Vintage Troll Planter

Who remembers Troll dolls? I started collecting Trolls in the 1990’s and stumbled across my wild haired collection when I was cleaning out my basement. I didn’t have the heart to toss or donate them so I did the next best thing and repurposed them into the cutest, kitschiest little vintage Troll planter and vases. Plus I’m sharing some fun history of these adorable little creatures. Prepare to smile!

WARNING: This post contains graphic nudity!

How to make a vintage Troll planter or vase! These are so cute and kitschy kellyelko.com #troll #trolls #repurpose #upcycle #vintage #vintagedecor #succulents #diyplanters #planter #diycrafts #diyideas #kidscrafts #nostalgia #peonies #plantlady #houseplants

Troll dolls were created in 1959 by Danish fisherman and woodcutter Thomas Dam. He couldn’t afford a Christmas gift for his daughter so he carved her a wooden doll. The local kids saw the doll and of course wanted one so Dam formed Dam Things and began producing plastic Good Luck Trolls (also known as Dam Dolls, Gonks, Wishniks, Treasure Trolls and Norfins). Original Danish Trolls have wool hair and glass eyes and were a huge hit in the early 1960’s. In the decades to follow, different manufacturers began producing Trolls. Most Troll dolls are affordable but can you believe this little Troll with hand knitted clothes sells for over $300!

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Vintage Troll dolls - you have got to see how she repurposed them! kellyelko.com #troll #trolls #trolldolls #upcycle #repurpose #planters #diyideas #kidscrafts

My Trolls were made by Russ in the 1990’s. You can spot newer Trolls by their telltale bejeweled belly buttons!

Turn a Troll doll into a kitschy planter or vase! kellyelko.com #troll #trolls #trolldolls #vintagedecor #upcycle #repurpose #kitsch #peonies #succulents #gardeners #houseplants #diyplanters #kidscrafts

They are hollow inside so they make perfect planters and vases. I added some gravel to the bottom of the large Troll then potting soil. I dug up some rooted cuttings from my succulent planters and they make the perfect hair. If you’ve never grown succulents before, read these tips on the easiest succulents to grow. Water succulents sparingly and mist with water because they love humidity (I mist all of my houseplants with this water mister).

DIY Troll doll planters and vases are so cute! kellyelko.com #troll #trolls #trolldolls #vintagedecor #upcycle #repurpose #kitsch #peonies #succulents #gardeners #houseplants #diyplanters #kidscrafts

My small Trolls are tiny so instead of planting succulents, I thought they would make the perfect bud vases and their pink peony hairdos are so Troll worthy.

Love this fun idea of repurposing old Troll dolls into unique planters and vases kellyelko.com #trolls #troll #trolldolls #vintagedecor #diyideas #planters #upcycle #repurpose #kitsch #planters #gardeners #gardens #houseplants

Warning … if you’re squeamish, be sure to wear earplugs when yanking the hair from the Trolls scalps because they do tend to let out blood curdling screams.

If you love all things Troll, check out these fun ideas below (I especially love the addition of a wind swept Troll added into a seascape painting!).


How adorable are these little Troll doll succulent planters and vases! kellyelko.com #succulents #diyplanters #trolls #trolldolls #repurpose #upcycle #planters #peonies #gardening #gardeners

I knew saving my Troll dolls would come in handy 25 years later and proves that if you hold onto something long enough, it will eventually become vintage! This is why my basement is a hoarders delight which you can tour here.

If you don’t fancy Trolls, you can always make these fun doll head planters. The guy with the goatee is my favorite!

Or you can buy a pre-made Troll succulent planter here!

Love this collection of doll head planters filled with succulents kellyelko.com #repurpose #upcycle #planters #diyplanters #kitsch #diycrafts #crafts #kidscraftes #succulents #gardening #gardeners #planters

I’m a big believer in that every room should have something ugly or weird in it, something that makes you happy. These Troll planters definitely fit the bill and I couldn’t be happier that I rescued them from a dark box in my basement!

If you love unique gardening ideas, check these out …

12 Out of the Pot Planter Ideas

10 Unique Trellis Ideas 

My Garden Projects

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23 Comments

  1. I played with hand-me-down Troll dolls from the 1960s. I think they may be buried in my attic. Now I want to find them. Your Troll doll planters are adorable!

  2. Oh my gosh Kelly, this totally made me smile and brought back many great memories. What a wonderful collection you have!😊

  3. Ha! This is fun! I have to admit, I have made planters out of baby doll heads. I have one on my desk at work, and it always gets side eyes and comments. 🙂

  4. Yes! I loved my trolls and took them with me everywhere. I made a house for them out of a shoebox.

  5. These are so cute and makes me wish i still had mine. The bigger one made a great planter.

  6. I find these so much fun. Now I’m wondering what happened to all my troll dolls. Made me smile!

  7. You will make your friends chuckle that for sure. But your right about a room need something special . Great idea. Love it!

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