I’m super excited to show you how to make these DIY Milk Carton Planters! We’re spending most of our quarantine days doing something related to gardening. I’ve been scrambling to find fun things to do with my son, and I think this craft might be my favorite! Crafting, painting, and making a garden related object all in one? HECK YA! My kind of DIY project!
This is actually my first time making milk carton planters, and I’ve become pretty obsessed. Mostly because I can’t go to Home Depot to buy pots and I’m overflowing with plants! #quarantinelife Even though Caden only has an attention span of a few minutes, I thought I’d try this project with him. He actually totally loved it. He’s so cute when he paints. At first when I thought of him painting, I just thought…. CHAOS… a mess… paint everywhere… paint on his clothes… paint on him… him throwing the paint brush… him EATING the paintbrush…the possibilities are endless!
What happened you ask? He was like the chillest little painter ever you guys! He was super quiet (he’s never quiet), was extremely slow, precise, and just focused! It actually took him awhile to finish because he was going to slow, like sloth slow. It was adorable. I love seeing him so focused and trying so hard on something at such a young age. I have to say, I had fun too! I love painting, so no surprise that I enjoyed this little project. Anyway, if you find yourself looking for a craft to do, or if you’re out of pots (like me), then try this out!
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What You’ll Need:
- Milk Carton
- Paint
- Paint Brush
- Box Cutter or Scissors
- Drill or Scissors
- Potting Soil
- Plants or Seeds
Click for this cutie! All my “tools” are pink, but this comes in different colors, too. I love that it folds in half!
Step One : Find a Carton & Wash it Out
I used our empty almond milk cartons. I washed them out with sink water so they wouldn’t be sticky when we started messing with them!
Step Two: Paint Your Cartons
I painted our cartons with white spray paint so you’ll be able to see our actual paintings better. Paint your carton however you’d like, and give it some time to dry before you cut it. Our cartons took about an hour in the sun to dry up nice. You don’t need to paint your carton at all if you don’t want. I personally think they look cuter painted than the regular milk carton logo! I also chose to paint them before I cut them open so paint doesn’t get inside where the soil and plant will be. If you’re planting food seeds then you’ll want to do the same so toxins from the paint don’t seep in the soil!
Step Three : Cut a Side Off Your Carton
You can use scissors for this step, however, I used a box cutter because it’s so much easier than scissors! You can cut off any side you’d like, I chose to cut off the front side. I wish I could say Cade was the one that cut those unstraight lines, but no, twas’ me. Guess I need to go back to 3rd grade and learn how to cut straight! LOL
Step Four : Get Painting!!
You made it to the fun part! We used regular ole’ craft paint you can get at any Walmart or craft store. I set Caden up on some cardboard so he wouldn’t paint on the driveway rocks. He had a blast painting. It’s so fun to see what your child creates!
I used a stencil to make my flower. As you can see in the pictures below, after I put the stencil on I outlined it with a paint brush. I then shaded the petals in a bit and added a few leaves. Let your creativeness flow in this step!
P.S. Don’t mind Caden’s dark mouth, he ate chocolate right before painting to pump him up!
Picasso aint’ got nothin’ on my boy!! Look at those….leaves? LOL
Step Five : Drill Holes in Cartons
After your GORGEOUS masterpiece has dried, drill a few holes in the bottom of each carton. I used my husband’s drill, but you can also use a pair of scissors! Stab your scissor in the carton and then spin it in a circle to get a bigger hole.
Step Six : Fill Cartons With Soil
Self explanatory, fill those babies up with soil! We used Miracle Grow Potting Mix.
Step Seven : Plant!
Caden got a little paint in his carton, so we decided to plant Petunias instead of vegetable seeds. You can plant all different kinds of flowers, seeds, and even succulents!
I hope y’all enjoy this project! I put our cartons on my potting bench in the garden. I feel like the next time I have a visitor over, they’ll be seeing painted cartons everywhere! I seriously think they’re so cute, and a great way to recycle cartons. Make sure you tag @CampbellsCountryCharm in pictures of your creations so I can see them! Have fun and enjoy!
About the Author: Ericka Campbell
Ericka is a 30 year old blogger living in Healdsburg, CA with her cowboys (husband and son) and ridiculous amount of animals. When she’s not blogging she’s in the garden fighting weeds, hanging with her girls (which means her chickens), taking pictures of flowers, or chasing Cowboy Cade around so he doesn’t destroy her plants. Whatever she’s doing at the moment, she probably has a glass of red wine in hand. She’s from California, but she sure as heck says “y’all.”
loved the photos while painting the milk cartons. I liked how i could order the cutter right there on or blog good ideal
This is so cute! I need to do this with my grandbabies . Love your blog