7 Eco-Friendly Indoor Planters

1. Tin Cans

The ultimate handy-dandy upcycler, tin cans make excellent indoor planters. Choose a cute one, and you’re already almost done!

2. Eggshells

This eggshell planter tutorial comes from Rosy~Posy as an Easter project, but in my opinion, a little amount of greenery is great at any time in the dark days of winter. With the right juicer, you can even use these as the first step in your homemade wheatgrass juice regimen.

3. Plastic Bottles

I have VERY mixed feelings about sharing how others use soda bottles as planters, because I do not want you to eat produce contaminated with BPA or other nasty chemicals, but for those who are comfortable with the practice, growing a meal’s worth of carrots in a two-liter soda bottle is a bit science project, and a bit horticulture.

A safer option is to upcycle BPA-free plastic bottles for this project. Alternately, for a soda bottle planter that you don’t have to worry over, upcycle it into a soda bottle terrarium, instead.

4. Hanging Fabric Shoe Organizer

Grow vertical with the hanging fabric shoe organizer planter from Instructables member pippa5. Because your shoe organizer will probably have around twelve or sixteen pockets, it’s a handy way to grow a wide variety of greens in amounts appropriate for a small household.

Greens can also tolerate cooler temperatures, so instead of in a window, this planter could be hung, protected from the harshest weather, on a wall in a sunny, enclosed porch.

5. Plastic Tubs

The plastic tubs that hold yogurt, sour cream, etc., nest to make ideal molds for the DIY concrete planters from Centsational Girl–the molds even include drainage holes!

For extra upcycling, save your smashed plates to add mosaic detailing to the rims of these concrete planters.

6. Light Bulbs

For another fun planter that doesn’t have to contain foodstuffs (and thus be made of food-safe materials!), check out the light bulb terrarium from The Hipster Home. You might as well do it right, because this type of light bulb is about to become an antique, right?

7. Mesh Produce Bags

Another way to go vertical is with this DIY hanging planter made from a mesh produce bag. It’s another great solution for a spacious bathroom or sunlit, enclosed porch.

Need not just crafty help with your indoor garden, but some tech support, as well? Check out Sustainablog’s list of iphone apps for indoor gardening.