Looking for a simple and stylish way to display your plants? Using terra cotta pots is a wonderful option for adding color and structure to your space.
With just a few basic supplies and a spark of creativity, you can design a beautiful and completely unique plant display. You’ll be amazed at the beautiful, personalized planters you can make for your home or garden!
You might try stacking pots to create a tiered effect for a flower tower or build a vertical garden perfect for small balconies.
Making your own terra cotta pot planter is a fun, easy project that lets you customize your plant display to fit your personal style perfectly. Let’s explore these innovative ways to use these classic planters!
#1 Fairy Garden
Creating a fairy garden inside a terra cotta pot is a magical project that brings whimsy and wonder to your patio or porch. This tiered design cleverly turns a large planter on its side to reveal multiple levels for miniature landscaping.
You can build tiny worlds with little houses, paths, and adorable furniture to create a charming scene. To start, you will need to break a portion of a large pot near the rim to create an entryway.
Next, tilt the pot and secure it in place with gravel or soil, building up smaller terraces inside with rocks or smaller broken pieces. Plant miniature succulents or moss and then add your favorite small fairy figurines and accessories.
#2 A Living Wall Garden
This creative approach allows you to cultivate a stunning array of herbs, flowers, or small vegetables in a vertical format. The varied heights and colors of the plants bring dynamic visual interest to any outdoor area.
To begin, secure sturdy hooks or brackets evenly across your wall, ensuring they can bear the weight of filled pots. Next, plant your favorite herbs or flowers into a mix of natural and painted terra cotta pots.
Finally, simply hang your potted plants on the prepared hooks to create your beautiful vertical garden.
#3 A Simple Upcycled Pallet Wall Planter
Give an old pallet new life by turning it into a beautiful, rustic vertical planter to brighten up a drab wall. The warm stain on the wood pallet provides a beautiful contrast to the colorful flowers and green foliage.
This space-saving design is an excellent way to add both texture and vertical interest to a small garden or patio. To make this, first, sand and treat a pallet to ensure it’s safe for outdoor use, and apply a lovely wood stain.
Next, secure the pallet firmly to an exterior wall or fence using strong bolts and brackets. Attach small rings or clips to the front slats to hold your terra cotta pots in place and let your flowers thrive.
#4 Hanging Shelf Garden
This clever hanging shelf garden uses simple materials to create a beautifully organized vertical display perfect for an urban apartment or small balcony. The light wood shelves and white rope give this planter a fresh, clean, and airy Scandinavian style.
It’s ideal for growing a concentrated collection of herbs or small house plants right against a sunny wall. To build this, cut several light wooden planks to your desired length for the shelves.
You will then drill four holes in the corners of each shelf to thread a strong white rope through. Once the shelves are threaded and spaced, hang the entire unit from a dowel or secure bracket mounted firmly to the wall.
#5 A Simple Flower Tower
Create a stunning, multi-level display right in your yard with this simple and beautiful flower tower made with terra cotta pots.
This vertical planter design is excellent for showcasing cascading flowers like petunias, adding height and vibrant color to any garden bed. It uses minimal ground space while making a major visual impact, perfect for small gardens or patios.
To construct this, you will need a tall, sturdy central post, such as a piece of painted PVC pipe or wood, buried firmly in the ground.
You should secure metal brackets or small pieces of wood to the post at staggered heights to support the pots. Plant your favorite colorful annuals and slide the terra cotta pots onto the supports for a beautiful, blooming column.
#6 Terra Cotta Pots Are “Blooming”
This impressive topsy-turvy planter tower creates a playful illusion, making the pots look like they are dancing up toward the sky.
The staggered and angled terra cotta pots are overflowing with bright, cascading flowers, adding a major focal point to your yard. It’s an easy, yet eye-catching, way to add vertical gardening to your outdoor space and show off beautiful blooms.
To build this, thread a sturdy metal rebar through the drainage holes of several pots and pound the rebar securely into the ground.
Next, tilt and slide the pots down the rebar, filling each with soil and flowers before adding the next one. Finish the top with a whimsical element like a repurposed watering can to complete the playful look.
#7 A Herb Garden
This ingenious vertical herb garden uses a repurposed wooden pallet to create a beautiful and organized display perfect for a balcony or deck railing. The weathered look of the wood contrasts wonderfully with the classic terra cotta pots and vibrant green herbs.
This space-saving design keeps your favorite culinary herbs easily accessible while adding rustic charm to your outdoor area. To build this, stand a pallet upright and sand it down for a smoother, safer surface.
