Looking for a unique way to spruce up your home décor? Check out this adorable denim basket planter cover! This is the ideal way to cover a boring plastic flower pot, and since it is made from upcycled denim, it's eco-friendly as well as stylish. It's the perfect way to add a pop of color to any room, and it's sure to get noticed by guests. Plus, it's a great conversation starter.

berries inside planter on counter with pink ribbon accent

Denim Basket Planter Cover

Everyone wants to show off their green thumb and their plants. You spend all that time taking care of them, you want them to stand out. Beautiful pots are expensive and while cheap, terra cotta pots and plastic pots are just boring. If you want something pretty, but have a limited budget, then this basket for a planter is a perfect solution. It can be customized to fit over any sized planter, and is practically free!

Of course, if you love flowers and plants, you might also like the unique ideas like this tin can pig planter or this plastic bottle elephant planter that we have shared before.

Can I Make This in Different Sizes?

One of the best things about doing a DIY project like this is that you can customize it exactly what you need. If you have larger pots that you want to use this denim basket with, simply make it larger to fit. You can even make it slightly smaller as well.

The base of this project is just a tutorial to get you started. There are no exact measurements or restrictions because it is all about suiting what you already have on hand. Since flower pots come in so many different sizes, you can adjust this accordingly with ease.

Does This Need to Be Sealed?

No, you don't have to seal this denim basket. While it is intended to cover a flower pot, that doesn't mean it can't be washed easily. It will likely get some dirt and even a bit of water on it as you take care of your plants. If it starts looking too grubby, you can easily take it off the planter and wash it.

To wash this, I recommend doing so by hand or using a delicates bag in the washing machine. A garden hose can also be used to rinse off any extra dirt and then just leave it to air dry before you put it back onto the planter.

If you do decide you want to seal this denim basket I would recommend using a clear sealer such as Mod Podge Outdoor. This is a good option that can extend the life of the basket and keep it looking new for a longer period of time.

Can I Add Straps for Hanging This?

Definitely! Similar to macrame, this can easily be used to hang a plant from the ceiling or even a railing or window sill.

If you decide to add straps, you can do so by adding them to the top edges as you finish sewing up the last layer of woven denim. Of course, you can also create a set of straps to slide under the base and pull up over the side much like a macrame plant holder would be designed.

You can also put straps over the pot and then weave the denim around so the straps are sealed into place underneath the cover of the planter. Whatever you choose, you may want to secure them to the planter with something like an E6000 glue so it is more durable.

How Else Can I Decorate My Denim Basket?

It wouldn't be a craft if you couldn't decorate it and make it your own. I love to be creative and this is a fun DIY project that you can definitely do that with. You can easily decorate the denim basket however you like, but some fun ideas below can get you started making it your own.

Use a combination of denim colors or washes so it gives the basket a varied look.
Dye the denim or interweave with brightly colored fabric colors for accents.
Weave ribbons or lace throughout the project as an extra accent.
Add twine, rope, ribbon, or lace around the top edge.
Attach buttons, beads, or rhinestones along the seam at the top and bottom.
Glue on fake flowers or leaves to fit a theme or season.
Add holiday-themed embellishments around the edges that can be easily changed out for different holidays.

Supplies Needed

folded blue jeans on white table next to spool of ribbon and scissors

How to Make a Denim Basket

Begin by cutting the leg(s) off of an old pair of blue jeans. Depending upon the size of your basket, you may need 2 to 3 legs of denim. Once the leg is removed from the pant, cut the seam and discard it. Then, lay the leg out to cut into two equal strips.

Now, measure the legs into 1" wide strips. I like to cut them into approximately 18" long strips of the first set of 5, but you can do longer or shorter, depending upon how large your planter is.

Now, go ahead and cut out the pant legs into another 10-15 strips of denim that are 1" wide. The length doesn't matter as this will be sewn together.

Stack the 5 pieces on top of each other, then fold them in half. Wrap a rubber band around the center so they are divided in the middle. Place this on a flat surface, and pull the sides out so it is tied in the center but you have 5 "legs" of denim on each side.

Now, go back to the additional strips of denim, and sew them together end to end to create a long strip or ribbon of denim. You can add more or cut off some to suit the size of your basket once you get further into the project.

woman at black sewing machine with strips of denim

Take one end of this long length you sewed together, and sew it to the center of the piece you have laid out on the table. I sewed beside the rubber band in the center.

Now, begin weaving that ribbon over and under the 10 pieces spread out around the rubber band. Continue until this is woven to the width of the base of your planter.

Now, turn the planter upside down on a table, and place this base on top of it with the denim strips dangling over the sides.

woven denim laying over the top of white flower pot

Flip it back upside or leave it upside down as you desire, and then continue weaving over and under, but this time, weaving around the outside of the planter and up its sides.

Continue this process going up the sides of the planter until you reach the top edge.

At this point trim off any remaining or excess denim, leaving 3" to 4" length. Then, begin weaving it into and around the top of the denim basket.

denim being wrapped and tied on side of basket

Then, sew this to itself so all of the ends are not loose, but sewn into place. This is just an added security measure to prevent it from unraveling.

Lastly, add a bit of ribbon around the top edge to give the planter basket a bit of color.

red flowers in blue jeans basket held by woman

More Easy Denim Crafts

If you have leftover blue jeans scraps after making this, you can turn them into tons of other fun ideas! Below are a few more great ideas that are easy to make and use up the denim in a fun new way. Make sure that you bookmark these ideas, print out the tutorials, or pin them to an appropriate Pinterest board to make soon!

Yield: 1

Rustic Woven Denim Basket Planter Cover

Make a woven denim basket planter cover in no time! The ideal way to upcycle old jeans into a fun new piece of functional decor!

Active Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost $0

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Cut the legs off of a pair of old blue jeans. Then, cut the seam off and cut the leg into the two sides.
Now, measure the legs into 1" wide strips that are around 18" long and cut them out. You will need 5 of these, depending upon how large you make the basket.
Set these aside, then continue cutting out more strips of the same width until you have about 10-15.
Next, stack 5 of the strips on top of each other, then fold them in half and wrap a rubber band around the center so the strips are divided in the middle but on both sides of the rubber band.
Now, take the other loose strips you made, and sew each of them together end to end to create one long length of denim "ribbon".
Sew the end of this length of ribbon to the center of the bundle you made earlier, then spread each of the pieces out in a circle around the middle.
Begin weaving the denim ribbon over and under all around the center.
Measure this against the base of the planter you are using, and weave until you have a circle wide enough to fit over the bottom of the planter.
Now, flip the planter upside down, place the woven denim over the top, and then continue this process of weaving, but do so around the planter to build the sides.
Continue weaving until you reach the height you want or the height of the planter. Then, tie off the ends of the strips, and sew them into place around the edge.
Finally, glue a bit of ribbon around the upper half for decoration if desired.