The space above my credenza in our eating area needed some more life and color! I decided to add a DIY hanging planter display to brighten up the space.
I have always been hesitant about having a lot of reachable plants around the house with the kids being so little. I love this hanging solution so I can still have plants but do not need to worry!
Let me show you how I completed this DIY hanging planter display project!
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Step 1: Find a branch
We have a black walnut tree in our yard that happened to have a dead branch. My husband cut the branch off with our pole saw/tree pruner. We put the branch in our covered entryway to dry out. I was thinking it would have to sit for at least 6 months but I was able to work on it after 3 weeks!
Supplies
- Pole saw/ tree pruner (if you are cutting a branch in your yard)
Step 2: Mark holes on your planters for string
While the branch was drying, we started working on the planters. You will need to make a template for each size pot to mark where you will drill your holes.
Place the planter on a piece of paper upside down. Trace around it. I used my sewing mat to find the midpoint and another piece of paper to mark where two of the holes should be. I did this again for the other two holes. Place the pot back on top of the circle and use a pencil to mark on the pot where the holes will go.
Supplies
- Paper
- Pencil
- Terracotta Pots (Mine are 3″, 4″ and 6″ so I made 3 templates)
- Something to measure four holes equally spaced (I used a sewing mat and another piece of paper. I would have used a ruler instead of another piece of paper if I could have found it!)
Step 3: Drill holes in planters
We made four holes in each terracotta pot so we could hang them with string.
Insert a couple of cut pool noodle pieces into the planter to brace it. Start by using a 5/32″ all purpose masonry bit, spraying water as you go. Once you make a hole all the way through switch to a 1 1/4″ bit and make the hole larger spraying water as you go. We have seen others recommend a tile masonry bit for this project but our all purpose one said tile on the packaging and worked really well.
Below is a video so you can see how we do this.
We did brake one of our pots doing this because we applied too much pressure, so be careful!
Supplies
- Terracotta Pots (Mine are 4″ (x3) , 3″ and 6″)
- All purpose masonry bit (5/32″ and 1 1/4″)
- Pool noodle
- Spray bottle with water
- Ear and eye protection
- Tape measurer
Step 4: Paint and seal planters
When they were dry I placed them upside down and painted them Pink Ground by Farrow and Ball. I did 2 coats. I got the paint in a sample size of BEHR from Home Depot. The next day I flipped them over and sanded the rims with 220 grit sandpaper since there was some cardboard stuck to them. Then, I painted the top rims two coats as well.
The next day I sprayed them with a topcoat.
Supplies
- Paint (mine is Pink Ground by Farrow and Ball)
- 220 grit sandpaper
- Paintbrush
- Rust-Oleum 2X Painters Touch Semi-Gloss Clear Topcoat
Step 5: Clean up branch
After 3 weeks I decided to see if I could make any progress on the branch. It is possible that since the branch had been dead for some time (possibly 2 years) before we cut it down that it was already very dry? I am no expert so I cannot say for sure why.
I clamped the branch down onto a piece of plywood on saw horses. I used my multi-tool and mallet to get a lot of the bark off.
I then used the belt sander with 36 grit sandpaper to get the rest of the bark off.
To make the branch smooth I used my orbital sander with 80 grit.
This took me several days of working on it for a couple hours per day.
I then sprayed the branch with the same Rust-Oleum topcoat and let it dry.
Supplies
- Branch
- Multi tool
- Mallet
- Belt sander (36 grit)
- Orbital sander (80 grit)
- Clamps
- Plywood or a work bench/table
- Saw horses
- Protection: Safety glasses, work gloves, ear protection, dust mask
- Rust-Oleum 2X Painters TouchSemi-Gloss Clear Topcoat
Step 6: Dye Rings and Beads
I decided to dye the rings and beads pink! I placed 3 cups of water in a glass bowl. I covered it with clear plastic wrap and microwaved for 2 minutes, checking on it after 1 minute.
I stirred in 2 tablespoons of the rit dye with a metal spoon.
I submerged each ring and agitated it under the water for about 1 minute each. Then, I rinsed each one with cold water and placed it on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
There were a lot of beads to dye so I just put a lot in the bowl at once and agitated them for about a minute. I then rinsed several at a time with cold water and placed them on the baking sheet lined with paper towels. I did notice that as the water started to cool down the dye was not staining the beads as well. You might have to start with fresh hot water and dye if you are finding this is an issue.
Keep paper towel nearby to wipe up any dye that gets on your counter.
I let everything dry for probably around 5 hours. I even put them outside for the final hour with fresh paper towels since they were still wet. I did put a glove on and move the beads around every once in awhile and flipped the rings over. Note: Some of my beads and rings have a slight paper towel pattern. I do not feel that it is very noticeable but it did happen. I am not sure how else to have these dry, possibly no paper towel?
Supplies
- Wooden rings (I used 5 and needed this size to fit over my branch)
- Wooden beads (I purchased 400 because I didn’t know how many I needed. I ended up using just under 150 so here is a listing for 200.)
- Rit Dye (I used Petal Pink)
- Glass bowls
- Plastic Clear Wrap
- Tablespoon
- Spoon
- Paper Towels
- Baking sheets (I used 2)
- Measuring Cup
Step 7: Secure the branch to the wall
I decided to hang the branch to the wall without damaging it. I used two garage utility hooks and wrapped them in thick macrame string to make them white. You could definitely spray paint them or leave as is but I didn’t love the grey color. I secured the string with hot glue. We used a stud finder and then screwed them into the studs.
Supplies
- Utility Hooks
- Macrame String
- Hot Glue
- Scissors
- Stud Finder
Step 8: Hang up planters
Using 1.5mm macrame string, I doubled the string up and created a loop to secure the string to the pot. I then put painters tape on the end of the strings to be able to string the beads through.
I then added my pink beads in various patterns using knots about 2 inches apart for the ones that have spacing.
Then I tied the four strings to the wooden ring using a square knot (left over right and then right over left or the opposite). I trimmed the blue tape off of the string and slid each one on the branch!
To ensure that water would not drip all over my furniture, I purchased plugs. I also read that you could cement the holes which seems to be a much more full-proof method. The plugs fit pretty well but I did have to adjust the one for my tiny 3″ pot since this set didn’t have one that was small enough.
We took them all outside to add potting soil and the plants. I love how I can easily remove each planter if I need to replant and this ensured that I didn’t damage the branch. Ta-da, a beautiful DIY hanging planter as decor for my home.
Supplies
- 1.5 mm Macrame String (I only needed one roll)
- Painters Tape
- Plugs
- Plants
- Potting Soil
Please share if you made your own DIY hanging planter display for your home or let me know if you have any questions!
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