Next, attach simple pipe clamps or small hooks to the horizontal slats where you want the pots to hang. Plant your herbs in the terra cotta pots and secure them firmly to the pallet for a beautiful, fresh display.
#8 Wall Succulent Garden
Create a stunning, low-maintenance succulent garden by mounting an assortment of small terra cotta pots onto a simple metal grid or wire mesh. This vertical display is perfect for adding texture and life to a plain wall, especially in a sunny outdoor area.
The geometric grid provides a neat, structured backdrop that beautifully contrasts with the organic shapes of the succulents. To start, get a sturdy wire grid from a hardware or garden store and secure it firmly to your wall.
Next, use strong wire or metal clips to attach the rims of the terra cotta pots to the intersections of the grid. Plant a diverse collection of colorful succulents in the pots and watch your beautiful vertical garden thrive.
#9 Topsy Turvy Pots Growing Succulents
This stunning topsy turvy tower is a clever and visually dynamic way to display a vibrant collection of succulents. The staggered and tilted arrangement of the pots gives the illusion of a gravity-defying sculpture, adding a touch of fun to your garden path.
The various textures and colors of the succulents look amazing spilling out of the pots at every level. To create this, hammer a piece of rebar firmly into the ground to act as the central support.
Next, slide the pots down the rebar, tilting them in opposite directions while filling them with soil and your beautiful succulents. This technique works best with three or four pots of slightly decreasing sizes for a balanced, cascading effect.
#10 Hanging Vertical Garden
This clever hanging vertical garden design is perfect for adding layers of life and color without taking up any floor space on your patio or balcony. Suspending the terra cotta pots on vertical rods creates a beautiful, eye-catching tower of lush greenery.
The stacked design is an excellent way to grow herbs, small flowers, or trailing plants in a compact footprint. To make this, drill holes through the centers of several terra cotta pot saucers to match the size of a sturdy threaded rod.
Next, slide the saucers and pots onto the rod, using washers or nuts to secure the spacing between each level. Hang the assembled rods from a strong pergola beam or mounting bracket and fill the pots with your favorite plants.
#11 Solar Light and Flower Pot Centerpiece
Brighten your entryway both day and night with this charming solar light and flower pot centerpiece. These tiered planters are not only a beautiful way to display colorful flowers but also a creative way to feature your house number.
The addition of a solar light at the top makes this DIY project both pretty and practical, illuminating your steps after dark. To create a base, stack two or three terra cotta pots of decreasing size directly on top of each other.
Next, paint the pots with a cheerful color or simply white-wash them for a rustic, distressed look. Then, plant flowers in the top section and insert a solar garden light in the center for an illuminated display.
#12 A Hanging Pot Herb Garden
Creating a hanging pot herb garden like this is a beautifully simple and space-efficient way to grow fresh ingredients right on your patio wall. The classic combination of terracotta and black metal brackets offers a clean, rustic look that suits any outdoor space.
This vertical arrangement is fantastic for keeping your basil, mint, and thyme separate and easily accessible. To begin this project, purchase several sturdy wall-mounting rings or brackets designed to fit the rim of a terracotta pot.
Next, securely attach the brackets in a staggered or linear pattern onto a brick or concrete wall. Place your potted herbs into the rings to complete a tidy, flourishing wall display.
#13 Spilled Pot Idea Using a Broken Terra Cotta Pot
Don’t discard that cracked pot! This brilliant spilled pot idea turns a broken terra cotta pot into a captivating, creative miniature landscape.
It creates the whimsical illusion that the pot has spilled its contents onto the ground or a trough, allowing the plants to naturally flow. This technique is wonderful for showcasing a variety of low-growing plants, like sedum, moss, and beautiful succulents.
To replicate this, place a long piece of broken pot horizontally, then wedge the broken pieces of a second pot at one end. Fill the broken pot and the surrounding trough with a mix of succulent soil and sand. Arrange your plants to make them look like they are tumbling out of the broken planter.
#14 Patio Vertical Hanging Wall Planter
This design uses simple wood planks and thick rope to suspend multiple levels of terra cotta pots, adding depth and natural beauty to your outdoor area.
It is an excellent solution for growing a variety of herbs or small flowers while keeping them neat and off the ground.
To make the shelves, drill holes near the edges of each wood plank, ensuring they align perfectly with the shelves above and below. Thread thick jute or sisal rope through the holes and tie sturdy knots beneath each shelf to hold it securely in place.
You can then hang the entire shelf unit from a pergola or sturdy wooden frame on your patio.
#15 Painted Pot House Number
Welcome visitors to your home with a creative and colorful curb appeal update using these large, painted terra cotta pots.
