What do you do when your house plant doesn't fit in the decorative pot you have for it? This is a simple fix I've used for years, you may all know it already but just in case not, let me explain.

Just the other day I was looking for a pot to put this little cyclamen in. This red bucket was a Christmas gift from a neighbour a few years ago, it had a sweet little glitter covered Christmas tree in it. The tree didn't survive but the bucket is very cute so I held on to it.

Lots of people seem to be planting their plants straight into decorative pots nowadays. I've done that myself occasionally but really I think you are better leaving the plant in it's plastic plant pot and dropping that into something decorative.

• Better drainage for the plant

• Your decorative pot won't be damaged being against wet compost. On terracotta the wet seeps through and can lift any paint or unstick glue - been there, done that! Metal tins can start to rust at the joints - been there, done that too!

• Less mess when your plant needs re-potting or you fancy a swap round

But what if the decorative pot is too big? This is what I do:

Take a decorative pot, a plant, a piece of foil and a container of some sort. Here I used a little glass pot that had a lovely mini cheesecake in it. What you choose depends on the size of your pots, you might find just an old lid will be enough.

Put the container upside down in the decorative pot...

Shape the foil roughly into a dish shape and tuck it in on top. Press it to the sides to make it as snug as you can. 

Now pop your plant in on top.

If your plant needs lots of drainage you can put a layer of gravel or pebbles on the foil first.

Now the plant is up at the right level, the pot is protected from the wet compost and when you water your plant the water will sit in the foil dish and not at the bottom of the decorative pot where the plant can't get it.

I've done this quite often, especially with those super tall ceramic pots you sometimes get with orchids. They are great for orchids that must not sit in water but not so good if you want to use the pot for something else. An upturned empty yoghurt pot is a good size for them.

It's not life changing I know, not rocket science either, but a simple trick that has helped me out which you might find handy one day.

Julie