DIY Centerpiece Planter

So after several days off from work (our offices close between Christmas and New Years), I’ve been getting stir crazy.  I’ve already cleaned, organized, watched movies, napped….and the list goes on.  I also stalked Pinterest quite a bit. (Duh…are you surprised?!)  As a result, I saw this beautiful planter, courtesy of Thrify Decor Chick and wanted to make one of my own to serve as the center piece in our dining room! There are tons of these on Etsy and I’m sure there are some expensive versions at places like Room&Board and Crate and Barrel, but we wanted to do it ourselves!  So, we decided to head out and get our supplies to recreate this piece.

We first stopped at Michael’s and picked out flowers.  I usually try to carry swatches of paints we use in our house in case I ever want to match it to something, but of course I forgot it.  Fail.  Luckily, I found a light teal, cream and caramel color combination that worked perfectly!  (I couldn’t believe how well it matched when I got home.  Usually, I have to return whatever I get- window treatments, pillows, decor, etc. because it never matches quite right.  Ugh!)

Then we headed to Menard’s (the only place Tyler will willingly shop at), and picked up some lumber (we used a 4×10) and stain (the small 8 oz containers is more than enough).

Time to get down to business!

First, we measured the flowers to determine the dimensions of the box.  From there, Tyler cut down the pieces to size.

Next, we stained the pieces using a foam brush and dark stain.  There are a few other pieces of wood there we needed to stain while we were at it…this is for another project that I plan to share with you!  Ahh the suspense!  (Confession: we did the staining in the basement instead of the garage/outside so the stain wouldn’t freeze.  Yes, the fumes aren’t the best thing to inhale but it was quick and I’m still breathing so no harm done!)  I was going to try the distressed wood technique shown here using Vaseline, but I think the stain on its own is very nice…very Pottery Barn-esque.

After the stain dried (be sure to give it ample time), just nail the pieces together and you’ve got your custom made planter!

We cut down the flowers and just placed them in the planter snugly and they held each other up just fine (the cheap side of me didn’t want to pay for the green plant Styrofoam stuff.)  We also added four mini furniture pads to the bottom of the planter so it wouldn’t scratch the dining room table.

Project cost: $42 ($28 for flowers, $14 for wood and stain)

So there you go!  I think this is a cute, easy project to complete that really adds some sophistication/rustic edge to your space.  They’d even be great for a country-chic wedding centerpiece!  And if you get tired of the look, you can always add some bright new flowers/greenery depending on the season or paint the planter…ahh the possibilities!