If You Have an Old Bundt Pan, You Can Turn It Into a Tabletop Planter—Here’s How
Updated: May 01, 2023
The center space on the patio table around the umbrella pole can become a planter full of flowers—all you need is an old Bundt pan!
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Outdoor garden season is here and that means it’s time to get planters ready! Colorful blooms make an outdoor space feel welcoming.
If you’re looking for creative ways to enhance your outdoor space with flower arrangements, all you have to do is check your kitchen cabinets for an old Bundt pan. Why? Well, keep reading to find out how you can use this baking staple as a flower planter in a pinch!
How to Use a Bundt Pan as a Planter
The center of your outdoor patio table can be an awkward spot if you want to have a centerpiece of flowers and plantings because of the location of the umbrella pole. In a few easy steps, you can make your own planter that will work with the umbrella in place. All you need is a Bundt pan, garden soil and plants or herbs. The best part? Unlike a vase of flowers, this planter will last all summer long.
This addition to the outdoor table can be made from an old or new Bundt cake pan. Pick up an inexpensive pan or repurpose one from your kitchen collection.
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Materials Needed
- A Bundt pan, old or new
- Tin snips
- Needle-nose pliers
- Metal file
- Outdoor spray paint
- Small pebbles and garden soil mixture for pots
- Flowering annuals like impatiens, geranium, coleus, begonias or succulents, or herbs like mint, oregano, thyme, chives or basil
Directions
Check the center hole in the Bundt pan and make sure it is compatible with the width of your umbrella pole. If you need to make adjustments, you can make a series of cuts in the opening of the Bundt pan spout.
Some models of pans have flat, partially-closed holes that can be widened. Tin snips and a pair of needle-nose pliers can easily fix it.
- Use the tin snips to make a few evenly spaced cuts along the top edge of the raised center column of the pan. A pair of needle-nose pliers can fold back each of the strips created by the cuts.
- Roll each flap over the nose of the pliers and then pinch closed.
- Hammer a nail through the bottom of the Bundt pan in about six evenly spaced locations in the bottom of the pan to create holes for drainage. Be sure and hammer from the inside of the pan so that the nail will come through the bottom surface of the pan. The outside edges of the holes made with the nails can create sharp edges which can easily be softened with a metal file.
- Paint the planter with a product made for use on outdoor furniture and accessories if you want to change the appearance of the planter. You can use an older Bundt pan for the look of a weathered planter or spray paint with a bold pop of color.
- Fill the bottom of the planter with small pebbles for drainage and add a potting soil mixture formulated for garden pots. Add your flowers or herbs.
- Water the plantings and allow them to drain.
- Position the planter over the umbrella hole in the table and insert the umbrella pole through the planter and into the umbrella base.
Enjoy the blooms in your Bundt pan planter all season long! Don’t forget to check out these other cool uses for Bundt pans.
