If you’re tired of buying expensive coconut liners every spring, then you’re going to love my cheap solution, and you can do it yourself.
I came up with this idea way back in 2011, and my DIY alternative liners look just as great today as they did when I first made them.
This inexpensive project is easy to do with materials you probably have lying around the house. Plus, my coco liner substitution looks awesome, and lasts for years without having to be replaced.
I have a few of those wire basket planters that came with coconut liners when I bought them. The coco liner always looks so beautiful when freshly planted with summer annuals.
But after a season or two, they start to look dingy and gray. Plus, the birds like to tear the coco fiber apart to use for building their nests. The result? Well, it’s not pretty.
I love my wire basket planters, but they are unusable without the coconut liners. I could buy fresh replacement ones every spring, but that gets to be very expensive.
I don’t know about you, but I just couldn’t justify the cost every year, so my favorite wire planter ended up sitting in the garage. And every time I looked at it I felt sad and frustrated.
It finally got to the point where I was either going to get rid of it, or figure out how I could make it usable again. Challenge accepted!
What To Use As An Alternative For Coconut Liners
One day while I was cleaning the garage, I found a bunch of leftover landscaping fabric that was just collecting dust. Aha! I found my solution.
When I came up with the idea, I was so excited. Not only is the fabric much cheaper than buying brand new coco basket liners, but it will also last longer.
If you don’t like the idea of landscaping fabric, a burlap liner will give you a similar look as the coco liners, but will last longer. You can buy it in a roll, and use that instead.
Otherwise if you prefer the coconut liners over the fabric options, it’s cheaper to buy it in a large roll than it is to get the preformed sizes.
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How To Make Easy DIY Landscaping Fabric Planter Liners
This works great as an alternative for any type of coco liners, including a free-standing planter like mine, wire hanging baskets, and deck railing or window boxes.
Supplies Needed
- Wire planter or hanging basket
- Landscaping fabric
- Sharp scissors
- Floral wire
- Wire cutters
Instructions
Step 1: Cut the fabric – To figure out how much you need, lay the landscaping fabric over the wire basket and press it into the bottom. Then cut the fabric so you have a good 3-4 inch overlap all the way around the top of the basket.
Step 2: Attach the fabric to the basket – Cut a 3-4″ piece of floral wire with your wire cutters and bend it into a U shape. Then use it to attach the fabric to the basket by poking the wire through the liner, and twisting the ends together on the inside of the basket.
Step 3: Straighten the liner as you go – Repeat step 2 to continue to attach the liner to your planter at each cross section. As you work your way around the basket, straighten the liner and fold it nicely so the landscaping fabric wouldn’t bunch up in one spot at the end.
I found that it helped to add soil into the liner as I worked my way around the basket to weigh it down, get it into the right form and shape, and also to hold it in place.
Step 4: Fill it with soil – Once the fabric is attached all the way around the wire basket, finish filling it with soil. Then gently press it down to make sure the liner is firmly in place, and there aren’t any weird folds or gaps.
Step 5: Trim off the extra fabric – Trim off any extra fabric that’s sticking out above the top of the basket so that it’s even with the rim of your planter. Don’t cut it too short, or it could pop through and spill out some of the soil.
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Step 6: Plant your brand new wire basket – Now that you’ve added your alternative coco liners, you can plant your wire basket again with anything you want.
To save myself even more cash, I decided to plant a mix of hardy sedums in mine rather than using annuals that need to be replaced every spring. That way, I can just overwinter them in the garage and keep them growing year after year. It doesn’t get any easier than that.
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Look at that, my wire basket planter is brand new, and I never have to buy expensive coconut liners again. If you have any of these sitting around collecting dust in your garage, give them new life with these inexpensive do-it-yourself replacement wire basket liners.
Have you figured out a cheap alternative to coconut liners too? Tell me about it in the comments below.
Arlene Cole says
I have three 24″ Georgian trough planters with no liners. Since the planters will be attached to a porch rail and planted with trailing plants, I was thinking of using newspapers to line the baskets. Do you think this will work? I was fortunate to buy these beautiful planters for $15 (all 3 of them!) and can’t afford a fortune on coco fiber liners. Thank you for your feedback.
Amy Andrychowicz says
As long as you line your baskets with a thick layer of newspaper, it should work. It might not look the prettiest, but it should do the job. 🙂
Pat Berndt says
How do you think that would work in inside decorative pots? I’m always frustrated that I have a nice decorative pot with no drain hole and nothing fits inside. I could drill a hole but then I need something under the pot to catch water. anyone have ideas? Maybe the burlap with some rocks or packing peanuts under?
