I don’t know what it is about succulents, but I may have a mild addiction to them. Okay, mild isn’t quite accurate…..because I keep adding them to shelves, bookcases, giving them as teacher gifts, etc. Ha! But that’s because they are so darn easy to care for, and pretty much go with any type of decor.
Anyway, the builder of our home created this really strange cutout in one of the wall dividers in our house, right between the dining room and living room and I haven’t known what in the world to do with it. The space is narrow and kind of tall and I have tried setting a variety of things in there, but nothing has quite worked. But then, when I found out that the Michaels Maker theme for this month was “DIY Trends” and I started thinking about trends that I love and wanted to try……I knew exactly what I wanted to try, especially because it involved more SUCCULENTS!
So yep, a simple Rope Plant Hanger, that I could keep nice and narrow, but also fill the space vertically.
It’s similar to those macrame plant holders our moms were all making in the 70’s, but not nearly as complicated and a lot less shag hanging down below. Plus, this only takes MINUTES to make because it’s not very fussy at all…..but it has just enough detail to make it pleasing to look at!
And look! It fills the cutout in this wall, PERFECTLY!!!
And just to give you a better idea of the cutout, here it is from this side….
…..and here it is from the other side. Such a perfect fit! And not one bit fussy! :)
And just what I love, another non-fussy succulent added to the decor!
And really, you could customize this to your taste very easily. Make the fringe on the bottom a lot longer, use thicker rope, use 2 pieces of rope all the way through instead of just 1, etc. PLUS, you could even hang this outside, hang it from the ceiling in the corner of a room, etc, etc.
So many reasons to love this Rope Plant Hanger!
Want to make one too??
SUPPLIES:
First of all, painting your pot is completely optional. But if you’d like to change the color, add 2 layers of your acrylic paint to your pot.
And since my Terra Cotta pot is porous, I decided to use this outdoor paint so that my paint wouldn’t get wet and tacky every time I watered my plant and the pot got a little wet. (I don’t even know if it would ever be a problem with regular acrylic paint…..but I just happened to see this at Michaels right next to the pots, and decided to give it a try.)
Make sure and paint down a few inches along the inside of the pot, because even after you place your plant inside, it probably won’t go to the very tippy top.
Also, if your pot has a hole in the bottom for drainage, you’ll need to cover up that hole if you’re hanging your plant inside. I just used a couple layers of duct tape and pressed it firmly to the bottom. Once the soil is placed on top, it will stay sealed up nicely.
Okay, once your paint is dry….it’s time to create the rope holder. Start by cutting 8 pieces of rope that are plenty long enough to have some rope hanging at the bottom, plus plenty extra for hanging up above the pot. You’ll also need to account for a little extra length for tying the knots around the pot.
Now, tie a knot at the end of your 8 strands of rope, several inches from the end. (How far you tie from the end also depends on how long you want your ends to hang down at the bottom…..but you can always make them extra long for now and then trim them shorter later.)
Next, turn your pot upside down and divide the strands into groups of 2, with the knot placed at the center of the bottom of the pot.
Each of those groups of 2 strands will divide the bottom of the pot into fourths. Now, tie a knot into each of those groups of 2, right past the edge of the bottom of the pot (so that you will later see the knots along the side of the pot once it’s hanging).
Now add a strip of scotch tape to hold the ropes in place, to keep them even and perfectly in place.
Next, grab one rope from one set of ropes and then one of the ropes from the neighboring set and tie a knot in them, directly between the two upper knots. Repeat all the way around the pot until you have your next level of knots.
Pull gently to get rid of any of the slack in the ropes, and tape this next level of knots in place.
Now, repeat, creating your 3 level of knots, adding tape with each knot.
The number of levels of knots you add depends on the size of your pot…..but I ended up needing 4 levels of knots. The very last level of knots should end about 1/2 inch before you reach the top edge of the pot.
Now, turn your pot over and hold all of your rope ends in one hand. Tie a knot at the top of your ropes (or at whatever height you’d like to hang it from) and then be sure that each of the ropes are even in length and are allowing the pot to hanging evenly before trimming off any excess. Remove the tape. Then, once you hang your pot, you can decide how long you want the rope pieces to hang down below.
Now it’s time to install a hook screw (or other type of hanging hardware), and hang your Rope Plant Hanger!
Enjoy!
-Ashley
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For more inspiration, check out what the other Michaels Makers have created…
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Hi, I’m Ashley—the DIY-enthusiast behind this crazy blog!
