Use Old DVD Cases to Make a Vertical Garden

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Hey, y’all, can you believe it’s almost the end of June, and we’re more than halfway through the year already? That just seems wrong somehow. I hope it’s been a good one for you so far. If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you’ll know that the last Monday of the month means it’s time for the Int’l Bloggers Club (IBC) challenge. Every month, a group of bloggers from all over the world get together, to make, create or recycle something based on a specific theme. Last month we all repurposed tin cans, and you won’t believe what everyone came up with. This month we had to do something with a common household item, and we chose old DVD cases to make a gorgeous vertical garden.

That’s a common household item, right? Everyone has them gathering dust somewhere. We have loads of them. Games, backups and movies, they’re all there. When we went through our stash, most of the inside bits were missing. How does that even happen? There is no way we could donate them, so we decided to recycle them instead. 

Recycling turns things into other things. Which is kinda like magic Click to Tweet

 

Isn’t that planter just gorgeous? The thrifty biophilic inside of me is doing a happy dance. Not only did I upcycle something that most people chuck in the bin but I’ve got myself free planter that’s going to last a long time. 

Right, before I show you how to turn DVD cases into a planter, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!

How To Make a Vertical Garden Using Old DVD Cases

The plastic outer casing makes perfect planters. They’re sturdy and a nice size. All I needed to do was drill a few drainage holes at the bottom of the DVD cases and find a piece of wood to hang them on.

 

The plain black casings aren’t the prettiest, so I put together this rough template to make a cover.

Transfer the template to a newspaper and adapt the measurements to suit. Once you’re happy place the newspaper pattern onto your fabric and cut it out. I used leather bits we have left over from our epic suitcase bureau makeover to cover the cases.

Using contact adhesive, glue the leather to the old DVD cases. Make sure to use a waterproof glue if your planter is going outside. 

Wait for the glue to dry completely before adding a few pebbles to the bottom of the DVD cases.

Screw the DVD cases onto the piece of wood and fill it with soil and a suitable plant. 

I added small succulents and a Heart Leaf Philodendron to mine. This little beauty is often called the Sweetheart plant and will grow really quickly in low to medium light.

She’s probably the most common house plant here in South Africa. We have a beautiful one in our Highveld garden, so I just took some stem cuttings that had been dipped in rooting hormone.

Other plants that work well in a vertical garden

Vertical gardens have been around for centuries and they’re ideal for small indoor and outdoor spaces. The plants you choose will depend on entirely on where you hang your garden and what grows in your area. Some of my favorites include:

• Succulents are a great choice. They’re low maintenance, easy to care for, and don’t mind if the soil dries out. You’ll find Sedums and Crassulas at most garden centers and they come all shapes and sizes. Hanging varieties like the baby necklace crassula and elephant bush do really well in hanging planters.  
• Ferns, with their soft wispy leaves, look gorgeous in a hanging garden. Just be careful. They enjoy lots of water and prefer a humid, shady environment. Rabbit’s Foot and Maiden Hair ferns are both good choices for this small DVD planter.
• Ornamental grass is another option. Look for shorter, more compact varieties like Mondo grass or Variegated Lily Turf with its spikes of purple hyacinth-like flowers. Most ornamental grass doesn’t mind full sun, although they do need some tidying up to encourage new growth. Simply cut the old leaves back and you’ll be good to go.
• You can also plant small creepers and vines in the DVD vertical garden. One of my favorites is the Ticky creeper with her heart shaped leaves and neat growing habit. Keep her well watered until she settles down in her new home. Oh, and watch out that she doesn’t cover the whole vertical garden once she’s happy. She’s a vigorous grower and may need to be trimmed down hard to keep her in check. 
• Edible plants and herbs like thyme, oregano, mint, and small cascading tomatoes would look amazing hanging in the kitchen or outdoor dining area. When it comes to watering them, you shouldn’t have any problems since the faucet is right there, plus they keep pests away. 

To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow. Audrey Hepburn Click to Tweet

 

Displaying the DVD garden

There are two ways to display vertical gardens; Hang them or Prop them. If you live in a rental and your landlord isn’t keen on you drilling holes, you can prop them against the wall or on a shelf.

We don’t have that problem so I added another leftover from our suitcase dresser makeover so I could hang mine. Since the DVD cases are mounted on a piece of wood you can use twine, or add a sawtooth hanger or D-ring on the back.  

 

Either way works as long as the spot you choose gets lots of natural light. 

If you live in the Northern hemisphere the northeast side is best, while for us peeps south of the equator the southeast side is a better option. Keep an eye on your plants while they settle in and move them around if they start looking sad. It’s one of the many pros of making a vertical garden. 

So tell me…. would you hang yours, or prop it? And if you have any other ideas on how to recycle DVD cases, I’d love to hear about them because we have a few more empty cases gathering dust 😉

If you like the idea of repurposing DVD cases to make a vertical garden, don’t forget to pin it for later.

 

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Oh before I forget, if you don’t want to go to all that trouble and find some of the materials we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more crafty ideas to share with you 😉

Now I’m off to see what common household items the other IBC bloggers have recycled. Wanna join me?

 

Last update on 2026-08-16 / Source Amazon Affiliates