sugar skull planter box

Recycled Planter Boxes

While in Mexico last year I made a few painted recycled planter boxes. I used the large black plastic planter boxes from the nursery that some of our other plants came in. For others, I used recycled washing machine drums.

Below I will show you some of each.

To make the painted recycled planter boxes, I first washed them really good and got the dirt off. Then I covered the used plastic planters with a couple coats of gesso. I like Liquitex professional white gesso which I buy in the one gallon size. Or the gesso I get from Utrecht. They both also have smaller sizes and a basic version which is less expensive.

The gesso helps the acrylic paint stick to the surface and not peel off when the planter boxes get hot in the sun.

I made a sketch of what I wanted on the planters. Then I painted that on the sides. After putting on a couple coats of acrylic paint, I covered it with a clear shiny acrylic varnish.

I think these recycled planter boxes held up pretty well seeing as it has been a whole year in the sun. The shiny finish on them has dulled a bit but the color is still vibrant.

That goes to show how well the Utrecht acrylic paint holds up. Utrecht is the brand of paint I like because it covers really well. The density is great and I love the vivid colors. Check the recycled planter boxes out below.

painted flower planter box

The one below is a recycled planter box using hibiscus flowers as my inspiration. We have a bunch of hibiscus in the yard and I love that flower. I also made a colorful hibiscus painted mural a couple years ago.

hibiscus flower planter box
cactus planter box

I used a different technique on the recycled sugar skull flower planter boxes below. I used a recycled washing machine drum. I coated it first with gesso like the others. Then I painted it using white paint for all the line work.

After it dried, I went over it with a transparent wash, adding more color. Then I finished it with a coat of acrylic clear varnish.

recycled sugar skull planter box

You can see some of my other sugar skull designs on tshirts at this link>

recycled sugar skull planter box
recycled sugar skull planter box

I am pretty happy with the way they look with the more mature plants in them now. I think they add a lot to our garden space. Hope you enjoyed looking at them.

Share this:
sugar skull pink on yellow background

Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Tshirt

I love working in Photoshop or Illustrator to create designs to put on tshirts and home decor. Recently I created a Day of the Dead Sugar Skull tshirt design.

Since I am in Mexico, I think it is no surprise that I would be influenced by this Dia de los Muertos Mexican heritage festivity. I have made some other Day of the Dead designs and one of them I put on a recycled flower planter box made from a washing machine drum.

And one with the pink sugar skull.

Tshirt comes in 6 different colors with a hot pink sugar skull.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTP52N1B

Or get a tank top with a sugar skull at:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTRQ23K

Day of the Dead white sugar skull design on a blue pillow.

Find it on Amazon at

Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Pillow
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTRQD84X

If you would like to see more of my work on fun products, check out the bottom of this page.

Share this: