Planters are a great way to add style, artistic value, and ambiance to both indoor and outdoor locations. However, some of the simplest ways to use planters in design is to go back to basics and use the tiniest planter of all: the pot, or potted plant.

Just because the potted plant is small does not mean that the pot itself can’t be artistic, or that the arrangement of these pots can’t be the main attraction. Here are some design ideas for potted plants along with their style of arrangement to create the desired effect, and an introduction to some things you might not have considered a garden pot before, but that can be used in the same way for planting purposes.

Levels

Use potted plants to add depth to any room or outdoor area by using them to create and demarcate levels. If everything is on one level, it can look flat and boring. However, sometimes the levels inside a home or outside in the yard are so natural they barely stand out, like the top of a cupboard or patio furniture. Use a few, small potted plants to line the porch railing, adorn the top of your refrigerator, or even use in the place of candles on a wall sconce.

It should not look as though a row of jars or pots were set up; instead, it should be artistic, preferably with plants that flow over the edge and almost hide most of the pot itself. This adds natural appeal to the area while at the same time ensuring that your space does not look flat.

Centerpieces

Using potted plants as centerpieces is a great way to add some design and style to the outside or inside of a home. The dining area should not be overly burdened with large pots and plants that take over the entire table; however, a few, small, well-appointed plants can provide an attractive location for visitors to sit, eat, and chat.

Old Instruments

So your father gave you an antique fiddle and nobody else in the family plays? You have an old trumpet that your son took lessons to play for a year and then abandoned? Never fear; these instruments can be put to new use as planters.

Hang the fiddle on the wall, fill the center, or hollow, part with soil, and insert a small potted plant, guiding the vines and leaves through the strings for artistic effect. This can add class and charm as well as a unique appearance to the room or outdoor area while recycling a perfectly good fiddle. That trumpet can be used in the same way, except wherever the music would have come out, the plant can go in. Many old instruments can be repurposed as planters.

Out of Line

One of the biggest mistakes people make when arranging with potted plants is to line them all up and use the same size pot for each plant. That’s a recipe for a cluttered appearance and a rather boring aesthetic. Instead, try clustering a few plants here and there in a triangular form, with either two slightly taller ones at the back and a small one in front, or vice versa.

Additionally, you can utilise the area around your plants, like naturally occurring or landscaped stones, to create levels and cluster the potted plants that way. Either way, an arrangement that consists of various sizes of pots, types of plants, and location, in other words not in a straight line, will provide the best results.

There are many ways to use potted plants as decor, and many things that can be repurposed to be pots for those plants. Being creative and ensuring that the plants are not lined up in a row, and that different sized plants and pots are used, can help to create a diverse and interesting environment. Create levels and demarcate those that naturally occur with potted plants to add depth to any room or space.

If you have any other ideas or suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments below.