How To: 10 Creative and Unique DIY Planters to Inspire Your Home Garden

Summer is in full swing! Everywhere you look, plants are in full bloom and green is a way of life. Gardeners are clearly living up to their full potential. I cannot think of anything else that personifies summer better than gardening.

When it comes to planting greenery, most people just reach for the pots that they have had since '82 that collect dust in their garage during the cold seasons. That or they just buy pots from their local nursery for whatever they need.

But you can spice things up this season with some creative DIY planters. So, in the spirit of summer and DIY, here are my top ten favorites for creative planting. I'd like to think that if MacGyver were real, he would be using some of the makeshift planters, too.

Book Planters

Have you ever looked at a stack of books and saw a flower pot? I didn't think so. But it's totally possible—and it looks totally cool. These would be great for brightening up a musty old library. Bethany Nauert from Apartment Therapy details the process.

You can even combine multiple books to create a huge pot.

Pallet Planters

I used to work in a warehouse, and we used wooden pallets to stack all of the merchandise from the trucks. Never once did I think of using those pallets as planters, but Fern Richardson from Life on the Balcony sure has. Check out his tutorial on DIY pallet planters.

I think this would be really cool to hang on the side of a garden shed.

Shower Curtain Planters

This one is pretty outside the box. Head on over to ReadyMade to learn how to make these shower curtain planters. Frankly, this idea blew me away. Shower curtains? Really? But hey, they're waterproof!

Rubber Tire Planters

If you're looking to plant bushes or small trees, you're going to need a big planter. So, how about tires? Check out Studio G's tutorial and try out your own recycled tire planters.

Rain Boot Planters

What's the best way to collect rain for your flowers? Well, rain boots, of course. Rosina Huber's tutorial will show you how to make these brilliant boot planters at home. Hanging not required.

Altoids Can Planters

So, you live in a tiny apartment, but you still want to have your own garden—what do you do? Get a tiny garden! Elizabeth Abernathy shows you how she created these tiny pocket gardens out of old Altoids tins.

Now you too can feel good about adding to the green of the environment, all in the convenience of your pocket.

Window Shutter Planters

I think this is the perfect solution to creative, upcycled planting. Lila B. used old window shutters to create very cool hanging planters on a deck.

There isn't really a tutorial here, but I would probably just nail a sheet of plywood or staple some cloth to the back.

Tree Stump Planters

Want a more natural solution to creative planting? You can't get much more natural than this idea. Shorties Funny Farm made this natural planter out of an old, hollowed out tree stump. Theirs was made from a tree that had fallen down recently, so it is double convenient!

Toilet Tank Trike Planter

Flickr user Annieo76 made a planter out of an old tricycle and toilet tank. It's pretty inventive, but there's no tutorial. It's pretty straightforward though—tank on top trike.

If I made this planter, I'd probably give it a paint job (bronze maybe) to give it an antique look and set it out in my garden. Very good idea though!

Chair Planter

Organized Clutter Queen made a decorative planter for the porch out of an old, weathered chair. Who doesn't have an old chair lying around?

There you have it! Can you think of any other cool planters? Tell us about it in the comments below!