It’s official, I’ve developed a plant problem. After building our garden I’ve been buying vegetables, herbs, and now indoor plants like crazy. Once you start researching there are so many fun varieties and it’s so fun to watch them grow!
I told myself I was done, but then I saw succulents at Kroger for $1 and I couldn’t resist. I bought three of my favorites and then realized I was out of planters. Thank goodness I was going to Ikea the next day.
Ikea Planters
I prefer to shop my own home or second hand for home decor, but there is just something about Ikea that sparks nostalgia in me. Growing up we always stopped at Ikea on family road trips and I remember eating Sweedish meatballs and filling up our car with all of their fun things.
When I was at Ikea I picked up three of these Nypon planters. They look like concrete, but are actually plastic, and their $2 price point makes them even more tempting. They are a simple pot that can easily be painted or DIYed into something a little more custom.
Drill for Drainage
The only issue I have with these planters is that they don’t have drainage in the bottom. It is totally fine if you put an artificial plant in them, but if you are going to water the plant, you will need drainage. If you don’t, your soil and plant will mold.
I used a step drill bit to drill into the bottom of the planter. You could use just normal drill bits if that is what you have.
There are little divots in the bottom of the planter, drill the holes in these places. I just opted for one in the center. Do whatever your heart desires!
Upgrade with Vinyl
I made three different vinyl decals with my Cricut. These are all available as free downloadable SVG files in my freebies library. To gain access to the library, please sign up for my email list! You will get an email with a link at the bottom.
You can then upload the files to Cricut Design Space or whatever other vinyl machine cutting program you may use. Once uploaded you will need to resize them to be 12.56 inches wide to fit the 3.5 inch Kypon pot from Ikea. If you’re using another pot, you can resize them to your heart’s desire! Just do circumference = 3.14 * diameter. (See, math class DOES matter!!)
A big important note for Cricut Design Space users. You need to HIGHLIGHT THE DESIGN AND PRESS WELD. This makes it all one big cut instead of dozens of smaller cuts. At first, I just hit weld, and it took my computer three hours to figure out the file.
Cut and weed your vinyl. I think the main piece that is pulled off is gorgeous on its own and could be used for another project!
Apply transfer tape and make sure that it is sealed well to the vinyl. The planter does have a slight angle. You may find it easier to cut the long strip into smaller portions. Test it out before you peel off the transfer tape.
Then go for it! Apply the vinyl and take off the transfer tape. Your planters are done!
More Plants, Please!
Feel free to make all three planters, or pick your favorite one(s). I think this is such a simple and fun DIY to upgrade any planter. If you follow along on my Instagram you know that I have a plant problem and I’m always in need of new planters!
If you are interested in other planter decorating techniques, check out the tutorial I wrote on painted terracotta pots for a custom look!
Or this blog post that I wrote about DIYing your own face planters.