DIY Tiered Planter Tutorial

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. 

All opinions are mine alone. #ReadySetGro #CollectiveBias

I have been wanting to do this project since last year and I am so excited I finally got to make it happen! My front door needs some serious help. Our driveway connects to our front entrance and the plants we have in the beds in the area are still pretty small since our house is newer construction. This planter really makes an impact and sits in front of the double door, on the side that isn't ever opened. Originally, I planned to do terra cotta pots, but I found these great black pots for much less and in every size when I was at Walmart picking out plants and getting the Miracle-Gro® Potting Mix.

I am so happy I came across these instead. The black creates contrast against our house and front doors that terra cotta would not have and I love how the white writing pops too. It almost has a chalkboard paint feel to it. 

Here's what you'll need for this project: 

• Three various sized pots + two small pots to go inside for stability. I used 15", 12", and 8" (I also purchased an additional 8" and a 10" pot to attach to my top two tiers - you will see this later in the post)
• Plants that will grow in your area and in your desired spot. We needed part sun for our front because it just gets morning light. We are in Zone 8, so I can look up if the plants I like will do well here at this time of year. You can easily find your zone by googling a planting zone map. For this project, I also wanted plants that could withstand the heat this summer and would be resistant to less watering because this area will not get any rain water because it is covered. 

• A premium potting soil for outdoor containers. This Miracle-Gro® Potting Mix feeds your container flowers and vegetables for up to 6 months and will help your plants to grow twice as big versus unfed plants! See more about Miracle-Gro® in this beautiful video. Like I mentioned before we found ours at Walmart in the Outdoor section. The 2 Cubic Ft bag was more than enough for this project, so I got to refresh some other containers around the yard by mixing in some Miracle-Gro®. 
• A screw driver and small screws. If you don't have an electric screw driver I would suggest using a heavy duty glue to attach the pots to one another.
• A template for a monogram or house numbers (optional)

NOTE: For this post, I am not going to show too much about the monogram because I just used a vinyl "c" my sister cut for me on her Silhouette as a stencil, but the acrylic paint I used was not the best option, I would suggested using an outdoor paint that will bind to plastic. You can purchase a stencil in the craft section or possibly DIY one on your home computer with a font you like.

Tiered Planter Tutorial:

STEP 1: 

Attached your top two tiers to a base/pot of the same size or smaller. I (or my husband) attached the two 8" pots to each other and the 10" and 12" pots by matching up the bottoms and using a small screw to keep them in place.

Step 2: 

Insert the 10" pot upside down into the 15" pot and fill with soil to get the desired height. I wanted the bottom of my showing pot to be just below the rim of the pot below it.

STEP 3: 

Repeat Step 2 for the top tier. 

Tip: A level would have been helpful here and a flat surface instead of grass! 

Step 4: 

Decide where you want to place your plants before you start adding them!

Step 5: 

Begin with the plants you know you want to go in certain places. I knew I wanted the purple cane to hang over the bottom pot and the Salvia to be in the top. So I started with those, then filled in as I went.

 I chose a kind of monochrome pallet for my plant color and I LOVE how it turned out. 


Are you planting this Spring? I'd love to see what you are choosing for where you live!