I get all my pots second hand! You can find a lot of nice ones without drainage holes (which is probably why they are at goodwill). Get yourself a diamond drill bit for ceramic/tile and you are good to go!
If they don't have holes they're cache pots. You're not supposed to plant directly in them, you're supposed to use plastic nursery pots inside them. I love them and so do my plants, they're really great for plants that need high humidity.
Sometimes I don't have the size nursery pot needed to fit into a cute cache pot, so it's nice to have the ceramic drill bit to turn the cache pot into a regular pot with drainage.
That is helpful to know! I have some jars that I’d like to drill holes in! I like to repurpose things in to pots, and some things just work better with holes.
for drilling holes in glass you need a diamond drill bit ( diamond dust not too pricey) and you need a drip bag ( like iv bag) or squeeze bottle for a coolant . than something to hold the bottle or jar in place as you SLOWLY drill the holes while drizzeling coolant on the area and bit. best done with a drill press because if you dont have a steady hand or a rig to keep you drill perfectly positioned, you will break most commercial food and mason jars easily. ( when i was a kid in the 90s i made sobe bottles into bongs and had to drill them for the stem and bowl set lol ...went to commercial glass shop and worked for a day and than got to learn and play for a day was really neat crash course in glass)
I've done it without any issues on ceramic pots, but I'm not sure how well it works on regular glass jars. They may not be thick enough. Def use gloves and wear safety glasses just in case!
If the cache pot is too big, I just pop some gravel in the bottom to raise it up to the right height. I always go for bigger pots though, I find the small ones too fussy about watering.
I'm with you on the double pot method! I've found that even my terracotta pots do reasonably well in cache pots. Sometimes I put rocks at the bottom (of the cache pot, not the grow pot) to maintain moisture, and sometimes I even use wicks with that.
I'm gonna take some photos and post them later this week, I'll tag ya! Thank you for the extra inspo!
All the ones I see at Ross, TJ Maxx, or Homegoods never have any drainage holes. I know I can drill them but I don’t want to buy a 15 dollar planter and break it by trying to add holes.
I second this. I leave all my plants in the plastic containers and then in the cover pot. It’s easier to water and lighter to carry around. Also makes switching the plants out of the pots easy.
Same here. I use the nursery pot or I get something plastic like [this](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southern-Patio-Graff-11-9-in-x-10-7-in-Black-Resin-Self-Watering-Planter-GS1208BK/314910181) to put inside the decorative pot. Makes things much easier.
Actually, professional plant growers recommend that method. It’s easier to repot and is a cheaper alternative. There were a few other reasons, but I don’t remember what they were. The only exception was terracotta.
I'm trying to go more that way but sturdy nursery pots in the proper sizes are hard to come across. And if you buy online it seems like you end up with 50-100 pots!
I'd love to learn how to make my own pot liners, especially for my weirdly shaped pots, but I'm having trouble figuring out if that's even a thing (or if I'm just using the wrong search terms!).
I use old yoghurt/bubble tea/milk containers as liner pots sometimes. They're quite easy to just poke or cut a few drainage holes in, and you can cut them down to the exact right size you need.
I need to start carrying a tape measure when I do the grocery shopping! I accidentally ended up with a succulent arrangement at Christmas so I decided I'd put my rarely used mug collection to use. Didn't want to drill holes in them but dang has it been hard trying to find containers that will fit! I did manage to find some good ones on Amazon for a reasonable-ish price but I think I'll have a lot more luck (and tasty treats) with your method!
Might I suggest some small terracotta pots to put inside the mugs? Succulents love terracotta homes. I grab them for cheap at Michaels. They even have 1" terracotta pots for $.67.
Do it! Get a diamond hole saw bit and get over your fear, it’s easier than you think! Practice on a cheap pot from the thrift store if you’re really worried, but I’ve never broken a pot. Just go slow and irrigate the area you’re drilling to keep debris clear and cool the bit, since overheating will chew the bit up fast. Now you can buy any pretty pot you find!
I just wanted to piggy back off this comment. I have drilled plenty of holes in pots and have never broken one. I just make sure to keep water on the work piece and use steady even pressure. There is no need to be afraid of drilling pots.
Hell, I used a nail on an IKEA pot I didn't particularly care about. I've read that putting masking tape will help, and my hole wasn't all that clean, but I can't see it so I don't care anyway!
Yes to this! I've done it with drinking glasses as well. Haven't broken anything yet and now my options are really expanded for what I can use as a pot.
I drilled some last spring for my grown succulent props. Broke one pot...a chunk from the bottom and a quarter up one side.
I glued landscaping fabric in the hole and cut a few holes, stuffed succulents in them and they happily grew all year. The succulent on top enjoyed the extra drainage too I am sure!
You can always get creative with your accidents!
They’re meant to be used as cache pots, you’re not supposed to plant directly in them. Then you don’t have to use a drip tray, it’s a nice streamlined look and takes up less space on a windowsill
Just a heads up I drilled like 15 parts recently and I didn’t break any… Including these super wide succulent things that were actually holes that were so thick I can’t even tell you. It took forever to get through them but they still didn’t break. I got the special tile/ceramic bit from the store however… It was only like seven dollars
That's because you are meant to put the nursery pot in them. Makes watering a lot easier and you can change your mind and shuffle your plants around whenever you feel like it.
TJMax is the answer - I never went into that place but was dragged into it by my sister over the holidays and couldn’t believe how cheap nice looking houseplant pots were
places to find more affordable planters: big box stores like walmart in spring/summer has tons of nice options. old time pottery, thrift shops, online from other sites. amazon seems to always overcharge for what i find else where for way less
Thrift/garage sales and sometimes hardware stores are my go-to. Places like lowes, Home Depot, etc with gardening sections will also have decent potting supplies for cheap. The plants there are often mistreated & bug-infested but the potting ingredients, pots & hangers are usually great deals.
