Recently Josh installed these fun wood walls in our dining room (don’t worry—we’ll be posting more about that soon). I’m in love with the look and the way it warms up our space. Now I’m on the hunt for a little more decor to finish it off. White hanging planters felt like an obvious choice because I love plants, and the dark wood looks really pretty with the white planters as an accent.
I decided to make my own, and I’m glad I did because it was really easy. Each planter took me less than an hour to make (not counting the spray painting, I guess) and cost between $10 and $20… niceee!
Supplies:
–rope (I just used our leftovers from this project)
-3 plastic planters (I used 4″ and 6″ sizes)
–Crop-A-Dile tool
-scissors
-measuring tape
*A quick note about the planters. Be sure to choose plastic planters with built-in drainage on the bottom (meaning they are intended for indoor use and will not spill water on the floor when you water your plants). I found my planters at Target in the gardening section. They were gray (and I was set on white), so I spray painted them.
The process is simple enough to “eyeball it,” but just in case you want to know my exact measurements, here you go!
Step One: Use your Crop-A-Dile to punch two holes in your planters, equally spaced on opposite sides. Since my rope was a little thicker, I punched four times to create a larger hole. You can see here that my hole isn’t perfectly shaped, but don’t worry, your rope will cover that.
Step Two: Cut a piece of rope a foot or two longer than what you think you will need (I used 10 feet for my 4″ planters and 13 feet for my 6″ planters). Fold it in half and tie a knot in the middle.
Step Three: Next you will start the process of attaching your three planters. If you are unsure about how much rope to leave between each planter, see the two I made below to use as guides. String the rope through the inside of each planter, and secure with a knot on the outside. After each set of two knots, hold up your planter by the knot at the top to make sure they are not lopsided. It takes a little adjusting, but if you check after each set of knots, you’ll get it all put together quickly!
Step Four: After you have tied off the bottom on your rope, use tape to secure the ends of the rope before cutting it. Some ropes fray more than others. Use white or clear tape if you don’t like the pop of color.
Simple, right?
When planting, just set your planters down flat like this. Don’t stress too much about getting your rope dirty. You can brush off any dust or dirt at the end.
A small but important detail! Be sure that your soil line is lower than the holes for your rope. If the soil is too high, water will spill out from the holes when you water. I learned this the hard way. Ooops. It was an easy enough fix, though; all I had to do was remove a little soil from the bottom of the pot.
These are the rope measurements for the larger 6″ pots (they are 6″ tall and have a 6″ mouth). I decided to try double knots on this one, just for fun!
These are the rope measurements for the smaller 4″ pots (they are 4″ tall and have a 4″ mouth). For my home this size is a little more perfect.
I’m so happy with these! I’m considering replacing a few of my porch planters with these three-tier planters this year. I had fun fixing up our porch last year, and I’m ready for phase two. This year I have something a little more colorful in mind.
I don’t think I told you guys this yet, but we decided to forgo our garden this year and put ALL our energy into unfinished house projects. I hope that will translate to lots more posts too. I’m excited to share the progress as we go! xo. Elsie
P.S. I hope you are more careful with your cactus potting than I was—ouchhhh!!!
Credits// Author and Photography: Elsie Larson. Photos edited with Imogen and Norma from The Folk Collection.
I love this! I’ve been thinking about adding some air plants to my existing cactus corner but the windowsill is already taken up. They’re pretty much the only green things I can keep alive. Oops. I guess now I know how I can fit some more plant life into that space!
I especially like the giant hooks you have the planters hanging on. I’ll keep an eye out for some like that!
Tabby
– www.glitterinthequarter.com
Such a cool idea Elsie! I love it. The whole white look does make the wooden walls more feminin and welcoming.
These kind of put me in mind of the macrame plant hangers my grandmother and aunt used to have. Nice
Thanks for replying, that wasn’t quite what I meant but you have answered my question! I was concerned about the plants becoming waterlogged, I haven’t come across built in trays before – I’ll look out for those now, thanks!
Lovely Elsie! I’m on the hunt for some pretty plant solutions for my walls. This project is the perfect inspiration!
What a unique way to display plants in your home!
This is such a good idea, definitely gonna try this out 🙂
I love plants, but really … another planter tutorial?
This is so smart!
This is so smart!
We did the same thing this year, we want to get the house and pool area just the way we want it before we start the garden. Hopes are to start it next year. We’ll just hit the farmer’s markets this summer. Love the planters, I just hung a glass terrarium in my living room and it looks fabulous!
Ooohhh, these are pretty! I quite like how they turned out! One question, does the plastic seem to get weak where the holes are punched? I would have thought the weight of the plants would put a lot of stress on the plastic, especially for the top plant…
Elsie-
What is the color on your kitchen door?
This gives me so much inspiration. I’m thinking I will get some cute pot-like containers and do a version for a desk/work space, and instead of plants, fill the pots with stationary!!!
http://weeklyinstinct.blogspot.com.au/
I love these! Also all the plants in that room! So pretty!
xoxo
Taylor
Very clever and I love the wood wall.
Krit
etsy.com/shop/pepeandcarols
I’ve been looking for a cheaper for this look and this post is perfect! Thanks 🙂
http://everydayingrace.blogspot.ca/
Hi Laura!
It’s coming up next week. 🙂
-Elsie
They are so adorable….Thank you for such a lovely tutorial dear…..xoxoxo…:)
www.noragouma.com
Too, too cute!