostrich basket to the milk crate. A few tips of the coleus broke off, so
I used a chop stick to poke some cuttings from the same plants into the sides of the milk crate.
Here is the final result. My new milk crate planter. Thank you Allison for this awesome idea!
Oh look. Here is another milk crate.
Let me get my paints out!
Paints used: Rustoleum Brand Hammered Metal Paint - Copper
Special thanks to Onewish1 (Allison) for her awesome idea!
About Janet Colvin
Living in Southeast Texas, I have always enjoyed tropical plants and warm sunny weather. My gardening has become much more diverse and my plant collection has rapidly multiplied since joining the great folks at Dave's Garden. Working with my sister, we create unique copper garden art. I love to think outside of the box and can be found in the Coleus and Artisans Forum.
Posted by UniQueTreasures (from Beaumont, TX) on July 20, 2008 at 10:30 AM:
I moved this planter to the front yard yesterday. It will get a lot more sun now than what it's been getting. The sphagnum moss will keep the soil moist.
As you can see, this milk crate planter is filling in very nicely. It's just about time to pluck some of those off to start new plants.
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Subject: Milk Crate
Posted by nanavern3 (from Brookwood, AL) on July 16, 2008 at 6:27 AM:
I have some milk crates that I got when I worked at a store. The milk men said that they were going to throw them away. So I brought them home. I guess I have 6 to ten crates. Boy does that sound like a good Idea. That will be my next project. I am having to make my plants rasied so I don't have to bend over to work on them. Now to find something to put them on. I had a tree cut down I want to use the logs to put my plants on to line my sidewalk. These will be good to sit on them. I can see them now. Thanks for the Idea.
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Posted by UniQueTreasures (from Beaumont, TX) on July 16, 2008 at 6:59 AM:
You are quite welcome. You are lucky to have so many of them.
I've even thought about using the painted crates as plant stands to raise up some planters that I don't want sitting directly on the bricks of the patio.
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Subject: What a SWELL idea!!!
Posted by morrigan (from Craryville, NY) on July 14, 2008 at 5:12 PM:
What a SWELL idea!!!
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Posted by UniQueTreasures (from Beaumont, TX) on July 14, 2008 at 6:49 PM:
Thanks Morrigan. You can do it too!
Janet
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Subject: milk crate
Posted by jvdl1 (from Englewood, FL) on July 14, 2008 at 2:27 PM:
Be sure to remove the name from the crate , in most states it is considered a crime to be in possession of a milk crate because so many disappear from behind super markets & 7-11s. They sure come in handy though ,don't they?
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Posted by UniQueTreasures (from Beaumont, TX) on July 14, 2008 at 3:29 PM:
Thanks for the warning. I noticed that the paint covered that name right up!
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Posted by sunstreak (from Denison, TX) on July 14, 2008 at 9:15 PM:
Super idea! Had a couple of Vegetable crates ( a little more shallow,)followed your directions and now I have a super Herb Garden.
In the taller ones I put Peppers and Eggplant. This is the answer to my problems since the soil in north Texas is very heavy and hard to work plus I finally put the crates to use.
Thanks !!
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Posted by UniQueTreasures (from Beaumont, TX) on July 14, 2008 at 11:07 PM:
Great!! I hadn't thought of using them for vegetables. I'll have to try that for my fall garden. Thanks for the suggestion!
Janet
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Subject: Neat idea
Posted by beebonnet (from Coos Bay, OR) on July 11, 2008 at 3:58 PM:
I loved your article and pictures. Did you use Lots of sphagnum moss on the sides? I think I would like to try this someday.
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on July 11, 2008 at 10:30 PM:
My husband thinks I'm crazy sometimes...but maybe we will plant one, too. Thanks for the article with the nice instructions.
