make stuff

diy: stacked planter

May 17, 2012

 

stacked planter diy
When I was home this past weekend my mom had this project waiting to be assembled. I had no idea the thought of this project even existed until she said, “Let’s build my planter!” And even though I had no idea what she was talking about, without hesitation I agreed and we went to it.

She found the idea on pinterest from the blog homestories a to z.

Here’s what we used:

  • 6 terra cotta pots of varying sizes
  • spray paint
  • 4 bricks
  • 1 piece of rebar
  • potting soil
  • flowers
And here’s what we did:

(This step was already done by the time I joined in on the project.)

To figure out how long our rebar had to be we laid out the pots on the ground how we thought they would stack up and measured it. You need some length to pound into the ground so add 24″.  We ended up needing a 76″ piece. 

Before moving on, a bit of shameless self promotion:
Ahh, how great is this pic?! You may have seen it on my facebook page. Want more sneak peeks of great pics? Like my facebook page by clicking here!

We got my dad to cut the rebar for us. Thanks for braving the sparks, dad!

Use a hammer to pound the rebar into the ground.

Now its time for the fun part! We made a small base of four bricks stacked Jenga-style to raise it up a little higher. Then simply thread each pot through the rebar filling each one with dirt as you go.

I made a fun little animated gif to show you the process.

Once all the pots are stacked and filled with dirt, pretty it up with some flowers! We used pink and white impatiens, wishbone, vinca vine, and creeping jenny. I can’t wait to see how looks when it fills out! So pretty! And what a fabulous and simple weekend project to help beautify your yard!

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28 Comments

  • Reply btweenblinks May 17, 2012 at 11:14 am

    Crazy, but wonderful! What a fun project!

    • Reply steph May 17, 2012 at 11:24 am

      haha thanks!

  • Reply cravesadventure May 17, 2012 at 4:39 pm

    Very Creative Idea – thanks for sharing! Have a Great Day!

  • Reply intecoolochoberord May 17, 2012 at 6:17 pm

    What a lovely idea! And fun!

  • Reply shermangerherd May 17, 2012 at 10:32 pm

    kewl!

  • Reply Tara May 18, 2012 at 1:19 am

    This is such a unique idea… especially if you have a limited space to use! Love it…

  • Reply Florence May 18, 2012 at 3:12 am

    Brilliant!!!! tfs.
    Florence x

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  • Reply morristownmemos by Ronnie Hammer May 18, 2012 at 7:50 am

    I love this idea! What exactly is a rebar and where can I buy one?

    • Reply steph May 18, 2012 at 8:13 am

      Rebar is a steel rod that is added to concrete to reinforce walls and floors. You can get it at Lowe’s or Home Depot for under 10 bucks.

  • Reply Lauren May 18, 2012 at 11:19 am

    I LOVE this! I’ve been dying to make one, but I live in an apartment. I think it would be super cute on my balcony, but obviously I can’t pound the rebar into the ground. Do you think there’s another way I could stabilize it and make it work?

    • Reply steph May 18, 2012 at 3:33 pm

      hmmm, It has some inherent stability since the rebar is buried in the dirt in the bottom pot. It might ok as is if you have it on the balcony in the corner where it would be protected from the wind? Or maybe you could hook it to a wall? You could also just make it a little shorter so its not as wobbly? Let me know if it works out!

      • Reply Renee May 23, 2012 at 5:36 pm

        As long as you leave a drainage hole, you could also make sure to put some concrete into the bottom pot to give it extra weight at the bottom to make it more stable. Just a thought. 🙂

    • Reply Steve Swanekamp January 1, 2014 at 4:02 pm

      I think that one could also use sand, rocks, and/or broken bricks in the bottom. What you want to do mostly is lower the center of gravity and provide stability for the rebar. I am going to try a large planter with sand on the bottom for my deck.

  • Reply salvagepatch May 19, 2012 at 7:18 am

    Oo I think I’ll be trying this!

  • Reply hearthandwhimsy May 20, 2012 at 10:34 pm

    So cute, I love the color she chose! I saw one of these at a garage sale this weekend, they are so whimsical. I must make one! Thanks for sharing!!

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  • Reply Sarah January 8, 2013 at 12:15 pm

    Do they slide around? Like, if my kids played with the pots, would they spin and turn, or does the dirt and weight prevent such shenanigans?

  • Reply Elvia Courts February 16, 2013 at 6:55 pm

    PLEASE tell me how you make the pots lean????
    Thank-You.

  • Reply Elvia Courts February 16, 2013 at 7:22 pm

    I have another question…How do you get the rebar thru the bricks?
    Simplly drive it thru the holes in the rebar? SO sorry for many questions,but I plan on making 1 of these,and have to know all the steps I need to do in order to get it right.
    Thanks.

    • Reply steph February 17, 2013 at 6:09 pm

      Elvia, we pounded the rebar into the ground and then placed the bricks around it. To get the pots to lean I we placed them on rebar like that. They are “threaded” through and set down at an angle, then filled with dirt in that position.

      Good Luck! and I would love to see pics after you make it!

      • Reply Elvia Courts February 18, 2013 at 5:33 pm

        Steph,
        Does the dirt itself cause these pots to lean,once they’re filled with dirt?
        My friend & I are NOT understanding…SO sorry to sound dumb.
        MANY thanks.

      • Reply Elvia Courts February 18, 2013 at 5:36 pm

        Rebar does NOT bend,so…How do you make the pots set at an angle…I understad how to fill them with dirt.
        Thanks again.

        • Reply steph February 18, 2013 at 9:34 pm

          No Worries! Since the opening at the top of the pot is so much bigger than the hole in the bottom, when you put the pot through the rebar you will be able to tilt it in any direction, without moving or bending the rebar. Just try putting a pot through a piece of rebar and you’ll see what I mean. The pots will stay in the tilted position because they will be sitting on the dirt of the pot below. This is why the bottom pot needs to be flat.

          Let me know if you have any other questions!

  • Reply Tom April 19, 2013 at 10:55 am

    Thanks a lot. I made one myself.
    http://instagram.com/p/YScpPoGx8W/

    • Reply steph April 22, 2013 at 12:40 pm

      Love it, Tom! Thanks for sharing 🙂

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