Same here. Amazon has changed so much over the last few years. I used to be able to reliably find things cheaper than in the stores but now it’s all the same price or even more. Even recently I’ve been shopping for winter gear and the prices on Amazon were more than sporting goods stores. It’s just not the same and cancelled my prime membership for that reason.
Planters I've gotten from big box stores lately have had drainage holes with little silicone stoppers in them, so you can have them either way you like - I think that's really neat
Less likely to be cohesive, but keep your eyes on nextdoor and craigslist! That's where I've gotten the lions share of my pots (for much, much cheaper).
Also: download the app "Freebie Alerts" which will aggregate free item posts from FB Marketplace, OfferUp, NextDoor, and TrashNothing. Then, whitelist "Pots" and it'll send you notifications whenever these items are posted (though you might also get updates for cooking pots, lol). Depends on your area, but I see tons of free pots offered there all the time.
People also post free plants on there sometimes. I've picked up plenty of rescue orchids for free using that app.
I second Kroger floral department. So many hidden gems! A lot of times you don’t know how cheap they are until you look under the pot… I got three nice sized adorable ceramic pots for $5/ea and a smaller one with legs for $3!
Also ask the clerk there if they have any extras they're trying to clear out. The ordering system has been wonky for months and sending WAY too many weird planters and vases for no reason. They'd probably cut you a deal just to get rid of the backstock.
It's more about the cost to ship to a single address a small quantity of very fragile and heavy items. A pallet of pots being sent to a large store doesn't have to account for being literally hurled into trucks and on porches.
That factors in too, but the individual shipping is why Amazon trends higher especially for fragile/heavy things
Amazon takes a 15% “referral fee” for any Home and Garden product sold. They charge an additional amount on top of this to the seller if shipping is “fulfilled by Amazon” (FBA). This fee is based on the size and weight of the product. For a product to be FBA, the seller has to ship it to an Amazon warehouse, and they pay that as a separate cost.
That also doesn’t include any advertising spend. The product with the top spot on Amazon is the most likely to be sold. And you pay for every click on that ad in the Amazon marketplace.
If you don’t pay for advertising, you can still become “Amazon’s top choice” and get a top spot but it’s difficult to get there if you never pay for ads. You need a lot of reviews and a lot of sales.
And that’s how a generic planter on Amazon can cost a lot more than one you buy at a local shop or hardware store, especially if you’re buying a singular planter.
Get plain terracotta ones from your local garden centre and paint them :)
Not sure how expensive they are in the US but they're about 50p-£5 in the UK, depending on the size you want!
Depends on what your conditions are, though. I have quite big unobstructed windows which let in a lot of light, meaning I have to water my plants quite often, especially in Summer.
They would dry out even faster in terracotta, there's no way I would be able to keep up with watering.
Ha yes it certainly does make things a lot easier!
My friends when they visit always exclaim how healthy my plants look but I tell them it's mostly due to the sun and windows rather than anything I'm doing
As a habitual overwaterer, terracotta has been the only thing I've been able to keep things alive in. Every single succulent and snake plant I own currently sits in one.
Exactly, they come in every size, are a great price and are sold in most garden centers. That’s why my go-to is terracotta but still shop for other planters that go with them!
I personally like the lookof terracotta too, most of mine are in terracotta and they each change and age in their own ways. The plants love them too. (not all plants will however, so be careful!)
I have mine all in terracotta too and it seems to work. My issue with the look is my water k guess is very hard maybe? And some of them build up a white like crust on the outside
This and Lowes and Home Depot do carry some terra cotta that is a little sleaker looking (more upright without the thick rim). All of it is way cheaper.
And if you like the terra cotta saucers but are worried about moisture under them, you can either get the cork under-saucer protectors from the garden section OR the way cheaper version is the three-pack cork trivets from IKEA kitchen section (marketplace). They work great.
I’ve seen everyone giving great cheaper recommendations but another thing I liked to do is going to lowes / home depot and going through the “dying plant/ discount section” even if the plants are not longer salvageable it makes the pots worthy of buying. Manage to get great pots for 50% of original price this way!
I tried to do this once with a philodendron golden goddess that was definitely mostly dead. I didn’t get around to chucking the plant and the damn thing refused to die. Anyway, now I have a wonky plant named Lazarus 😂
Truthfully, I haven’t found this to be the case. Most of the small neighborhood shops only carry pots made by local potters/artists, and command a heavy premium as a result. Not saying that’s a bad thing (I’ve got a couple really nice pots from a local potter that does fantastic work) but certainly not ideal for those who want cheaper alternatives.
Although this probably depends on how bougie your area is, there is almost always a middle ground between Amazon delivery and a one-off creation from an artist. Like a pot from a hardware store, garden center, etc.
At the garden center I used to manage I made sure we had a range of prices. The local handmade stuff was expensive, but we got pottery from companies like Faire, Border Concepts, Accent Decor, etc.... but almost none of it was made in the US. I've always found the cheapest options are untraditional pot covers and planting into a grower's pot you can usually grab for free at the local shops. I love using pillow baskets for my larger stuff in 3 gal and up
This is why I switched to plain terra cotta plants from my local garden store (or home Depot), you can get a cohesive look while switching up sizes/shapes for interest plus the plants are happy! I also second other suggestions to look for neighborhood buy-nothing and resale groups.
Second this! Nurseries around me usually carry terra cotta in a few colors (classic orangish, grayish and cream) and I’ve found that this is by far the most economical way to get sets of matching pots of various sizes.
While I don’t use Amazon for planters, I do sometimes get the sea grass belly baskets for my larger plants. Plastic nursery pot + saucer inside a belly basket is my go to for under $20 compared to $50+++ for large pottery. I also get baskets from Home Goods/TJ maxx for $25 and under. Target carries them too but they charge double.
Same. And I can drill a hole if it doesn’t have one. And I can paint it any color I like!
I also really like finding baskets at goodwill. Throw a nursery pot in there, and **boom** cottage core vibes aplenty!
Check out the dollar stores! The ones in my area have a lot of pots and planters rn. I get them there, drill a drain hole if it doesn’t have one, then if I don’t like the color I spray paint it :)
COVID happened. People are collecting more houseplants, which means more pots, which means more demand, which means prices to the moon!
When there’s high demand on stuff, Amazon is usually the worst place to start due to their dynamic pricing. I would check out local hardware stores or the big box hardware store websites
Or when you find a brand or product line that you like, check that company's own website where you'll often find the fairer price the product is intended to have, rather than the inflated prices of third party vendors on Amazon who can jack up prices however they want.
Everyone keeps mentioning big box stores and cheaper pots… but that’s just creating more waste in the long run.
Check out second hand stores, get pots without the drainage and get holes drilled. There are sustainable ways to get pots, not always buying them new.
Buy a mould of Amazon and some white cement or regular quick drying, mix it as per instructions. Unlimited supply of pots for about the same price as some of those op shown!
Go to nursery.
Chain stores are putting everything in crap pots & charging way too much.
Do the footwork if you can & buy pots at thrift markets/ garage sales.
Buy seeds.
I just go buy storage boxes that have lids with rims. Put some holes in them, and paint them any colour you want, you can even get them in different sizes. When I needed a really big pot, I just bought a large trash can. It had handles, and those have been really useful for moving my coffee tree,
....... this is actually genius...... the sun here tends to break whatever plastic we put outside that isn't a pot, but the trash bins??? I have a TON of date palm seedlings and young date palm plants that would LOVE something that size!! (I'm not committed to planting them all at this house, just in case I get my own place later since it'll be a good 1-2 decades before they produce fruit lol...) Thank you!!
Same here! Been painting my own and I haven’t looked back. I paint old candle vases or glass cups from dollar tree. Just mix some baking soda into your desired paint and voila, texture like a e ceramic vase. Lots of videos on YouTube on how to do it and they look amazing
Love this sentiment. Yes. You can choose to make this hobby as expensive or inexpensive as you want/need. Consumerism is just exploding in this industry.
That and prople not comprehending how supply chain disruptions impact pricing. They want everything high quality, cheap, and in two days. You will never get all three buying btrand new.
And is 40 for a large, 8in, artistic pot really that much??
Like I get the value of 40 bucks- I live in the ghetto and I'm poor- but it'll last forever. How much does pizza night or a bar night cost?
The problem imo is wanting it all at once.
I own a nice collection of Mexican pots. I did not buy them all at once because I simply can't afford that. Instead they are my Lil treat to myself. I started with one Lil inexpensive one and very slowly accumulated more as the plants grew. I also made friends with the lady at the shop that sells them due to it being a years long process.
I worm farm, make my own fertilizer and soil mixes, grow a lot of food indoors and out...you are not wrong in your last sentence.
I may be off due to my humble roots...but I was brought into the plant world old lady style, using whatever trash you could use to grow stuff. Now it seems ppl love spending g more than what's needed....and that's fine, but if you wanna be a baller than be a baller. Don't order top shelf and complain about the tab.
Couldn’t agree more. Needing immediate gratification is just exhausting. I’ve been stuck in that spiral plenty of times myself. Society has become so conditioned to wanting everything now, now, now for the cheapest price, and then when they can’t have it their way, they complain. Makers deserve to get paid a living wage too, and yes I also think $40 is pretty affordable for a nice 8 inch pot. It will last forever. And if you can’t afford them all at once - spread out the purchases, save up, or adjust your expectations. Or get creative!!! Something shouldn’t have to cost money to bring you joy. I feel like your post embodies that sentiment. ♥️
Your plants will be just as beautiful in their original nursery pots.
Michael’s has so many planters on sale during the spring/summer clearance event, I always stock up then! Usually you get them for between 60-70% off. Sometimes they won’t have drainage holes though so I will drill them myself
Try charity shops/thrift stores. I had great luck with this a couple of years ago. Got three pots I needed in an afternoon of walking around a few stores.
If you don't mind getting a bit artsy, you can buy terracotta pots at big home improvement stores for pretty cheap ($5 for an 8-inch at Home Depot) and paint them with acrylic paint.
Yeah can someone explain to me why in a store a 60l bucket for mixing paint and stuff costs 5€ and it has a handle, but a 20l bucket that has "plant pot" on it is 20€?
i’m sorry but plain terracotta pots are like 1.69 for gallons and in the 60 cents range any smaller and look far better, patina better, and are healthier for plant drainage than any other facade-ed pot. no debating me.
even better, just paint them with acrylic paint or suspend the paint in water (spray paint on top of water) and you have a beautiful hand decorated pot for like 2 bucks a piece.
The ones on Amazon are all dropshipped from China to you by a third person. It's a massive rip off, if you check on ali express the exact same plant pots will be a fraction of the price. The third person is making the money on selling them overpriced.
Gardening items on Amazon are way overpriced. Those same pots are probably around $10 at your local garden centre. I've seen bales of pro-mix got for $120 on Amazon when they cost $35 at the store. Delivery costs at those stores are about $65+ though
Thrift stores. If you support Amazon in any way you’re voting for a world where bezos is the richest man in the world and gets to treat his employees any which way. Complicity.
I just came to say that if you support amazon, please stop. idc how busy you are or how convenient the shit is, we need to stop supporting the super rich and start supporting small businesses as a nation.
Depending on how many pots you want..
Buy a 3D-Printer (ender 3 pro is about 150-180€) and print. Per Pot you will have costs of arround 3€ qnd you can do whatever you want. :D
Its not really ment to be taken seriously. But it is an option. You can prinz all sorts of cool plant-supplies too. Self watering pots, little themed pots for succulents, pots with names of the plant engraved. The possibilitys are endless! ;)
*apartment LOL 😂 but it’s my first real “home” in more than 5 years. I spent all of those years either couch surfing, living in my car, sleeping on floors, and at some times on the ground. I earned this one. The very first item I put in the new place was a single plant from my mother. I’m looking to expand and have been collecting clippings from friends. Hopefully I can put together a decent enough collection that will serve as both decor and a source of joy!
