How to paint flower planter boxes

by Joost Nusselder | Updated on:  June 18, 2022
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Is it possible to paint flower planter boxes outside?

You can give flower planters a different look and paint flower boxes how do you do that. Basically you can paint anything you want. Of course you have to know what you are going to do.

After all, everything depends on the substrate. Nowadays you can buy beautiful ready-made flower boxes at many garden centers. From wood to plastic.

How to paint flower boxes

With beautiful works on it. And also in different designs. I always love to see how a balcony is decorated with beautiful flower boxes and colorful flowers in them. But if you already have an existing flower box and it is a bit outdated, you can give it a facelift.

Flower boxes outside of different materials

Flower boxes can of course consist of several materials. So if you are going to paint a flower box, you have to know which primer to use. Or which paint system you should use. I will discuss that per material type in this blog. The most common materials that flower boxes consist of are hardwood, garden wood, plastic and metal.

Flower boxes also require preparatory work

Whatever the material, you always have to do preliminary work. And that starts with cleaning. In painter’s jargon this is called degreasing. You can degrease with different cleaners. If you want to know more about this, read the article about degreasing here. After you’re done with this, the main thing is to sand the object. We start here from bare wood, metal and plastic. You have to rough it up first to get a good bond. If you want to see the structure of the flower boxes afterwards, you should use sandpaper that is not too coarse. Then use a scotchbrite to prevent scratches.

Hardwoods such as meranti or merbau

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If your flower boxes are made of hardwood, apply a good filling primer after sanding. Let it harden and then lightly sand it and make it dust-free. Now apply the first coat of lacquer in high gloss or satin gloss. Let it cure for at least 24 hours. Then lightly sand with 180 grit or higher sandpaper. Also remove dust and apply a final coat of paint. Make sure you also paint the bottom well. After all, that’s where the soil comes from the plant and a lot of water. It might be a good idea to put a plastic object the size of the flower box in it.

Plastic or metal

If your flower boxes are made of plastic or metal, you must apply a multi-primer after sanding. Ask the store whether it is suitable for plastic and/or metal. In many cases this is also the case. It is not for nothing that it is called a multiprimer. When the primer has cured, follow the same procedure as described above: sanding-dusting-painting-sanding-dusting-painting.

Garden wood or impregnated wood

With garden wood you have to take a different paint system. Namely stain or an EPS system. These paint systems have a moisture-regulating system that allows moisture to escape from the wood but not to penetrate. You can apply this immediately as a base coat. Then apply at least 2 more layers so that it is well saturated. With impregnated wood you only have to make sure that it is at least 1 year old. It still contains active ingredients. You can then do the stain with a transparent color so that you can continue to see the structure. Or what is also a nice idea that you treat the flower box with a White wash or a gray wash. You then get a bleaching effect from the flower box, as it were. You can then apply it in several layers. The more layers you apply, the less you see the structure. What you have to do afterwards is that you paint 2 transparent layers of lacquer over it. Otherwise your flower boxes are so rotten. Are you curious if you have any other ideas for painting flower boxes? Do you have such a great idea? Then leave a comment below this article.

Thanks in advance.

Pete deVries.

I'm Joost Nusselder, the founder of Tools Doctor, content marketer, and dad. I love trying out new equipment, and together with my team I've been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with tools & crafting tips.