Transform tin cans into charming DIY planters with these straightforward methods.
I have become quite fond of nurturing plants.
My gardening journey began after discovering simple houseplants that flourish easily.
Unexpectedly, another small plant frequently appears in my online cart…(How did that end up there??)
However, I dislike that the cute little starter plants usually come in plain, green plastic pots!
By chance, I realized a sizable tin can is the ideal size for these little plants. This gave me a chance to experiment with a recycled DIY plant pot!
The inspiration for this DIY planter came from sophisticated faux cement pots I viewed online.
I absolutely adored the final result. This project is fast and simple, barring the necessary drying time. Perhaps you should give your plant babies a try with these new DIY pots too!;)
Crafting DIY Flower Pots from Tin Cans
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Materials required:
- A large tin can
- Drywall Compound
- Acrylic paints in diverse shades (I utilized light gray, dark gray, black metallic, rusty red, green, and very light gray)
- Craft paint brush
- Makeup sponge or a cut magic eraser
- paper towel
- water
Step-by-step guide for these DIY flower pots
1. Coat the tin can with a thick layer of drywall compound and permit complete drying.
I held the can sideways by putting my hand inside, then covered it with a thick layer of compound using a flat plastic spatula. I applied the compound to create a rough, textured finish. Placing it on newspaper to dry, this stage requires a minimum of 24 hours, depending on the compound's thickness.
2. Apply paint layers to the dried tin can surface until it resembles cement.
How to paint faux cement on a tin can:This is the enjoyable part! Employing your collection of paint colors, apply them in succession. Here is the basic approach I followed:
I applied lichen grey and terra cotta with a wide craft brush, and let it dry completely in between coats.
Then, I applied batteship gray onto the surface with a sponge, “pouncing” it on over the surface. As you can see in the picture, it didn’t completely cover the previous layer. That’s ok!
The Matte Metallics “carbon” color was applied the same way. Before it was completely dry, however, I wiped the surface gently with a wet paper towel and then dried it with another paper towel. That gave it a more soft looking surface.
I finished it off by “pouncing” on a final coat of the light gray color “dovetail”, and again wiped it afterwards with a wet paper towel and then a dry one.
I was so excited to see the aged “rustic” faux cement finish that I was looking for come to life. As you can see, no 2 faux cement containers will look exactly alike. Each one will look slightly different based on the way the drywall compound was put on and the paint layerings.
On one of the pots above, you may see a bit of green peeking through. I experimented with that color a bit, too. I thought it looked a bit like “moss” that might grow on a really old cement pot.
If you’re becoming a plant lady like me, you might also be interested in these beautiful DIY plant stands, too!
For more craft projects using acrylic craft paint, you might want to check these out:
- Painted Wood Crate
- Plaster Crafts with Moulds
- DIY Painted Wood Signs Using Folkart Chalk
- Baby Name Signs
- $5 Goodwill Challenge ~ Painted Noel Sign
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