C.J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
Quick and Easy Boho Painted Plastic Plant Planters
This whole project started with my mom and I driving past a lawyer’s office that had the word “PLOTNICK” in the business name. My mom’s name is Pam and I told her how fantastic it would be if her last name was Plotnick. We both agreed that “Pamela Plotnick” sounded like a great, strong name.
One thing lead to another and we developed a whole fake podcast show for our Pamela Plotnick character. Pamela Plotnick plants petunias and periwinkles on her plant porch and has a plant podcast where she discusses her plants. This is the way our silly brains work. Our sense of humor is very much the same.
Modern Plastic Painted Planter
Little did I know that our fake character, Pamela Plotnick, would give me inspiration to add more plants to my home. I needed a new indoor planter for my Money Tree and I wanted a plastic planter as I have a cat that loves knocking things off my counter. I wanted the plastic planter to be a bit decorative, and since I couldn’t find any I loved, I decided to paint one myself.
Trust me…you do not have to be a fantastic artist to do this project! Read on to learn how I easily painted my plastic planter with acrylic paint and simple line art.
How to Paint Plastic Planters
For this project, I ordered a set of three (5”, 6” and 7” inch) black cylinder- style plastic planters off of Amazon. The brand also had them in white and terracotta. They are modern in style, thick and sturdy, with built in drain pans that easily screw on and off.
I also ordered a set of black and white water-based acrylic paint pens (Amazon). If you choose to use water-based acrylic paint pens, your drawings will easily wash away on these plastic planters, meaning it won’t be permanent. I chose to use water-based because I change my mind a lot and I wanted to be able to change the design later on if I wanted.
If you want a more permanent solution, you can use water-based acrylic paint pens on a glass, porcelain or wood planters instead. Or, you could use an oil-based paint pen on the plastic planters, which will be very permanent.
View my 40 second video tutorial for this plant project below OR via my YouTube channel “Carolyn Braden”:
Boho Line Art On Plastic Planters
I first sketched out some line designs until I found some combinations I liked. I gained inspiration from Pinterest, but to make it easy for you, I designed a free printable for you to use!
See it below OR use the button to print it out and use it for all kinds of projects like artistic journalling, simple wall murals, and more!
Simple Boho Line Art Design Ideas Printable
Using a quick drying and extra-fine, white acrylic paint pen, I slowly drew my line design all over my pots.
If you are loving this article, we know you’ll love this one too: Pros and Cons of Black Grout and White Tile
Repotting a Money Tree
Once I finished my designs, I repotted the Money Tree into the 5” inch planter. I like these planters because, as I said earlier, the bottom is the drain pan and easily screws off. This makes me happy because the plants won’t drip water onto my counter.
I was going to leave the Money Tree in it’s original smaller plastic container, but I decided to remove it and fully plant it in the new planter using some indoor planting soil.
Indoor Plant Ideas
I then drew another design onto the 6” inch planter and planted some of my Sansevieria Jaboa Plant leaves (snake plant variety) that I rooted over the last few months. This particular snake plant grows like crazy around some of the beach areas of Sanibel Island, where I currently live.
Painted Plastic Planters for Snake Plants
I added some leftover orchid moss along the top of the planter, to cover the indoor plant potting soil. This, hopefully, will deter my cat from digging into the dirt. It also makes the plant look just a little prettier. Pamela Plotnick would be proud!
Using Ice Cubes to Water Indoor House Plants
The money tree came with guidance to water it with several ice cubes once a week. I was already using this method with my orchid, which worked very well. I used the method for the snake plant too because it is a plant that requires little water.
Watering with ice cubes instead of a potentially messy watering can will also help keep my water-based acrylic designs in place on my plastic planters. Again, if I decide to make my designs more permanent later on, I can wipe away the water-based paint and use an oil-based paint pen instead.
Black and White Kitchen Decor
I'm happy the way they turned out and would love to know if you completed this project too! Let me know by leaving a comment below. As Pamela Plotnick would say, “Be Perfectly Pleasant Planting Pretty Plants!” or "This Plant Project Was Procured by Pamela Plotnick.”Lol…I crack myself up sometimes!
C.J. (Carolyn) Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Little Ways to Get Back To You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.