Repurpose A Soap Dish To Make Propagating Your Plant A Breeze

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Plant parents often face the dilemma of needing new ways to propagate their plants using dollar store DIY pots. As your plants grow bigger and bigger, they'll sometimes require some trimming, but those snipped-off stems, branches, and roots can often be grown into new plants instead of tossing them out. While plants require different circumstances for propagation — most herbs do best in water, while softwood flower cuttings do well in soil — you can always find unique ways to repurpose items you already have and no longer use or affordable solutions that require little more than a trip to the dollar store. In this case, we're looking at using soap dishes to propagate plants in dirt.

While there are some pretty plain and boring soap dishes out there, this project may inspire you to look for something more fun and unique to fill with dirt and plant parts. The nice thing is, both the soap dish planters and the starts or "props" themselves are pretty easy to deal with. Many of the options that work well when divided for propagation are fuss-free plants great for beginning gardeners.

All you need for this repurposing project are some soap holders with drainage holes, potting soil or mix, and some plant cuttings. There's literally nothing to cut, glue, or zip tie. If the drainage holes in your soap dishes are large enough that dirt is falling through, add some pebbles to line the bottom with to help keep the dirt in and aid with drainage, which is crucial when propagating plants in soil or mixes. Overwatering can cause the new roots to drown or become moldy; you can even improve drainage in your potted plants by adding these food scraps at the bottom. Place stones or nut shells, if needed, at the bottom of the soap dish. Add enough dirt that you can push your propagated plant deep enough for it to have a chance to grow some roots. Add your plants and place your soap dish in a sunny spot in your garden or on your patio, and watch them take root.

One option, as in the video above, uses shower soap holders with suction cups. This allows you to attach them directly to a window, ensuring your growing baby plants receive ample sunlight and you can decorate your patio or other outdoor space with them. Make sure the dish or holder you use is deep enough to add at least an inch of soil. You can shop for soap dishes at the dollar stores, thrift stores, and even at rummage sales. Whether you go new or antique, simple or ornate is up to you and the aesthetic you're looking to create as you propagate your plants. Add a bit of fairy garden charm with something like the clawfoot tub one from Newhengs.