How To Repurpose A Vintage Mop Bucket Into A Garden Planter

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Read on to see how easy it is to repurpose a vintage mop bucket into a beautiful garden planter in just a few easy steps.

Garden Planter

Hello! I’m so happy you are here. We have finally been having nice weather in New England and I couldn’t wait to add some color to my yard with beautiful flowers.

This garden planter is the first one that I have planted this season and I’m excited to share it with you as part of this month’s Farmhouse Hens Challenge.

We are all sharing garden projects with you. Be sure to visit these talented ladies at the end of this post to see what they are sharing.

If you’ve visited here before, you’ve heard me talk about my Dad and lovingly refer to him as my personal “picker”.

He has the best luck finding things that I can repurpose, either roadside or at flea markets.

One of my favorite pieces that he gave me was this extra large chicken feeder that I repurposed into a planter:

Pretty cool right? We are just getting into lilac season, so I can’t wait to cut some for my house.

The smell is just divine! My Dad once again came through for me with this vintage mop bucket that he found on the side of the road.

How lucky am I? Thanks Dad! Let me show you how I turned this bucket into a garden planter in three easy steps.

Repurpose A Vintage Mop Bucket Into A Garden Planter

There are three important things when growing container gardens:

• Fresh soil
• Plenty of sun
• Plenty of water

You can use any type of container as a planter, as long as it has proper drainage, but galvanized buckets work great!

Here is the mop bucket my Dad gave me:

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Now I love the paint splatter on the bucket and decided to leave it, but you could cover it up if it’s not your thing.

Here is what you need to make the garden planter: 

Supplies

• Miracle-Gro Potting Soil
• Flowers – I used an extra large container of gorgeous petunias
• Mop Bucket or Galvanized Bucket –  if you can’t find a vintage one, you can find a similar one here.

Instructions

Step 1

It’s important to drill holes in the bottom of the wash tub for drainage.

My dad was kind enough to drill the holes in the bucket before he gave it to me, so I don’t have any pictures of this process.

But for this size bucket 3 or 4 holes is all that is needed.

Step 2

Fill the bucket about 3/4 of the way with potting soil. I always use Miracle-Gro and have had good luck with it. 

Step 3

Add whatever plants you like. Petunias are a fairly hearty plant and I have had really good luck with them, so I chose these gorgeous purple petunias.

Doesn’t the vibrant color look great against the galvanized bucket?

See how easy that was?  Now you have a gorgeous garden planter to enjoy that is unique and inexpensive to make. 

Sharing is caring…please PIN the image below:

I chose to put this vintage wash tub planter right at the bottom of the porch steps.

That way we can enjoy it as we come and go and it can also welcome guests. 

So what do you think? Would you use a vintage wash bucket as a planter?

What are your favorite flowers to plant in containers?

I’d love to hear if you have made anything using galvanized buckets.

Leave me a comment below or share a picture.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Enjoy the rest of the garden projects! 

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Vertical flower garden planter

Leanna at FaeriesandFauna! Blog / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter

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Oak Raised Beds in My Garden

Tarah at Grandma’s House DIY! Blog / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter

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Recycled Cans As Planters

Chas at Chas’ Crazy Creations! Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

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Repurpose An Old Mop Bucket Into A Garden Planter

Michelle at Our Crafty Mom! Blog / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter

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Vintage Farmhouse Planter

Sam at Raggedy Bits! Blog / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter

What’s next:

Washtub Herb Garden

How To Decorate A Small Front Porch On A Budget

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