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Posted by UniQueTreasures (from Beaumont, TX) on July 13, 2008 at 7:24 PM:
I apologize for the delay in my response. We just returned from a trip to San Antonio. I had my laptop with me and was reading. My laptop is a dinosaur though and the keyboard was messed up. I had no "N" or "B" or SPACEBAR. So I'd have looked like an idiot had I responded! :-/
I used about an inch to an inch and a half on moss on the sides and the bottom. I buy it by the waybigo bale for about $30. I keep it in a big sterlite tub to keep it dry until I'm ready to use it. I use it on the tops of many of my container plantings to help keep them moist. I also use it for topiaries and other "open woven" metal and ceramic basket type planters.
As I said we just returned from San Antonio. I watered Thursday evening and the COLEUS, which are notorious for wilting in our Texas heat, were still just as pretty as could be when we got home this afternoon. That moss really works well, when used along with potting (or garden) soil, for retaining moisture in a planter.
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Posted by beebonnet (from Coos Bay, OR) on July 14, 2008 at 10:00 PM:
Thanks, Unique, for your great answer. I think I have been too stingy in the past with the moss, because I have had dry out problems. Haven't done it for awhile now, but i love your idea of the crates. Next year, I hope.
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Subject: amazing
Posted by onewish1 (from Denville, NJ) on July 11, 2008 at 6:09 AM:
funny to see the idea in my head (that I still haven't done yet) come to life
love it love it!
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Posted by UniQueTreasures (from Beaumont, TX) on July 11, 2008 at 6:27 AM:
Thanks Allison. It did turn out wonderful and the plants love all of that moss keeping it moist.
Janet
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Posted by planolinda (from Plano, TX) on July 11, 2008 at 9:43 AM:
janet you are just so clever! i love seeing what you come up with!
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Posted by cathy4 (from St. Louis County, MO) on July 11, 2008 at 10:09 AM:
It almost looks like wicker, very cute.
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Posted by HollyAnnS (from Dover, PA) on July 11, 2008 at 8:47 PM:
My Uncle was a milkman for the local dairy. There are a few old milk crates with his dairy's name on them floating around the family. I know my Aunt (widowed) would love one of those. Thanks for the great idea.
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Posted by woofie (from Chewelah, WA) on July 11, 2008 at 9:09 PM:
Sigh! My DH will NEVER turn loose of one of his milk crates! Love the idea, tho. Maybe I can sneak one......:-)
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Posted by UniQueTreasures (from Beaumont, TX) on July 13, 2008 at 7:29 PM:
I apologize for the delay in my response. We just returned from a trip to San Antonio. I had my laptop with me and was reading. My laptop is a dinosaur though and the keyboard was messed up. I had no "N" or "B" or SPACEBAR. So I'd have looked like an idiot had I responded! :-/
Thanks so much for your appreciation of my planter. I like the idea of "preserving" the milk crates Holly.
Woofie, check with your local convenience stores. I see them stacked up behind the building all the time. If you ask, they will most likely give you a couple of them. They'd probably give you a hard time if you just snagged them though. You can also check with your local milk company. They might be willing to part with some.
Since I did this planter, I've had my eye on anything with those size holes. The trays that bedding plants come in are next on the list in my mind. I have several of those and am going to check to see if they'd be deep enough to hold some soil along with the moss. I wouldn't be able to plant anything with deep roots, but maybe some succulents might work in them.
It's all about thinking outside of the box.
Thanks again folks!
Janet
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Subject: So simple
Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on July 11, 2008 at 1:19 AM:
Janet,
Thanks for another helpful article. A great simple planter. Milk crates are so easy to come by but with the right plants, you wouldn't see the container for long anyway.
Jackie
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Posted by UniQueTreasures (from Beaumont, TX) on July 11, 2008 at 7:21 AM:
This planter really does work great for cuttings. The coleus is nicely covering up the sides now. The moss keeps it nice and moist. Even in afternoon sun, the plants stay pretty!
Once that was done, I moved the already rooted coleus (in clumps) from the ostrich basket to the milk crate. A few tips of the coleus broke off, so 
I started out by cutting a square out of landscaping fabric that was the same size as the bottom of the milk crate. I placed it into the bottom to keep the soil from falling back out of the holes. 
