What do you do with a Broken Pot?
I don’t know how these accidents happen, but I’m left to pick up the pieces (literally). I’m ‘shattered’ by the number of broken pots around this place! I hope my dilemma and discoveries will help inspire what you too can do with broken pots.
To put you in the picture, there have been multiple casualties here lately. I’m not talking about my bruised hubby falling off the ladder – his ego not his body! … No, these accidents have happened to my precious pot collections.

Upcycled Inspiration for Broken Pots
I’m always looking for ways to upcycle any resource that could still be useful. So I hope my ‘shattering’ story will inspire you to get creative when your pots or crockery get smashed. All is definitely not lost. They can still find a useful home in your garden – and sometimes in a way you least expect!
My first idea was to use one of the large pieces as a cachepot to hide an ugly black plastic pot. The terracotta was still half intact. A bit like those hospital gowns that look good from the front but are open at the back! … To disguise this one, I sat the pot inside and used the terracotta pot as a plant marker.

Should you use Broken Pot pieces as Drainage?
Like many gardeners, I used to add a layer of crocks, pot shards or gravel to the bottom of pots. I used to think this would help with drainage. However, there is scientific evidence that the practice of adding larger pieces actually slows down the water rather than helping it flow. The opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve. Instead, there are many other uses for small broken pot clay shards.
Create an artistic garden feature

Another way I have used smaller broken pot shards is as DIY plant labels. You can use a wax pencil to write on them, stick on letters or add a little paint.

Turn it into unique garden art like this bird’s nest. Add some moss or paint the inside green and add some pebbles, statue or other objects that take your fancy to create the look you want.
Via Crinkle Crankle
Another way to use large curved pieces is garden edging for small spaces.

If you have children or grandchildren, try creating miniature garden art or fairy gardens for kids just for fun! Imaginative play and connecting to nature is so important in the development of our children.
If you’re inspired to create a miniature pot garden, check out this tutorial for the basic steps to get you started.
Click below for miniature garden accessories for your creations
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Reuse part of your broken pots if they still have some useful planting spaces.

Or perhaps if you have a little patience, try creating an Insect Hotel. Accommodation for beneficial insects like solitary bees and wasps that pollinate your food crops and flowers.
Via Gardens Inspired
5 Ways to Disguise Chipped, Cracked or Broken Pot Edges
- Create a spill pot by growing trailing plants to cascade down the sides or out the front of a pot laid on its side.
- Upturn and use as plant stands.
- In your pond, water garden or fish tank as a home for aquatic life and frogs.
- Minimally damaged pots can be used to store seed packets, tools and other small garden accessories.
- Group pots in a collection and hide damage by positioning another pot in front.
Repairing Terracotta Pots
If a pot is REALLY precious or one-of-a-kind, you may want to try and repair it and save money. Pottery Magic shares some helpful tips. However, remember if you are going to use chemical glues to repair a pot, I would urge you to avoid growing food in it in case chemicals leach into the soil. Not so important for ornamentals but definitely, edibles!
Inspired but no broken pots?

Why not contact your local pottery centre, nursery, craft supplies, landscape yard or outdoor living stores? You’re sure to pick up some pieces.
Click below for miniature garden accessories for your creations
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So between four-legged culprits and power tool wielding husbands, I’m resigned to the fact there will be more cracked pots around here. But at least I have discovered some creative ideas for how to repurpose them in my garden. So, next time a pot breaks – an accident, the wind, freezing temperatures, a boisterous animal, kids (or husbands) – I hope you have some inspiration too! I’d love to know how you upcycle broken pots at your place. So please share your tips and ideas in the comments.
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© Copyright Anne Gibson, The Micro Gardener 2016. https://themicrogardener.com. All rights reserved.
Beautiful, just beautiful!
My problem are that :-
i. the house is on first floor.
ii. the space is adequate, but,
iii. I am a total jerk loser when it comes to creativity!
Shall try a few of these ideas, though.
Am planting 10 types of seeds over the next 2 days.
Cheers,
Ra.
[…] DIY Upcycled Broken Pot Ideas […]
As always, you are incredible, it is so fabulous !!! Thank you so much.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year !
Bernadette (Agen – France)
Thank you so much Bernadette! Glad you enjoyed the ideas. May you have a wonderful Christmas & New Year also.
D’oh…. was hoping for some ideas on broken plastic pots! I don’t use terracotta here (Melbourne) because the plants dry out too fast. So far, I’ve only found a few solutions – repair very small cracks/holes with waterproof tape, and cutting out the bottoms and using them as either a small personal compost bin for hungry trees/plants (shove them a little under the soil at the root line and fill with good stuff to break down as nutrients) or again, shove them a little under the soil and then make a single plant/small plants no-dig garden.
Hi Elyssa thanks for sharing some alternative ways to use broken plastic pots! Try cutting them up into strips with a sharp pointed end and using as plant markers too. There are a whole host of ideas in my article 20 Creative DIY Plant Labels & Markers. 🙂
I love this post. So many great ideas. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Candice. Love your website too. Aren’t succulents so versatile? 🙂
Brilliance itself Annie :). I had seen those gorgeous little mini succulent gardens on the net but some of these ideas are wonderful uses for broken pots. I love the insect house idea especially. I have been buying lots of mature coconuts (to make homemade coconut milk) and I am going to use them to stuff with broken crockery, teracotta pots, bits of buddleia stalk etc. to make some insect homes for Serendipity Farm. Cheers for the great idea 🙂
Hi Fran thanks for the positive feedback! I was surprised just how many things you can do once you put your mind to creatively problem solving. Love the idea of the coconut insect homes – make sure you share a pic that I can show everyone in a future post. I’m planning one on insect hotels! Yours sounds like it will be a cracker. Happy farming – love your funny funny Serendipity Farm blog too … you’ve definitely got a book in you somewhere!! Happy gardening. xx
What a great round up! I love the little, magical scenes built in the broken pots. Thank you for including the Terra Cotta Mosaic Pumpkin from Crafts ‘n Coffee, too.
Thanks Sharon – love your inspiring mosaic idea and tutorial so hope lots of people will be enjoying this as a project soon. I’m hoping to have a go at making one myself. 🙂