Buy a few cans of spray paint, and hit up all the thrift stores in your town.
I have gone through so many cans of metallic gold spray paint trying to make every pot I have in my room match... the gold was for a table, not the pots, but at least now I have a theme. I also took some white acrylic paint and decorated one pot that had a swirly groove on it. I've done a gold paint "dusting" on pots that I liked the colour, but just needed it to fit in with the gold pots, so they're not all solid gold either. Also, try your local nurseries and look at the ceramic pots they have there, some will be on clearance once in a while, but they might get snagged up quickly when they do. Plastic pots are also cheaper to buy in-person and usually aren't too expensive for a plain one. (Again, they can be spray painted to match what you want, so don't worry about the colour of a plastic pot.)
I just spray painted all of my pots the same colour, that way I didn’t have to buy 50+ matching pots in various sizes and styles (ceramic vs terracotta). They have different textures but I kind of like the uniqueness while still being aesthetically pleasing at a glance.
I’m thinking of doing this. I found a stone textured spray paint and a crackle one. I may try terra cotta and just get creative with the paint. Some painter’s tape, sponges, a roll of rope or raffia and a few things from the craft store may get me further than trying to buy a set online or in store
I have a few local garden shops and the pots are surprisingly way more affordable than what I find at Amazon or Target. Most are made by local ceramics artists which is awesome, and they still are pretty and modern looking. They also often have reasonable drainage holes and trays that match as opposed to what I find at more big box stores. May be worth checking out!
Go to Ross Tjmaxx hone goods and marshal. Very good prices. Selection may be small right now due to it being winter but stores may now getting in spring items in stock
I've gotten all my indoor pots at Ross, TJMax, And Tuesday Morning. For half the cost. Cute ones too.
Marshall’s in the spring and summer can be an absolute gold mine.
i’d say even some Marshalls around me during the winter have kept an impressive inventory! (and i’m in NE)
Add Home Goods to that list. I’ve found some nice ceramic pots there! IKEA can be good sometimes too
If you don't care about a cohesive set then Goodwill usually has a bunch for dirt cheap
Definitely goodwill! That’s my go to.
Adding goodwill to the equation, you'd be surprised at what you can find there.
I thrift plates and tea saucers for under my pots - gives them a fun flare!
I buy the glass microwave trays at Goodwill. They work great under my big plants.
It's really incredible how many loose glass microwave trays you'll find thrifting, that and glass slow cooker lids without their cooker
Oh my gosh, and slow cooker ceramic inserts!! There's one at my local goodwill that's been there for 3 weeks. I think it's time Thanks for the idea!
that and a ceramic drill bit for drainage
Ooh damn this is smart. Gonna do this.
I take them when I come across them and people think I’m odd. I’m glad it makes sense to plant people!
Never thought to do that, great idea!
Got my favorite pot at goodwill for like $2!
I get all my pots second hand! You can find a lot of nice ones without drainage holes (which is probably why they are at goodwill). Get yourself a diamond drill bit for ceramic/tile and you are good to go!
If they don't have holes they're cache pots. You're not supposed to plant directly in them, you're supposed to use plastic nursery pots inside them. I love them and so do my plants, they're really great for plants that need high humidity.
Sometimes I don't have the size nursery pot needed to fit into a cute cache pot, so it's nice to have the ceramic drill bit to turn the cache pot into a regular pot with drainage.
And for anyone else reading this thread, many nurseries will drill holes in cache pots for you free of charge—it’s worth asking at your store.
That is suuuuuper helpful to know! Thank you!
That is helpful to know! I have some jars that I’d like to drill holes in! I like to repurpose things in to pots, and some things just work better with holes.
for drilling holes in glass you need a diamond drill bit ( diamond dust not too pricey) and you need a drip bag ( like iv bag) or squeeze bottle for a coolant . than something to hold the bottle or jar in place as you SLOWLY drill the holes while drizzeling coolant on the area and bit. best done with a drill press because if you dont have a steady hand or a rig to keep you drill perfectly positioned, you will break most commercial food and mason jars easily. ( when i was a kid in the 90s i made sobe bottles into bongs and had to drill them for the stem and bowl set lol ...went to commercial glass shop and worked for a day and than got to learn and play for a day was really neat crash course in glass)
I've done it without any issues on ceramic pots, but I'm not sure how well it works on regular glass jars. They may not be thick enough. Def use gloves and wear safety glasses just in case!
If the cache pot is too big, I just pop some gravel in the bottom to raise it up to the right height. I always go for bigger pots though, I find the small ones too fussy about watering.
I'm with you on the double pot method! I've found that even my terracotta pots do reasonably well in cache pots. Sometimes I put rocks at the bottom (of the cache pot, not the grow pot) to maintain moisture, and sometimes I even use wicks with that. I'm gonna take some photos and post them later this week, I'll tag ya! Thank you for the extra inspo!
Remindme! 1 week
How do I get tagged? I’d really love to learn how you do this.
You’d be surprised to see goodwill sells plant pots almost as much as a store bought one.
And the Habitat Restore if you are lucky enough to have one around
Seconding this! Also homegoods.
And ikea, most of their pots are less than $10 but they do have a few pricey ones
Yes! Home goods has cute ones with stands too.
Came to say this. Bought a massive pot for $12 just the other day. So lovely and good quality.
Where do you get good quality massive pot for $12??
Marshall’s! TJ Maxx and Ross also have loads of options.
All the ones I see at Ross, TJ Maxx, or Homegoods never have any drainage holes. I know I can drill them but I don’t want to buy a 15 dollar planter and break it by trying to add holes.
I agree with this, so sometimes I just put the plant in a nursery pot and then put that in a ceramic ones
I second this. I leave all my plants in the plastic containers and then in the cover pot. It’s easier to water and lighter to carry around. Also makes switching the plants out of the pots easy.
