This flower pot centerpiece can easily be made for around $10 in less than an hour. A beautiful gift using dollar store items and a six pack of annuals.
My sister showed me a picture of something a friend of hers made. It was a flower pot centerpiece. She knew I would want to make one too, and of course, I did.
This particular photo showed a terracotta pot within a pot, planted with pansies and a candle in a hurricane vase. I thought this would make a great gift and the total materials cost just under $10.
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How to Create a Flower Pot Centerpiece
I purchased a pillar candle and small vase from the dollar store. The pots were purchased at Lowes and the flowers came from a local nursery.
I already had some gravel and potting soil
First, dry brush the pots to give them an aged look.
The original project did not do this. It’s totally optional. I just wasn’t feeling the orange color of these particular pots and used some white chalk paint
Next, I fill the large pot about halfway with soil.
Then fill the small pot with some gravel up an inch or so from the top.
Place the small pot in the middle of the large pot. Make sure to tamp down on the soil and get it level.
Add your plants and fill in the space between with soil.
Place your candle in the vase and set on top of the gravel and your project is complete.
I chose sweet alyssum for my flowers. They should stay nice and low and trail over the side. This annual plant also comes in a pretty purple too.
You can play around with the height of the small pot in the large pot and the height of the gravel to find a look that is pleasing to you.
Wouldn’t this flower pot centerpiece look beautiful at a wedding or shower?
Save it for yourself or give to a friend. It’s an easy and affordable gift.
P.S. You may also like the way I created a Cement Look Planter from a nursery pot or this pretty Bird Cage Succulent Planter.
Check out the DIY/Projects Page,
for more great project ideas.
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Kathy says
August 1, 2017 at 3:04 pmI think this is lovely, how plants did you use in one planter?
Kathy says
August 1, 2017 at 3:05 pmThat should read how “many” plants did you use
Patti Estep says
August 2, 2017 at 8:39 amHi Kathy,
I used a 6 cell pack and I believe only 5 of the six plants. These are pretty small but you could also use a 4 inch pot and gently pull them apart into 2 or 3 pieces if using the same plant. Alyssum.
Hope this helps,
Patti
Laurie says
March 21, 2017 at 6:44 pmI see you didn’t use a saucer under it. Did you plug the hole at the bottom ? I couldn’t find a pit without the drainage hole.
Patti Estep says
March 22, 2017 at 7:20 amHi Laurie,
This project was outside so I did not use a saucer, nor did I plug the hole. You want the pot to drain. Especially when it rains. You can find matching saucers at the big box stores and places like Michaels if you are concerned about water draining on the table. One thing I have done in my home is use thrift store plates for my saucers.
Hope that helps,
Patti
Paula says
February 10, 2017 at 5:18 amI just think this is super cute and will be trying it out. I know the post is a little old, but wanted to add a word of caution. Do not water the p,ants while the vase is hot as the glass can Crack and if hot enough explode . Thank you for the great idea.
Patti Estep says
February 10, 2017 at 6:36 amHi Paula,
Thank you for your input. That is something that I had not considered though I have been using this project for quite a while. I may have just been lucky. One other issue I had was letting it sit out it the rain. The vase with the candle would fill up and get a little messy so now if I’m not using it I turn the vase upside down.
Thanks for stopping by,
Patti
Sandra says
June 9, 2016 at 5:06 pmI think I’ll try my hand at this and use a solar light instead of a candle. I’m hooked on solar lights right now.? Thanks for the idea!
Patti Estep says
June 9, 2016 at 5:37 pmSuper idea Sandra!!
Carly Fahey says
June 2, 2016 at 12:09 pmI love this! We plan to make these and use them as centerpieces for my bridal shower! Can you tell me exactly what sort of “bristle brush” you used to dry brush the outside of the pots?
Thank you!
Carly
Patti Estep says
June 2, 2016 at 1:16 pmHi Carly,
I used a regular 2 inch paint brush which was a little on the old side. All you need to do is dip it in the paint and then on a paper towel or newspaper etc… dab most of it off, leaving barely any paint on the brush and do not use any water. Then you can put it on the pot. Start with just a little and see how you like it. You can always add more but it’s hard to take it away.
Congrats on the wedding. Sounds like you are going to have an awesome shower!
Patti
Barbara says
May 8, 2016 at 5:40 pmThis looks so cute! Can you tell me the size of the pots you used?
Patti Estep says
May 9, 2016 at 11:48 amHi Barbara,
I’m not at home but I’m pretty sure that they were a 4 inch and 8 inch pot. You can use any flowers but the sweet alyssum lasted all summer long.
Thanks for stopping by,
Patti
Julie says
April 12, 2016 at 5:37 pmI love this. May try lemon balm and citronella candle for patio or camping!
Patti Estep says
April 13, 2016 at 7:30 amHi Julie,
That sounds like a great idea. You may need to trim the lemon balm occasionally but then you can use it for tea or dried it for potpourri.
Thanks for stopping by,
Patti
Kari says
April 30, 2015 at 12:23 pmI’m wondering why soil on the bottom half and why not all rock? Or why not all soil?
Patti says
April 30, 2015 at 7:04 pmHi Kari,
I used soil in the bottom to help the plants have a place to root and thrive all season. I used gravel in the small pot to make a nice solid surface for the vase holding the candle. I also like the way it looks and thought it might be good for safety as the candle melts but that may not be necessary. Of course you can experiment with whatever you think it best. I hope that answers your question and clears up any confusion for anyone reading this post.
Thanks for stopping by,
Patti
Kari says
May 1, 2015 at 7:46 amThank you Patti. I see I read your instructions wrong and thought you put gravel in the large pot. This makes more sense to me now 🙂 and something to make for Mother’s Day
Susan M. says
April 28, 2015 at 8:41 amHi Patti
This is super cute! The bonus is that it’s super simple too. I think I’m going to start some allysum from seed because now I’m going to need lots!!
Patti says
April 28, 2015 at 9:49 amHi Susan,
I’ve never grown it from seed mostly because I see it everywhere in 6 packs around here. Thanks for your kind words and I hope you get a chance to make lots of centerpeices.
Patti
Karen says
April 26, 2015 at 12:20 pmPatti,
I just adore this! All I need is a candle, and the vase. Of course, I’ll have to get a perfect flower…
Thanks so much for sharing!
Patti says
April 26, 2015 at 2:18 pmThanks Karen,
I purchased my vase and candle at the dollar store.
Thanks for stopping by,
Patti
Julie Huffman says
April 26, 2017 at 3:41 pmWould it be possible to keep this inside? I have a spot in my home but not sure how much sunlight the flowers need.
Patti Estep says
April 27, 2017 at 6:13 amHi Julie,
The sweet alyssum can take some shade, however it is not considered a houseplant. If you have a very bright spot indoors you could certainly try it. Begonias are another option for indoors. Also, consider asking the people at your local nursery if they have any plants for sale that would work well indoors or in lower lighting conditions.
Patti