Who doesn’t love a fast and easy DIY project that involves an IKEAhack? Answer: Nobody. Everyone loves that kind of thing. Which is why you’re going to love this project, which can be done in an afternoon, including drying time. The end result? A chic pair of copper-galvanized planter pots for virtually any space.

So grab your current light summer reading material and a lounge chair, because the bulk of your “DIY” time will be spent in utmost relaxation.

DIY Level: Easy/beginner

Materials Needed:

Two (2) Ikea sockergalvanized planter potsDrill + drill bit appropriate for drilling through metalOne (1) can of Krylon metallic foil spray paint in copper (or the metallic of your choice; you won’t need a full can)Plastic grocery bag or scrap paperPainters’ tapeTwo (2) quart-sized plants of your choice, not shown

Anytime you plant a live plant, there needs to be appropriate water drainage in the container. The socker pots don’t come with this feature, most likely because Ikea offers a variety of fake plants that work well in these pots. Which, if you prefer that route, are a great alternative! But you need to drill drainage holes otherwise.

Three or four large holes per pot will be sufficient.

After ensuring your pots are clean and dry, it’s time to prep them for paint. Take a plastic grocery bag, and put it over the top portion of one of your pots. Determine where you want the copper-metal line to be. This example shows about halfway up the pot.

Keeping the bag in place, tape the bag down while you tape a straight line around the pot. Socker pots are nice because you can just follow one of the grooves already there. Be sure that the bag doesn’t interfere with the painting-edge of the tape; keep the bag on one half of the tape, and use the tape’s stickiness to secure the edge to the pot on the other half. Tip: Wide painter’s tape works best for this.

When the tape is placed and the line is straight, run your fingernail along the painting-edge to seal it in place and minimize paint leaks or runs.

Your first pot is ready to go. This one will have copper on the bottom.

Take your second socker pot in hand, and place a plastic grocery bag around the bottom of the pot. Fold or double up the bag so that it wraps around the pot snugly.

Determine the line you want your copper-metal joint to be. This example shows both pots meeting at exactly the same line. Tape the bag in place and the painting-line securely.

Place both pots plastic grocery bag-side down onto a paint protective surface, like an old sheet.

Shake up your can of Krylon metallic foil spray paint. This stuff is as good as its name would suggest, as far as creating a truly metallic sheen on whatever surface you’re painting. When you’re painting a shiny galvanized pot, I think it’s a beautiful combination to have an equally shiny metallic look on the other half.

The trick to making the Krylon metallic foil paint look great is several very light coats of paint. Don’t try to do full coverage on the first round. Wait a few minutes between each light coat, and hit it again with another light coat until the coverage is solid. This is critical to prevent runs and streaks.

On the pot with the exposed top side, be sure to paint the inside third of the pot as well. You don’t need to do the entire inside, though, because this will be covered with dirt.

Also, because the socker pots have a lip around the upper edge, it’s a good idea to look at them from all angles, such as from below, and touch up any missed spots. For example, I thought I was done, until I got on my hands and knees and looked upward on the pots and saw this thin stripe of metal showing through under the lip.

After you’ve ensured that the exposed metal has been sufficiently spray painted, it’s time to carefully peel off your painter’s tape before the paint dries.

Removing tape at this point minimizes peeling or cracking of paint during tape removal, as opposed to if you wait until paint is dry.

Pull the plastic sacks away from the pots carefully as well, so you don’t smear any of the wet paint that’s on them back onto your unpainted side of the pots.

Let your pots dry thoroughly.

After the pots are dry, plant your plants of choice with potting soil or potting mix. Place them on a clear plastic water protector so the vented water won’t damage your furniture.

The two plants used in this example are sansevieria and hobbit succulent. Both are great indoor plants, in my experience, and are quite forgiving.

This is a fun yet chic way to customize those Ikea pots – truly a perfect summer DIY project. It’s a breeze to do and satisfying to look at when it’s done.

The detail of copper on opposing ends of the pair of galvanized pots is subtle (due to similar sheens) yet distinct (due to different metallics).

You can get totally creative with this concept, of course. You could angle your paint line, split it to 1/3 and 2/3, choose two colors instead, really the possibilities are limitless. Have fun with it as you make it your own!