Amy Andrychowicz says
The only way you can add adequate drainage to pots and containers is to drill holes in the bottom. Filling the bottom of the pot with packing peanuts or any other material will not provide drainage. If you’re growing the plants outdoors, then adding drainage holes is really your only option.
Donna Knight says
Great info! I was just out earlier today looking for liners! I will get some weed liner. Thanks so much!
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome!
Joanne says
Really excited to find this site. I plan to place the landscape fabric or burlap in each of the ten nests of hanging old chicken nest container on the outside wall of the old chicken coop.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome!
Gina McCall-Pyne says
I love that planter, do you recall where you purchased it. Thanks
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks! I bought the wire basket probably 15 years ago now! Eek! Sorry I’m not exactly sure where I got it. 🙂 But here’s on that is very similar… 3-tier wire basket planter
Ashley Thompson says
I am about to try using leftover screen to do mine. We have a big roll out in the barn and I think it’ll provide both drainage and support. I’ll update whether it works or not.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great idea! I think it’ll work just fine to use screen material as liners in your wire basket planters… though it will probably dry out very quickly. Please do come back and let us know how it works. 🙂
Jesse M King says
great idea thanks
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome!
Sue says
So glad I’ve stumbled upon your site and began reading all of the comments. I had went online to search and possibly purchase one 24″ and two 36″ coconut basket fillers for planters that I found at a flea market and brought home today. I had no idea they replacements were so pricey! No way was I paying those prices when I recently found a 12 inch round one at DG for $2. Again, thanks for the tips!!
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome!
Holly says
Thank you for the great ideas. I’ve been looking for something to use inside of a metal basket I have since I can’t find any liners in my area. I will definitely be trying the burlap with the landscape fabric.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome! Have fun. 🙂
LindafromDahinda says
Love the landscape fabric with burlap!
Linda Turner says
I, also, was just getting ready to order some new liners for window boxes on my potting shed and other various hanging plants!! Somehow found my way to your post and am excited about trying some of the suggestions!!
Also, to you who have wire baskets, DO NOTget rid of them!! I’ve been spray painting them for years and they last forever!! If they get a little rusty, just sand it of with a wire brush or steel wool or sandpaper. You can change the color anytime you want!! We gardeners have to stick together to save all the money we can!!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome, hope it works great for you! 🙂 Thanks so much for your tip about painting the wire baskets. I have done the same with some free ones I’ve found at garage sales. So much fun!
Lisa says
I’m wondering whether the fabric Eco bags, that we all seem to end up with so many of or calico might work?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I would think those would work just fine, but the material might break down faster than landscaping fabric. Great ideas! 🙂
rubi says
brilliant! i was about to order some coconut liners wich im sooooooooo tired of replacing every 2 years .. i have a bunch of landscaping material, thank u thank u!!!!Im so happy i ll save some money haha .. you are very creative!!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yeah, so glad to hear!! You’re welcome 🙂
Juna says
I have used landscape fabric inside my coconut liners for years. The coconut liners today are so thin they usually allow soil to leak out along with the excess water, making a mess. The landscape fabric prevents this. This retains moisture much better than just the coconut fiber. Otherwise the wind will quickly evaporate the moisture from the plant. This also protects the coconut fiber from the soil and they last much longer. I can get 4 seasons or more from a coconut liner.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wow, awesome! Mine never last that long because the birds rip them apart. 🙂
James says
The funny thing is, this year the price of coconut liners has really fallen, and they’re selling 12″ molded ones in my local supermarket for £1 each (about $1.42)! I wonder if it’s still cheaper to use alternatives?
Amy Andrychowicz says
It would depend on how any containers you have. I guess you’d have to price it out. The landscaping fabric definitely lasts longer, so I’m guessing it would be cheaper over the long-term.
Elizabeth says
Thanks for the great ideas. I like the idea of the burlap and then the landscape liner. Burlap comes in such great colors and even prints. I wonder if paper bags would work to make it look more like the coconut. Also you can put a diaper before you put the soil in to hold the moisture.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh, a printed burlap would be super cute!! I have heard that you can put diapers in the bottom to hold moisture, but I haven’t tried that myself. I wouldn’t use them for growing food though.
Sadie says
You can buy the same gel in a lot of places, it is non toxic, and won’t hurt food plants. I buy it at Dollar tree, it’s the same gel medium that you can use in flower vases. No use wasting a diaper.