Don't Throw Out An Old Bundt Pan — Turn It Into A Beautiful Flower Pot Instead

The next time you're cleaning out your kitchen cabinets, don't be surprised if you discover a long-forgotten Bundt pan getting rusty. You might have picked it up from a garage sale, believing you were about to become the kind of person who makes Bundt cakes, or inherited it from a relative. In any case, hang on to an old Bundt pan: it makes the perfect vessel for a flower pot. These pans are usually made of durable aluminum, so they're safe for indoor or outdoor use, and super easy to customize in whatever style you like. It's just one of many ways to upcycle a Bundt pan into stylish home decor!

Just about any style of Bundt pan will work for this project. If you don't already own an old one that's ready to be retired from service, shop yard sales or Goodwill. These distinctive cake pans were invented in 1950 by the owner of a Minnesota-based bakeware company, for local Jewish women who wanted to make a traditional ring-shaped cake called kugelhopf. By the end of the 1960s, Bundt pans were fairly ubiquitous, and just about every home cook had one. But they can be hard to clean, take up lots of cabinet space, and have limited uses, which is why you'll find lots of people are ready to part with them for just a few dollars.

Before you start creating your upcycled flower pot, make sure you have a clean canvas. Baked-on food and other debris might show through your paint job, so give a used pan a good scrubbing. Use sandpaper to smooth any rusty patches. Next, think about what you plan to use the flower pot for. Will it be kept outdoors? Make sure to choose paint that's made for metal, rust-resistant, and rated for outdoor use. The easiest way to transform a Bundt pan into a flower pot is with spray paint — many of which fit these qualifications. If you do plan to keep the pot outdoors, and/or you plan to fill it with live plants, you're also going to need to drill three or four drainage holes into the bottom of the pan to prevent the buildup of rainwater.

@canarynestcrafts

From cake pan to flower pot... I can't believe how cute this turned out! I found this old aluminum Bundt cake pan at a thrift store for just fifty cents. Instead of baking with it, I gave it a second life. I painted it bright yellow, used recycled paper to mod podge all around the surface, and turned it into the sweetest little flower pot. From a thrift store find to creative treasure! @Roycycled #thriftflip #modpodge #repurpose #crafttok #upcycled

♬ original sound – CanaryNest

There's one more thing to think about before you start painting. The hole in the center of a Bundt pan makes it a natural fit as a centerpiece for an outdoor patio table with an umbrella. Your pan might already have a center hole that's large enough for an umbrella pole to slip through. If not, try using a handheld rotary tool to widen the opening. It doesn't have to look perfect; any cuts will soon be covered with soil and plants.

W ork outdoors on a non-windy day. Set up the overturned pan on a crate or spread out newspapers, and give the exterior an even application of paint. Once completely dry, you may want to flip the pan over and spray the top edge and at least the top few inches of the inside, but do not spray the lower half of the pan interior, as you do not want any paint toxins coming into contact with your potting soil. You could add more details at this stage (like accents in other shades of paint, or decoupaged paper designs), or get straight to planting. Familiarize yourself with best practices for container gardening when choosing specific plants and soils that will flourish in your upcycled pot.