Reused Pots From Old Containers!

Let’s make various pots out of reused containers!

This instructable will take you through the steps of making pots from reused containers.

These pots are free and are easy to make.

Sorry if there is a mistake or I am unclear, this is my first instructable.

Please post a comment about what you think should be improved.

If you like this instructable, please favorite it and follow me(v205).

Thank you for reading this instructable.

Here are the materials needed:

• A clean container(s) Don’t use containers that were previously used for the following: meat, oil, chemicals, poison, etc. Here are some suggestions: yogurt cups, milk jugs, bottles, plastic jars, egg cartons, etc. You probably could find these in your recycling can.
• A push pin
• A drill. This might not be needed.
• Soil
• Plants
• Seeds
• Water
• Optional Popsicle sticks and Permanent marker for labeling.
• Optional plastic wrap for keeping moisture.

Here are some more ideas for containers.

Ideas for containers:

• Yogurt containers
• Miso containers
• Milk jugs
• Berry containers
• Fruit containers
• Plastic jars
• Plastic bottles(not tested)
• Any clean plastic container
• Glass bottles and jars(for hydroponics)
• Plastic organization containers(not tested)

Let me know in the comments if you have any other ideas.

I will give you attribution.

If we are going to make our own pots from reused containers, here are some things to consider:

1. Drainage
2. Moisture
3. Ease of transplanting
4. Durability
5. Odor

All of these things(except #3 and #4 in some cases) can be easily solved.

Drainage:

Depending on the material we can use a push pin or a drill to make holes.

Make plenty of holes

Moisture:

If the soil dries out to fast just add some plastic wrap on top.

Ease of transplanting:

Still working on this.

Hold on :) .

Durability:

This can be solved by using stronger containers, and by keeping them out of the sun(sort of impossible if you put plants in them).

Odor

Wash the container with soap before use.

You don’t have wash it if it’s clean though.

Let’s start making the pots!

First you will need to wash the container(no need to do this if the container is really clean).

If you don’t it might smell horrible .

Wash the container with dish soap and hot water.

This will make the container very clean.

It is very important to do this if your container contained food or dairy.

Now we need to make in the pot for drainage.

If we don’t make holes the plant might rot and smell horrible.

Flip the container over

Get your pushpin or drill.

Start poking/ drilling holes in the pot(s).

If you are using a push pin make a lot of holes.

If you are using a drill make at least one hole, ideally you should make more.

I find that it is easier to take a popsicle stick and write on it with a permanent marker.

Just poke one end of the stick into the soil in the pot.

It should last pretty long.

Done! Hope you like the result!

You have finished making the pots, now we just need to use them.

Are you going to plant seeds or transplant a existing plant?

If you are planting seeds do the following:

Put some soil in the pot.

As a rule of thumb for small pots, I like to have at least one inch of space above the soil and the rim of the pot.

For bigger pots you can use less soil.

Plant you seeds

If you are going to transplant a existing plant do this:

See how much soil is in the plant’s container.

Put some soil in the new pot.

Put the smaller pot in the bigger pot if possible.

If the smaller pot is at the right high take the plant out and put it in, if not add more soil and try again.

Add more soil until the soil is flush.

Be careful when watering smaller pots, the water could overflow.

If the pot dries out too fast, cover the top of the pot with plastic wrap.

Make sure that the soil is not too wet or too dry.

If it is too wet the plants/seeds will rot.

If it is too dry the plants might die.

Here are some more specific tips.

Hope you find them useful!

Tips for specific containers:

Misc plastic containers:

Yogurt(and similar) containers:

Wash these out with soap before use.

If you don’t they will smell horrible.

Make holes with a push pin.

Make lots of holes.

Note: If you use these more than one time make more holes, the old holes may have been clogged.

If the container is too hard to use a push pin, use a drill to make some holes.

In about nine months these thing start to get really weak.

If you want to label these don’t directly write on the container, write on a popsicle stick with a permanent marker.

These are pretty weak so be careful.

Milk jugs(plastic one gallon):

Wash these out with soap before use.

Put soap and water in to the bottle and shake it.

Then rinse it out. Make sure it’s clean!

Cut the top of with a blade.

Make holes with a drill.

These last for about 6 months then they start to get fragile.

If you want to label these don’t directly write on the container, write on a popsicle stick with a permanent marker.

These are pretty weak so be careful.

Plastic jars:

These are pretty strong!

Use a drill to make some holes.

If you plan to move the plant’s use one’s that has an opening as wide or wider than the widest part of the container.

That will make transplanting easier.

When transplanting the plants you can just cut the jar open(I don’t like doing this but it is an option). Be careful of the sharp plastic pieces!

Berry and fruit containers:

Mango containers(six pack):

You can cut these in half to use as 12 small pots, or you can use the lid as a cover.

Mine already had holes in the top and bottom so there was no need to make holes.

If your’s doesn’t have hole make them with a push pin make a lot of holes.

When transplanting I cut them in to groups of two then a transplant them.

Be careful of the sharp plastic edges after cutting!.

I haven’t tested these for more than 2 months.

Berry containers:

Depending on the size of the container and how much soil you put in, these containers are best used for sprouting seeds. 

Mine already has a lot of holes so I didn’t make more holes.

Play-dough containers:

Good size for seed sprouting.

If you are just sprouting seeds you don’t have to make a hole.

But still I think it would be better if you just make a hole with a drill.

Put moist(NOT wet if the soil is to wet the seeds will rot.) soil into the pot.

Plant your seeds.

Use plastic wrap to keep the soil moist.

Note: it’s hard to get the soil the right wetness

If you want holes make them with a drill.

Plastic bottles:

I haven’t tested these yet but they seem like a good option.

Cut the top off. 

Make some holes.

Done!

Egg cartons(plastic and paper):

I haven’t tested these yet but they seem like a good option.

If your’s are plastic, use a push pin to make holes. Make quite a lot.

Be careful when watering this.

If you have one made out of plastic you can just keep the top on.

Caution: because of the small size of this container they can dry out very rapidly(few hours).

Use a piece of plastic wrap to prevent this.

Other ideas:

Paper towel and toilet paper tubes:

Haven’t tried these yet.

Cut two flaps on opposite sides into the tube.

Fold the flaps together and tape them together.

When transplanting take the tape off and just plant the whole container.

Plastic bag:

Haven’t tried these yet. 

Make a few holes if you plan to use this in long term.

Plastic soil bag(used upright):

Haven’t tried these yet. 

You could just open the top and plant some thing inside!

Be careful it might topple over.

Maybe use half of the soil first?

Plastic soil bag:

Haven’t tried these yet. 

Note: these instructions are for a new bag of soil

Lay the bag on its side.

Make holes in it for drainage.

Flip it over and make holes where you want to plant.

Hydroponics:

Don’t have room for pots?

Don’t have soil?

Then Hydroponics is the way to go.

Hydroponics is planting plants in water.

Here are the steps:

1. Make sure the container is clean.
2. Do not make holes!
3. Fill the container with water.
4. Get some plant cuttings.
5. Place the cuttings in the jar.
6. Change/refill the water every few days.

Here is a list of cuttings that were and were not successful.

Successful ones:

1. Spider plant(2)
2. Oak tree(from a acorn)
3. Caboca plant(this won’t have fruit)
4. Rosemary
5. Mint
6. Some sort of Mystery plant(I have no idea what it is called)
7. A succulent
8. Cabbage cutting from bottom

Unsuccessful ones:

1. Bok Choy cutting from bottom I think it could have succeeded but I forgot to give it water.
2. Cabbage cutting from bottom it rotted.

Post a comment at the bottom if you have any suggestions.