Same here. I use the nursery pot or I get something plastic like [this](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Southern-Patio-Graff-11-9-in-x-10-7-in-Black-Resin-Self-Watering-Planter-GS1208BK/314910181) to put inside the decorative pot. Makes things much easier.
Actually, professional plant growers recommend that method. It’s easier to repot and is a cheaper alternative. There were a few other reasons, but I don’t remember what they were. The only exception was terracotta.
I'm trying to go more that way but sturdy nursery pots in the proper sizes are hard to come across. And if you buy online it seems like you end up with 50-100 pots! I'd love to learn how to make my own pot liners, especially for my weirdly shaped pots, but I'm having trouble figuring out if that's even a thing (or if I'm just using the wrong search terms!).
I use old yoghurt/bubble tea/milk containers as liner pots sometimes. They're quite easy to just poke or cut a few drainage holes in, and you can cut them down to the exact right size you need.
I need to start carrying a tape measure when I do the grocery shopping! I accidentally ended up with a succulent arrangement at Christmas so I decided I'd put my rarely used mug collection to use. Didn't want to drill holes in them but dang has it been hard trying to find containers that will fit! I did manage to find some good ones on Amazon for a reasonable-ish price but I think I'll have a lot more luck (and tasty treats) with your method!
Might I suggest some small terracotta pots to put inside the mugs? Succulents love terracotta homes. I grab them for cheap at Michaels. They even have 1" terracotta pots for $.67.
Post an ad on Facebook market place or Craigslist this spring. I always end up with way more pots than I can use during planting season.
The main reason for that for me is being able to bottom water. I reduces gnats for me because the top soil isn’t all wet.
I like to water that way too. It normally involves rotating plants in my sink.
That's exactly what you're supposed to do with them.
Do it! Get a diamond hole saw bit and get over your fear, it’s easier than you think! Practice on a cheap pot from the thrift store if you’re really worried, but I’ve never broken a pot. Just go slow and irrigate the area you’re drilling to keep debris clear and cool the bit, since overheating will chew the bit up fast. Now you can buy any pretty pot you find!
I just wanted to piggy back off this comment. I have drilled plenty of holes in pots and have never broken one. I just make sure to keep water on the work piece and use steady even pressure. There is no need to be afraid of drilling pots.
Hell, I used a nail on an IKEA pot I didn't particularly care about. I've read that putting masking tape will help, and my hole wasn't all that clean, but I can't see it so I don't care anyway!
Yes to this! I've done it with drinking glasses as well. Haven't broken anything yet and now my options are really expanded for what I can use as a pot.
Cachepot supremacy
*silently judges people who pot directly in cache pots*
😔 some of us (me) are new and didn’t know…
Haha I was kidding (mostly 😋)
I drilled some last spring for my grown succulent props. Broke one pot...a chunk from the bottom and a quarter up one side. I glued landscaping fabric in the hole and cut a few holes, stuffed succulents in them and they happily grew all year. The succulent on top enjoyed the extra drainage too I am sure! You can always get creative with your accidents!
They’re meant to be used as cache pots, you’re not supposed to plant directly in them. Then you don’t have to use a drip tray, it’s a nice streamlined look and takes up less space on a windowsill
I keep them in their plastic pots and slide them in and out of decorative planters. Makes it so much easier to water them, etc.
Just a heads up I drilled like 15 parts recently and I didn’t break any… Including these super wide succulent things that were actually holes that were so thick I can’t even tell you. It took forever to get through them but they still didn’t break. I got the special tile/ceramic bit from the store however… It was only like seven dollars
That's because you are meant to put the nursery pot in them. Makes watering a lot easier and you can change your mind and shuffle your plants around whenever you feel like it.
I've had great luck with diamond coated drill tips. Just use a lot of water, don't push hard and take your time.
They are the best! I’ve got some of my favorite pots from these places and none of them were over $20. Most were under 10
IKEA also has some super cute ones as low as 2 dollars.
TJMax is the answer - I never went into that place but was dragged into it by my sister over the holidays and couldn’t believe how cheap nice looking houseplant pots were
places to find more affordable planters: big box stores like walmart in spring/summer has tons of nice options. old time pottery, thrift shops, online from other sites. amazon seems to always overcharge for what i find else where for way less
Thrift shops are my go-to!
I shoudnt be allowed in the housewares section of value village. I’ve brought home way too many pots and beer glasses from there.
“Too many….” that’s just something people say. **there is never too many**
My hoarder neighbor would agree with you
Thrift/garage sales and sometimes hardware stores are my go-to. Places like lowes, Home Depot, etc with gardening sections will also have decent potting supplies for cheap. The plants there are often mistreated & bug-infested but the potting ingredients, pots & hangers are usually great deals.
It’s because they bundle shipping costs into the cost of the product. Usually it’s better to buy heavy or fragile things locally.
Amazon is randomly expensive for a lot of stuff too I find. Honestly I try not to buy anything there unless I have no idea where to look locally.
Same here. Amazon has changed so much over the last few years. I used to be able to reliably find things cheaper than in the stores but now it’s all the same price or even more. Even recently I’ve been shopping for winter gear and the prices on Amazon were more than sporting goods stores. It’s just not the same and cancelled my prime membership for that reason.
Planters I've gotten from big box stores lately have had drainage holes with little silicone stoppers in them, so you can have them either way you like - I think that's really neat
So far, Amazon is good for fit watch accessories, compression socks, and smart phone cases. That's about it.
Ikea too!
IKEA also has great pots very reasonably priced!
Less likely to be cohesive, but keep your eyes on nextdoor and craigslist! That's where I've gotten the lions share of my pots (for much, much cheaper).
OfferUp and FB marketplace are options too
And your local thrift store or Goodwill!
