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Weave a recyclable pot
Get creative and save money with this woven po
Looking for pots that are unique? Then why not try making your own. This project uses leaves from phormiums and woven into a tartan-style basket. It takes about 30 minutes - and is completely free and fully recycable!
Planting
You could chose a mix of evergreens from the garden but because this is only a temporary pot it would be perfect for annual bedding plants such as busy Lizzies which would cascade over the side and cover any imperfections. You can plant directly in the cardboard inner box if the sides fit closely or you can line it with fleece to prevent compost leaking out or place a pot inside and plant in that.
This particular planting scheme uses a combination of pink-flowered Vinca difformis ‘Jenny Pym’, black ophiopogon, small-leaved euonymus and variegated ivy, all stolen from other pots and around the garden.
Practicalities
It is easy to alter the width of the phormium leaves by splitting them. You could use a hot glue gun to hold the woven phormium leaves together. Phormium leaves are flat along their upper part but folded at the base so avoid trying to use that part.
As they dry out and die, the phormium leaves will turn brown and curl so the bold effect of this basket will not last long. The cardboard may also start to show, and eventually rot, so these pots will only last for a few months.
How to create a woven basket
Click on images to enlarge
Step 1
Take an old cardboard box and cut it into a cross shape composed of five, equal squares. These can be almost any size but mine had squares about 20cm (8in) in width. To make it easier, sored the cardboard with a knife where you have to bend the sides up from the base.
Step 2
The next job is to fold up the four sides from the base to make the ‘box’. You can hold this in place roughly with sticky tape. As the box is finished it will be held together by the woven phormium leaves too so will be stronger but you could also tie around the box with twine.
Step 3
Take eight phormium leaves and interlace them, at right angles, to form the base. Put the box on this and, if it is smaller than the base, split one or more leaves lengthwise to get the right size. Put the box on the woven base and bend each leaf up to cover the sides.
Step 4
Temporarily secure each leaf at the top of the box, having bent over and trimmed the leaf, with a staple. Then weave a phormium leaf of contrasting colour in between the purple leaves, working from the base. At the top secure the last row with staples.
