As promised, I took advantage of the sun today and snapped a few photos of the vintage re-purposed garden vignettes in my home.  Finding new uses for vintage items is such a great way to add creative flair to your house, not to mention saving the environment.  Almost any vintage item can be re-purposed into a planter with a few rocks, activated charcoal, plastic lining, and creativity!

I always ask my guests to take off their shoes when they come into the house…and this planter is a great reminder to them!  I had a pair of vintage boots from a photo shoot that were just begging to be displayed..and voila!  One plastic liner tucked into the shoe later, you have a very unique re-purposed vintage planter that is perfect for your foyer.

Succulents are such great houseplants because of their will to grow in any environment.  If you have any vintage tin or can, they are perfect re-purposed planters for succulents, which require very little water, and therefore, will minimize any risk of rust in your antique tin.  This is part of my lil’ vintage tobacco vignette…those are antique tobacco tins, and all my antique pharmaceutical bottles are held in a vintage cigar box (when they were only .15 cents each!)

If you have any larger vintage food tins, they look darling as re-purposed planters for your kitchen herbs.  I grow my mint and verbana in this antique Campfire marshmallows tin with great success (like Borat..haha).  Make sure you place a half to one inch layer of pebbles on the bottom to allow for drainage (so the roots don’t rot), and you may also want to add a plastic liner to protect the tin from rust.

Being from California and having lived for many years in Hawaii, I feel really peaceful when surrounded by elements of the sea.  I took this large vintage shell I found at the Aloha flea market in Honolulu and turned it into a tropical planter.  Because shells naturally “breathe,” they make great planters for plants, especially tropical ones that like moisture.  Again, make sure you place a layer of pebbles on the bottom to allow for proper drainage.

What type of planters do you use in your home?  What are your ideas for re-purposing your vintage treasures into practical planters?  I’d love to hear about your inspirations or see pictures!