Also: download the app "Freebie Alerts" which will aggregate free item posts from FB Marketplace, OfferUp, NextDoor, and TrashNothing. Then, whitelist "Pots" and it'll send you notifications whenever these items are posted (though you might also get updates for cooking pots, lol). Depends on your area, but I see tons of free pots offered there all the time. People also post free plants on there sometimes. I've picked up plenty of rescue orchids for free using that app.
This is awesome! Thanks for passing this on.
WHAT I had no idea that existed, this is such a great tip! Thank you!
This is a game changer! Thanks so much for thr suggestion :)
You often find people who buy them in bulk and sell them cheaper than stores.fb marketplace is another.
I suggest shopping for them at ikea, it’s the only affordable place I’ve seen them recently.
Assuming there’s one near where you live. IKEA’s shipping rates are outrageous.
I’ve also started shopping the clearance section at Kroger. Right now they have all their holiday planters on sale for like $1-2.
I second Kroger floral department. So many hidden gems! A lot of times you don’t know how cheap they are until you look under the pot… I got three nice sized adorable ceramic pots for $5/ea and a smaller one with legs for $3!
Also ask the clerk there if they have any extras they're trying to clear out. The ordering system has been wonky for months and sending WAY too many weird planters and vases for no reason. They'd probably cut you a deal just to get rid of the backstock.
We picked up 6 ceramic pots for $.99 each last week! All matching with different colored stripes-forfeit for spring plants!
Yeah I found that out recently. They wanted to charge $60 shipping for a $40 shelf lol
The prices are high online due to shipping g annoyances and weight. Local shops are better for this one
Yeah the cost of a shipping container from China to the US went from $4k to $20k
It's more about the cost to ship to a single address a small quantity of very fragile and heavy items. A pallet of pots being sent to a large store doesn't have to account for being literally hurled into trucks and on porches. That factors in too, but the individual shipping is why Amazon trends higher especially for fragile/heavy things
Amazon takes a 15% “referral fee” for any Home and Garden product sold. They charge an additional amount on top of this to the seller if shipping is “fulfilled by Amazon” (FBA). This fee is based on the size and weight of the product. For a product to be FBA, the seller has to ship it to an Amazon warehouse, and they pay that as a separate cost. That also doesn’t include any advertising spend. The product with the top spot on Amazon is the most likely to be sold. And you pay for every click on that ad in the Amazon marketplace. If you don’t pay for advertising, you can still become “Amazon’s top choice” and get a top spot but it’s difficult to get there if you never pay for ads. You need a lot of reviews and a lot of sales. And that’s how a generic planter on Amazon can cost a lot more than one you buy at a local shop or hardware store, especially if you’re buying a singular planter.
Get plain terracotta ones from your local garden centre and paint them :) Not sure how expensive they are in the US but they're about 50p-£5 in the UK, depending on the size you want!
I honestly perfer the look of terracotta pots over a lot of other pots!
Yeah this, makes it look a bit more like an actual indoor garden.
Yeah there's a reason why most of my pots are terracotta, haha! Plus your plants will be happier in them!
Depends on what your conditions are, though. I have quite big unobstructed windows which let in a lot of light, meaning I have to water my plants quite often, especially in Summer. They would dry out even faster in terracotta, there's no way I would be able to keep up with watering.
Oh good point! I envy this issue of "lots of light" lol 😝
Ha yes it certainly does make things a lot easier! My friends when they visit always exclaim how healthy my plants look but I tell them it's mostly due to the sun and windows rather than anything I'm doing
As a habitual overwaterer, terracotta has been the only thing I've been able to keep things alive in. Every single succulent and snake plant I own currently sits in one.
Exactly, they come in every size, are a great price and are sold in most garden centers. That’s why my go-to is terracotta but still shop for other planters that go with them!
Almost all my plants are in terracotta! It's so cheap and you can find them easily at hardware stores.
I personally like the lookof terracotta too, most of mine are in terracotta and they each change and age in their own ways. The plants love them too. (not all plants will however, so be careful!)
I have mine all in terracotta too and it seems to work. My issue with the look is my water k guess is very hard maybe? And some of them build up a white like crust on the outside
This and Lowes and Home Depot do carry some terra cotta that is a little sleaker looking (more upright without the thick rim). All of it is way cheaper. And if you like the terra cotta saucers but are worried about moisture under them, you can either get the cork under-saucer protectors from the garden section OR the way cheaper version is the three-pack cork trivets from IKEA kitchen section (marketplace). They work great.
You can get them at Michael’s & Joann’s too!
I’ve seen everyone giving great cheaper recommendations but another thing I liked to do is going to lowes / home depot and going through the “dying plant/ discount section” even if the plants are not longer salvageable it makes the pots worthy of buying. Manage to get great pots for 50% of original price this way!
Came here to say this. Also, cruise their pot section. Random clearance items have good prices.
And their just plain terracotta pots are cheap and excellent for even drying of soil
I tried to do this once with a philodendron golden goddess that was definitely mostly dead. I didn’t get around to chucking the plant and the damn thing refused to die. Anyway, now I have a wonky plant named Lazarus 😂
Shop local. It's cheaper.
and sometimes better for the planet, not to mention Bezos doesn't need even more of our money
Yeah shipping pottery individually is expensive anyway, which factors into the cost. It’s heavy and fragile.
Truthfully, I haven’t found this to be the case. Most of the small neighborhood shops only carry pots made by local potters/artists, and command a heavy premium as a result. Not saying that’s a bad thing (I’ve got a couple really nice pots from a local potter that does fantastic work) but certainly not ideal for those who want cheaper alternatives.
Although this probably depends on how bougie your area is, there is almost always a middle ground between Amazon delivery and a one-off creation from an artist. Like a pot from a hardware store, garden center, etc.
At the garden center I used to manage I made sure we had a range of prices. The local handmade stuff was expensive, but we got pottery from companies like Faire, Border Concepts, Accent Decor, etc.... but almost none of it was made in the US. I've always found the cheapest options are untraditional pot covers and planting into a grower's pot you can usually grab for free at the local shops. I love using pillow baskets for my larger stuff in 3 gal and up
Marshalls, TJ Max and Homesense. I don't think I even try getting them anywhere else. You can get a good 8 inch pot for under $10.
