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Make Your Own Modern Tiled Planters

Beautiful ideas to make your own modern tiled planters! Love the beautiful black and white tiles from Jeffrey Court Tile on this modern square planter box! A cheap and clever way to use your leftover tiles.

If you have ever tackled a home project, then you’ll know that there is always a ton of scrap materials at the end. We try to use as much from the “junk pile” as we can, especially the wood (there are so many great scrap wood projects out there!), and we keep a lot for future projects too. Have you ever had spare tile sitting around? If you have five sheets, or four sheets and some scraps, you can make your own simple tiled planters.

If you have leftover tiles from a recent project, these DIY tiled planter boxes are a great way to put them to use!

*The tile for this project was supplied by Jeffrey Court. As always, opinions on the products are 100% my own. For more information, please read the disclosure policy.* 

When Jeffrey Court asked us if we could make a project using their tile, I was thrilled! A) I love tiling, B) they have so many beautiful tiles to chose from (sold through The Home Depot), and C) I needed a new planter, lol.

Here’s everything you need to make these tiled planters: 

  • Five sheets of tile – Retro Octagon Black Dot
  • Cement board
  • 1/2 x 1″ wood (we used scraps)
  • Moulding (we used scraps again)
  • Plastic sheet
  • Thin set
  • Grout
  • Nails
  • Drywall screws
  • Black paint

Tools: 

  • Tile saw
  • Saw
  • Nail gun
  • Trowel
  • Drill with mixing paddle
  • Sponges & buckets (for cleaning)

Steps to Make Tiled Planters:

This diy tiled planter boxes are super easy to make! All you need are some leftover ties and a large wooden box

Start by using your sheet of tile as a reference for how wide your planter will be. The easiest way to make this planter is to make it the same width as a sheet of tile.

Cut your cement board to that width. Cut two pieces so that they are the same height as well, then cut two more pieces subtracting the width of the cement board twice (e.g. if you have 1/2″ cement board, subtract 1″).

Build a frame from 1/2″ by 1″ wood as pictured above. Remember to take into account the thickness of your cement board (two sides will be 1″ longer again). Use glue and a nail gun to build the frame. Then use drywall screws to attach the cement board to the frame.

Note: We used cement board instead of wood because tile sticks better to it, and it eliminates rot issues when you are watering your plants.

Measure and cut the tile sheets to the measurements of the planter box. Then apply the tiles with grout

Next, use your tile saw to cut the edge of your tile sheet flat – in our case, we had to cut off half of the black triangles on two sides. Then, to complete the other two sides, take some tiles out of your spare sheet, and cut those (we cut the small black triangles to fit perfectly into the gaps on the edges).

Use thin set and a trowel to set tiles onto planter.

Grout the tiles on the planter box and install a plastic sheet inside the box, which is great for indoor planters

Finally, when your tiles are set, you need to grout the tile and the edges of the planter.

If you want, you can line the planter with plastic (we used leftover vapour barrier). This will allow you to water the plants indoors without any leaking. Use a staple gun to attach the plastic.

Finally, you can make a top for your planter. We used scrap pieces of MDF moulding, but you could use wood or tile if you wanted too. We cut the pieces with a 1/2″ overhang, and at 45 degree angles in the corners. Finally we painted them black to match.

These beautiful, modern DIY tiled planter boxes are a super easy project and make a great addition to your home decor

When it was done, I filled it with my snake plant that desperately needed to be re-homed. It now sits proudly in my entryway!

these tiled planter boxes would look great indoors or outdoors

I LOVE that we were able to make this amazing retro tile look contemporary!

These DIY tiled planter boxes are a simple project that add a modern touch to your home decor
These DIY tiled planter boxes are a perfect project for either indoor plants or outdoor decor - they look so sleek and modern!
These modern DIY tiled planter boxes are a great way to make use of leftover tiles from a project and create an awesome decor piece
This black and white tile was leftover from another project and looks great on this planter box
These DIY tiled planter boxes are a simple project that adds a modern touch to any room - such a fun project!

Would you make one of these planters? What would you do with leftover tile?

If you’re looking for another way to use leftover tile, try this simple Bath Caddy!

DIY bath caddie made with leftover tiles

Or if you would like another planter idea, try these Triangle Planters!

homemade outdoor wooden planter boxes
DIY modern Tiled Planter Boxes made with leftover tiles

Julia

Tuesday 14th of June 2022

What happens when the wooden frame rots on the inside? Will planter break? Is there a way to have a frame with something else rather than wood?

Lindi

Tuesday 21st of June 2022

The cemeent board will hold it together very well! The wood framing is surrounded by cement board and sealed tile on the outside and plastic barrier on the inside, so there isn't really a risk of it rotting :)

Shane

Tuesday 24th of July 2018

These pot plants look unreal. The leftover tiles from jobs I do usually get thrown away. Another very cool idea