DIY Geode Crystal Planter Decor

You Will Need:

• Empty plastic bottles (I used a 1L and a 2L)
• Craft glue
• Sea salt
• Watercolor paints
• Golden nail polish (or could use acrylic paint)
• Alcohol-based varnish

Step 1: Cut Empty Plastic Bottles

I used washi tape to mark the height I wanted my planter to be and wrapped it around the empty plastic bottle in a straight line. I cut the top of my bottle off around the tape line. I wanted two different sizes of planters and used a one-liter bottle and a two-liter bottle.

Step 2: Apply Sea Salt

To create the crystal look, I applied a band of craft glue and pressed the glue down firmly onto a dish of sea salt. I repeated the process of applying vertical bands of craft glue and then pressing it into sea salt all the way around the base of my bottle until the entire bottle was covered with sea salt. When pressing the glue into the sea salt, rock the bottle side to side slightly. Sea salt has the perfect texture for the geode crystal look and table salt would not work as well.

Step 3: Dry

I completely covered my empty one-liter and two-liter bottles and left them to dry overnight.

Step 4: Remove Excess Salt

After allowing the planters to dry overnight, I rubbed off any excess salt that had not adhered to the glue with my hands. Be careful to rub gently so that you don’t entirely remove any salted pieces and leave a hole in the surface! Just rub off large white clumps of salt to reveal shiny areas that mimic the natural look of a crystal. 

Step 5: Coat Rim with Salt

I applied bands of glue and dipped the rim of the planter in sea salt and repeated the process for a second layer to create a rough, natural-looking edge for the geode crystal planter. Apply glue, dip in salt, and then repeat to apply the salt in a thick layer.

Step 6: Paint Planters

After allowing the salt to set, I painted the planters with watercolor paint. For a realistic look, concentrate a brush of dark color in one spot and lightly trail the brush away from it. I alternated light and dark shades of purple and dark and light blues but it would look nice with light and dark pink!

Step 7: Paint Rims

I used gold acrylic paint to add pops of gold over the surface of the planters and painted each rim gold. You can also use gold nail polish to achieve the same effect! 

Step 8: Seal with Varnish

I painted the surface of the planters with an alcohol-based varnish to seal them and also to add vibrant shine. You could also find a spray sealer to accomplish the same effect.

Step 9: Fill Planters

Before I filled the planters with the flowers and plants I chose for the sun-room, I discovered that they also look gorgeous with a flame-less tea light!

This was such an enjoyable project and I am so proud of the result! I have admired the trendy geode crystal decor items popular in stores but did not want to spend a lot of money when I knew I could make something similar myself. With a few simple items found around the house, I was able to recreate the look for much less money. The possibilities are endless for color and pattern choices and your finished project will be one of a kind.

Have you incorporated DIY boho style in your home decor or found a way to create the look for less? Share your projects and find inspiration for other DIY home decor accents at Hometalk!