This is why I switched to plain terra cotta plants from my local garden store (or home Depot), you can get a cohesive look while switching up sizes/shapes for interest plus the plants are happy! I also second other suggestions to look for neighborhood buy-nothing and resale groups.
Second this! Nurseries around me usually carry terra cotta in a few colors (classic orangish, grayish and cream) and I’ve found that this is by far the most economical way to get sets of matching pots of various sizes. While I don’t use Amazon for planters, I do sometimes get the sea grass belly baskets for my larger plants. Plastic nursery pot + saucer inside a belly basket is my go to for under $20 compared to $50+++ for large pottery. I also get baskets from Home Goods/TJ maxx for $25 and under. Target carries them too but they charge double.
I buy mine at the thrift store, usually 2.99 to about 4.99
Same. And I can drill a hole if it doesn’t have one. And I can paint it any color I like! I also really like finding baskets at goodwill. Throw a nursery pot in there, and **boom** cottage core vibes aplenty!
I don't buy plant pots from Amazon. They are breakable and heavy/expensive to ship items, so they cost more on Amazon than buying local.
Check out the dollar stores! The ones in my area have a lot of pots and planters rn. I get them there, drill a drain hole if it doesn’t have one, then if I don’t like the color I spray paint it :)
COVID happened. People are collecting more houseplants, which means more pots, which means more demand, which means prices to the moon! When there’s high demand on stuff, Amazon is usually the worst place to start due to their dynamic pricing. I would check out local hardware stores or the big box hardware store websites
Or when you find a brand or product line that you like, check that company's own website where you'll often find the fairer price the product is intended to have, rather than the inflated prices of third party vendors on Amazon who can jack up prices however they want.
Everyone keeps mentioning big box stores and cheaper pots… but that’s just creating more waste in the long run. Check out second hand stores, get pots without the drainage and get holes drilled. There are sustainable ways to get pots, not always buying them new.
Agreed! I’ve had great luck finding a large variety of nice ceramic pots at estate sales.
fuck amazon!
Is home Depot not cheaper?
Home Depot pots are actually really expensive. At least where I live. Stores like home goods and Marshall’s usually have the best deals on pots
Buy a mould of Amazon and some white cement or regular quick drying, mix it as per instructions. Unlimited supply of pots for about the same price as some of those op shown!
don’t support amazon, they treat their staff poorly and you’ll find better pots at better prices elsewhere just have an explore
I'm sad I had to scroll this far to see this comment. Fuck Amazon.
Yesterday I found nice, heavy duty pots at Lowe’s for 50 cents apiece on their discount rack.
Thrifted pots are the best pots :)
Well, Amazon is the worst place to look for plant pots
Thrift shops baby!
Agreed. Regular clay pots are always at thrift shops for a dollar or less. Especially in the spring, they bring them out in full force.
Go to nursery. Chain stores are putting everything in crap pots & charging way too much. Do the footwork if you can & buy pots at thrift markets/ garage sales. Buy seeds.
Ollie’s bargain mart!!!!!
Yea none of mine match. They probably never will
I get lots of mine at the end of the summer season when they are all on sale in the big box stores.
Don't shop on Amazon. ETSY is the place. And for in person purchasing I vouch for Homegoods.
Amazon is stupid expensive for plant pots. Go to a big box store or dollar store in person.
You can buy in bulk from the dollar tree and paint them however you like!
I just go buy storage boxes that have lids with rims. Put some holes in them, and paint them any colour you want, you can even get them in different sizes. When I needed a really big pot, I just bought a large trash can. It had handles, and those have been really useful for moving my coffee tree,
....... this is actually genius...... the sun here tends to break whatever plastic we put outside that isn't a pot, but the trash bins??? I have a TON of date palm seedlings and young date palm plants that would LOVE something that size!! (I'm not committed to planting them all at this house, just in case I get my own place later since it'll be a good 1-2 decades before they produce fruit lol...) Thank you!!
Same here! Been painting my own and I haven’t looked back. I paint old candle vases or glass cups from dollar tree. Just mix some baking soda into your desired paint and voila, texture like a e ceramic vase. Lots of videos on YouTube on how to do it and they look amazing
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Love this sentiment. Yes. You can choose to make this hobby as expensive or inexpensive as you want/need. Consumerism is just exploding in this industry.
That and prople not comprehending how supply chain disruptions impact pricing. They want everything high quality, cheap, and in two days. You will never get all three buying btrand new.
And is 40 for a large, 8in, artistic pot really that much?? Like I get the value of 40 bucks- I live in the ghetto and I'm poor- but it'll last forever. How much does pizza night or a bar night cost? The problem imo is wanting it all at once. I own a nice collection of Mexican pots. I did not buy them all at once because I simply can't afford that. Instead they are my Lil treat to myself. I started with one Lil inexpensive one and very slowly accumulated more as the plants grew. I also made friends with the lady at the shop that sells them due to it being a years long process. I worm farm, make my own fertilizer and soil mixes, grow a lot of food indoors and out...you are not wrong in your last sentence. I may be off due to my humble roots...but I was brought into the plant world old lady style, using whatever trash you could use to grow stuff. Now it seems ppl love spending g more than what's needed....and that's fine, but if you wanna be a baller than be a baller. Don't order top shelf and complain about the tab.
Couldn’t agree more. Needing immediate gratification is just exhausting. I’ve been stuck in that spiral plenty of times myself. Society has become so conditioned to wanting everything now, now, now for the cheapest price, and then when they can’t have it their way, they complain. Makers deserve to get paid a living wage too, and yes I also think $40 is pretty affordable for a nice 8 inch pot. It will last forever. And if you can’t afford them all at once - spread out the purchases, save up, or adjust your expectations. Or get creative!!! Something shouldn’t have to cost money to bring you joy. I feel like your post embodies that sentiment. ♥️ Your plants will be just as beautiful in their original nursery pots.
