How to make a Mother’s Day Planter, under $30

Golden Phillips
May 2, 2020
3 min read

NOTE: This article is from an old blog Golden wrote on from 2017 to 2019. It was called Mama Wants an RV. The blog has since expired but the memories remain. Thanks for reading!

Original Post from May 12, 2018

This Mother’s Day is a bittersweet one for me. All my kids will be off doing their own thing – working, school, keeping a social life – and my husband and I will have the house to ourselves. I thought about how to make a Mother’s Day planter to make my day a little brighter.

The whole project cost us only $27, and technically less than that, because we returned $12 of bricks we didn’t need from another project last year. I found my inspiration for this project from Pinterest. It was the perfect task for an adoptive mother who needed a little break and change of scenery.

Supply List

3 Concrete Blocks

Outdoor Paint

Paint Brush

Plant selection

Soil

How to Make a Mother’s Day Planter

1. Collect the materials

We already had some outdoor paint left from painting our shed a couple years ago. It was blue and I thought it would look nice with the trim on our house. We also had plenty of dirt to spare after regrading our backyard to make room for a patio. If you don’t have soil on hand, you only need a small to medium size bag.

We went to Home Depot for the blocks and the plants. I was able to set up the display in the store, so I could get a feel how the plants would fit. You will need three larger plants plus a few smaller ones. I love spiky grass and ivies, so I decided to give them their own space in the center of my display. I used a break apart six-pack to fill in the gaps and add variety.

2. Paint the blocks

Set your blocks outside on a tarp, old wood board, cardboard box, or newspaper. Paint all sides except the bottom. No one will ever see it. I did paint about an inch deep inside the wholes in case the soil settled in the future and the pot surface is exposed. The blocks will soak up the paint quickly. If you want to speed up the drying process you can use a fan.

3. Stack the blocks

I wanted a display for the corner of our front porch. I angled and stacked the blocks until I got just the right fit and each side felt smooth at the seams. This display could also be made in a pyramid form by placing two blocks side-by-side on the short ends, then stack the third block on top in the middle. Play around with it and have fun!

4. Install the plants

Fill each hole about half way with dirt and insert the plant of your choice. Pack them in with a little more dirt until the soil is evenly filled in to the top of each brick.

5. Enjoy, but don’t forget to water

Because the plants are in relatively small holes, water will dry up quick, especially in full sun. Our planter is placed in a shady area, so the water would not evaporate so fast. I also chose plants that liked shade for that very reason.