Grouping three large planters together creates a dramatic, layered display that anchors your entire garden bed. Painting your house number directly onto the bottom pot is a personalized and clever way to help guests find your home easily.
To get started, clean and prime three large pots before painting them a cheerful, uniform color like this soft yellow. Next, use stencils and contrasting paint to clearly display your house number on the lowest pot.
Plant beautiful, cascading flowers in each pot to complete this welcoming, vibrant entryway display.
#16 Recycled Shutter Garden
Give old wooden shutters a beautiful new purpose by turning them into a charming recycled shutter garden that adds architectural interest to your yard.
The dark, louvered background perfectly highlights the warm tones of the terra cotta pots and the vibrant green plants. This vertical display is fantastic for dividing a patio space or adding a lovely backdrop to a seating area.
To start, find a few old shutters, clean them well, and paint them a contrasting color like black or deep green. Next, attach small cup hooks or brackets to the slats to hold the pots securely in place. Plant a variety of cascading flowers and herbs in your pots to fill the vertical space with life.
#17 DIY Vertical Planter with Fence Slats and Terra Cotta Pots
This creative vertical planter uses simple wooden fence slats to build an elevated structure that saves space beautifully. The natural wood provides a wonderful, neutral background for the vibrant colors of the painted terra cotta pots.
To begin, cut three or four fence slats to the desired height and securely fasten smaller cross pieces to the back to connect them.
Next, attach sturdy hose clamps or small rings to the front of the slats to hold the pots in place. Consider painting your terra cotta pots bright, cheerful colors before filling them with your favorite herbs.
#18 Old Pallets To Hold Flower Pots Adding Candle Holder
Give a rustic pallet a beautiful, layered look by combining the warmth of candlelight with the charm of potted flowers. This clever idea is wonderful for defining an outdoor space or adding ambient lighting to a patio party.
To start, clean and sand a pallet before applying a thin coat of diluted gray paint for a weathered finish. Next, attach small hooks or metal rings to the wooden slats to securely hold your flower-filled pots.
Finally, place small, heat-safe glass votive holders on the slats to add soft, twinkling lights around your plants.
#19 Painted Colorful Vertical Garden
Create a bright, cheerful focal point on a drab exterior wall with this easy and appealing painted colorful vertical garden. The vibrant colors on the pots, like pink, blue, and lime green, really pop against the warm brick and simple wooden trellis.
This tiered arrangement is perfect for small spaces, allowing you to maximize flower density and visual impact. To get this cheerful look, begin by painting your terra cotta pots in alternating bright colors using exterior-grade acrylic paint.
Next, secure a simple, narrow wooden trellis firmly to your wall or fence structure. Finally, attach the pots to the trellis using metal rings or strong zip ties to hold them safely in place.
#20 Light Up Your Yard!
This creative design uses a vertical pallet planter combined with string lights to add a cozy, festive ambiance to your backyard at night. The soft glow of the lights woven around the pots gives your plants a magical, illuminated backdrop.
This project is a fantastic way to turn a drab fence area into a welcoming outdoor gathering space. To make this, secure a wooden pallet firmly against a fence or wall for stability.
Next, attach small hooks to the slats to hold the terra cotta pots filled with various green plants and flowers. Finally, drape a string of warm LED lights horizontally across the pallet, letting them twinkle around your planters for a beautiful evening display.
#21 A Herb Tower in a Rock Garden
Create a simple, elegant focal point in your garden by building a beautiful herb tower that seems to sprout right out of a rock arrangement. The topsy-turvy stacking of the pots makes a strong vertical statement, contrasting with the natural, grounded feel of the surrounding rocks.
This design is excellent for keeping different herbs separate while still growing them close together. To build the tower, thread a sturdy metal rebar through the drainage holes of four or five pots.
You will need to pound the rebar securely into the ground amidst your collection of decorative rocks. Then, slide the pots onto the rebar, angling them to face various directions as you fill them with soil and your favorite cooking herbs.
#22 Terra Cotta Flower Pot
Bring a whimsical, friendly face to your garden with this wonderfully creative terra cotta pot man planter. Stacked and painted pots are cleverly assembled to form a seated figure, complete with arms and legs, adding a playful personality to your flowerbed.
This project is a fantastic way to show off your personality and create a unique focal point that brings smiles to all who see it. To begin, use hot glue or silicone sealant to connect the pots for the body, arms, and legs.
Next, you can use acrylic paint to give your pot man an expressive face and a colorful outfit, like the cute apron shown here. Place a larger pot on top for the head and plant colorful flowers inside to create its blooming hair.