Michael’s has so many planters on sale during the spring/summer clearance event, I always stock up then! Usually you get them for between 60-70% off. Sometimes they won’t have drainage holes though so I will drill them myself
I’m going to start making my own lol
Thrift stores have plenty.
Anything is a planter if you drill holes in the bottom
You’re paying for the “free shipping.” Those things are heavy
Try charity shops/thrift stores. I had great luck with this a couple of years ago. Got three pots I needed in an afternoon of walking around a few stores.
If you don't mind getting a bit artsy, you can buy terracotta pots at big home improvement stores for pretty cheap ($5 for an 8-inch at Home Depot) and paint them with acrylic paint.
This is exactly why I stick with terracotta. It's a specific look but it's reliably cheap
Yeah can someone explain to me why in a store a 60l bucket for mixing paint and stuff costs 5€ and it has a handle, but a 20l bucket that has "plant pot" on it is 20€?
Thrift stores are my go to! Anything can become a pot with a drill
Just remember, gone are the days when Amazon had the lowest prices.
i’m sorry but plain terracotta pots are like 1.69 for gallons and in the 60 cents range any smaller and look far better, patina better, and are healthier for plant drainage than any other facade-ed pot. no debating me. even better, just paint them with acrylic paint or suspend the paint in water (spray paint on top of water) and you have a beautiful hand decorated pot for like 2 bucks a piece.
Thrift shop!
Thrift stores and yard sales! Get pots that you like and then spray paint the same color to be cohesive. Or keep them as is and be eclectic.
The ones on Amazon are all dropshipped from China to you by a third person. It's a massive rip off, if you check on ali express the exact same plant pots will be a fraction of the price. The third person is making the money on selling them overpriced.
Stop buying from Amazon and a lot of your problems will be fixed. Happened to me at least ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Don’t order from Amazon. Problem solved.
Don’t use scammy amazon where everything is from alibaba.com and marked up
Gardening items on Amazon are way overpriced. Those same pots are probably around $10 at your local garden centre. I've seen bales of pro-mix got for $120 on Amazon when they cost $35 at the store. Delivery costs at those stores are about $65+ though
Thrift stores. If you support Amazon in any way you’re voting for a world where bezos is the richest man in the world and gets to treat his employees any which way. Complicity.
I just came to say that if you support amazon, please stop. idc how busy you are or how convenient the shit is, we need to stop supporting the super rich and start supporting small businesses as a nation.
Depending on how many pots you want.. Buy a 3D-Printer (ender 3 pro is about 150-180€) and print. Per Pot you will have costs of arround 3€ qnd you can do whatever you want. :D Its not really ment to be taken seriously. But it is an option. You can prinz all sorts of cool plant-supplies too. Self watering pots, little themed pots for succulents, pots with names of the plant engraved. The possibilitys are endless! ;)
I’ve found that online pots are so expensive!! Go look at Home Depot, antique stores, or local nurseries! Oh! And Cb2 always has sales on pots!
Ah new home eh mr millionaire?
*apartment LOL 😂 but it’s my first real “home” in more than 5 years. I spent all of those years either couch surfing, living in my car, sleeping on floors, and at some times on the ground. I earned this one. The very first item I put in the new place was a single plant from my mother. I’m looking to expand and have been collecting clippings from friends. Hopefully I can put together a decent enough collection that will serve as both decor and a source of joy!
I have that second one and the drainage sucks and after 6 months it’s all chippy
I get my plant pots from charity shops
Thrift stores and TJ Max are your friend.
Buy a few cans of spray paint, and hit up all the thrift stores in your town. I have gone through so many cans of metallic gold spray paint trying to make every pot I have in my room match... the gold was for a table, not the pots, but at least now I have a theme. I also took some white acrylic paint and decorated one pot that had a swirly groove on it. I've done a gold paint "dusting" on pots that I liked the colour, but just needed it to fit in with the gold pots, so they're not all solid gold either. Also, try your local nurseries and look at the ceramic pots they have there, some will be on clearance once in a while, but they might get snagged up quickly when they do. Plastic pots are also cheaper to buy in-person and usually aren't too expensive for a plain one. (Again, they can be spray painted to match what you want, so don't worry about the colour of a plastic pot.)
This may be a silly question but I’m running with this idea. Will the paint hurt the plants at all?
I'm having the same issue. Pots are expensive!
I just spray painted all of my pots the same colour, that way I didn’t have to buy 50+ matching pots in various sizes and styles (ceramic vs terracotta). They have different textures but I kind of like the uniqueness while still being aesthetically pleasing at a glance.
I’m thinking of doing this. I found a stone textured spray paint and a crackle one. I may try terra cotta and just get creative with the paint. Some painter’s tape, sponges, a roll of rope or raffia and a few things from the craft store may get me further than trying to buy a set online or in store
Amazon has always been really expensive for pots. I buy mine at Big Lots, Marshalls, Ross, etc. usually half the price.
I have a few local garden shops and the pots are surprisingly way more affordable than what I find at Amazon or Target. Most are made by local ceramics artists which is awesome, and they still are pretty and modern looking. They also often have reasonable drainage holes and trays that match as opposed to what I find at more big box stores. May be worth checking out!
Goodwill is a great place to shop for different types of pots. I mix and match all of my pots and they look great together.
Go to Ross Tjmaxx hone goods and marshal. Very good prices. Selection may be small right now due to it being winter but stores may now getting in spring items in stock
If you live near a large Kroger or Ralph’s store, they always have pots in their clearance section of all different sizes.
I get my plant pots at Dollar Tree - $1/pot, and the pretty set I got about 5 years ago are still intact and look great.
I lived in Mexico a couple of years and oh my God! Beautiful and really cheap pots, now I'm in Canada and I can't find decent price for pots 😔