Ideas for DIYs can come from a myriad of different sources: sometimes I make things I want but can't afford, things I need but can't find, or in this case, something I can afford and find but that happens to be sold out. Grrrrrr. I wanted to get these really interesting wall planters for the studio living room from West Elm, but they were sold out and therefore unavailable for my decorating purposes. The lack of ready-made wall planters sent me searching for a DIY way to get those green leafy guys up on the wall. So I made a few sketches and recruited Josh to implement the plan. -Laura
Hey guys, Josh here. Laura and I put our heads together for this one. We initially made the planters out of bent acrylic sheets (instead of PVC pipe). They looked awesome! But right when we were about to hang them, the acrylic started cracking open :/ So we had to rethink the material situation. This is what we came up with.
Supplies:
-8-10" PVC pipe (length depends on how many planter you plan on making) Try going to to your local plumbing supply store and asking if they have a damage pile you can look through. I got our pipe for free! Never hurts to ask.
-wood board (width and length depends on the size of pipe and number of planters you make)
-wood and super glue
-saw tooth picture hanger(s)
-plants/planting soil/planter pebbles
Tools:
-jig saw
-straight edge
-Sharpie
-hand or miter saw
-drill
-clamp
Step One: This step basically involves making three cuts. Take your straight edge and Sharpie and make a line straight down the pipe lengthwise. Then do the same on the opposite side (the first cut is cutting the pipe in half lengthwise). Depending on the size of pipe, you may not have to cut all the way through, just cut enough for your planter size. The planters we made are about 8.5" high (I used an 8" pipe).
After I cut the pipe in half, I made a cross cut. I had to drill a hole so I could get the jig saw blade started. To make the line for the second cut was a two person job. I measured up 8.5", then slowly rotated the pipe while Laura held a Sharpie against the pipe, making a line around the circumference. If you don't have a helping hand, you could clamp the Sharpie onto a table (facing out) and rotate the pipe against it. Or maybe there's an even easier way that we didn't think of…
After I had all the halfsies cut out, I spray painted them white to prime them.
Step Two: This step only requires a couple of cuts! The base is comprised of two pieces of wood. I made the back piece 10" x 12" and the bottom piece 10" x 5". These measurements make the edge stick out about an 1". You can make it any size your heart desires. After I had the two pieces cut and attached to each other, I traced the centered half pipe, then applied the super glue to the edges and pressed it against the two surfaces. I clamped the half pipe down. Be careful not to clamp too hard, or it will push the edges of the pipe out, and it'll be all distorted and wonky and dumb looking. After the glue dried, we painted each planter and installed the hangers on the back. Then it was time to plant!
Note: As an afterthought, I decided to round the bottom ledge so it matched the curve of the half pipe. I did it with a jig saw, and it was a bit of a hassle since it was already attached. You may just want to leave the bottom square, but if you do want it curved, then cut it before you attach to the back!
Laura picked out the plants because she's good at that stuff. She chose plants that would hang over the edge as well as went with the colors we painted the planters. When you are choosing your plants, take into account the amount of light that will be in your space. Different plants require different amounts of light. The little tag on the plant usually indicates the amount of light the plant needs. The planters aren't very big, so take the size into account as well when you go plant shopping. When we planted, I put in a couple of inches of pebbles for drainage, then transplanted the little guys into their new homes.
That's it! We hung the plants in the the office living room. The hardest part of this project is remembering to water 🙂 - Josh
Author: Joshua Rhodes. Photos by Laura Gummerman and Sarah Rhodes. Photo edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
29 Comments
Haha, this is too funny, I was just about to run to the nursery and pick up some new plants! This is such a chic way to display plants without taking up more table space.
Cat
http://oddlylovely.com
The planters look great and I love the shape! Just some thoughts in case you haven’t yet considered: Are you concerned about the water seeping through the wood (and staining the wall)? Did you use a glue that specifies it’s water-tight for the seams to ensure it will keep a seal over time with soil and watering? You can always take the plants out and add a plastic liner for a quick remedy if need be! 🙂
That’s really really cool!
They look great! 🙂
Love,
Lara
La Gal
I love this! Really cool idea 🙂
I love these! I definitely don’t have all the tools to do it though. Maybe in the future! 😉
Theresa
http://honesttrees.wordpress.com
What an amazing idea! Would have never thought of this, so cute!
http://www.littleblackshell.com
Exactly my thoughts, Pre!
Cool project with the extra step to waterproof!
They look seriously cool, and all that colour, WOW!
Viva la flora! Happy Nesting.
Definitely, so cute! The shape is awesome with hanging plants. If starting from scratch I would use the water-tight glue on all seams and finish by coating the entire piece, inside and out, with a product like Thompson’s Water Seal. You should be able to use them indoor or outdoor if sealed with the right product.
They would look great in an outdoor space, too! Even if you don’t have a wall or fence to hang them on or don’t want to/can’t put nails in your home (or only have a balcony), you could get a piece of wood or palette or really anything to hang them on and prop it up against your space.
Would never have thought of this! This would be great for herbs!
http://thatsmagsforyou.com
Love this DIY..PVC is a great option…love thats its hanging, and not occupying space..
xo
Hems
agoldentulip.blogspot.com
This is such a cute idea! I love indoor plants, and finding unusual places to have them; having a wall planter is a great idea!
xo
Kristina
http://www.eccentricowl.com
Those shorts look adorable on you els!
Love the planters too! You guys are crafty son of a guns!
Cool Project, loved it!
So pretty! x
https://www.marjorievie.blogspot.com
hi,
I am a long time lurker, but a huge fan… I am so lame about commenting sorry. I am a florist and I could not hold back, super cute planters but I hope you have somewhere for the pebbles to drain other than into wood.. I would suggest a plant liner or even super thick painters plastic they work great then all you need to do is pull them out of the containers once a week and set them outside, we do that for our corporate accounts… love your work keep up your great ideas.
– super lurker exposed..
?
Hello,
My name is Valentina and I’m an Industrial Designer from Chile, I read you blog every day since a long time, every post are fun and well made and I really enjoy to read it, but yesterday I was shocked by this post.
I know that similarities in Design are very common and the line between copycat and inspiration is very thin but in this case I feel that you may have crossed it, I have no proof of plagiarism but your DIY project has so many things like my Degree Project, that I feel the need to tell you (you can see the similarities on the shape, bright colors, concept and the way to use it).
You can watch the video that I had to make for the project,it has been on YouTube for more than 2 years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fTww_7dS40&feature=youtu.be
I’m not looking for anything in return, just respect for my work and respect for my designers colleagues, it took me a full year of research and hard work to develop that project to get my degree.
I honestly hope that you read your followers’s comments and we can have a respectful talk.
Sincerely
Valentina Tapia
Hi Valentina,
We do read all of our comments and of course we can have a respectful talk. We are always open to that!
Although I didn’t author this post, I watched this project evolve from idea to trial versions to final product. I know for sure that this project was Josh (and Laura’s) original idea. 🙂
Similarities DO happen in the online world (even much more similar than this) without any kind of plagiarism. I’ve been on both sides of that aisle and learned time and time again that sometimes people just have similar ideas.
I definitely appreciate you wording your comment in a nice, respectful tone but I think it may have been a little extreme to assume that Josh copied your project. He didn’t. Please be assured that giving proper credit when we are inspired by other’s work is very important us.
Hope you have a great weekend and thanks for reading A Beautiful Mess!
🙂 Elsie
Looks great, defiantly something to try in my future home!
Ingridesignblog.com
Just perfect!
Just perfect idea!
What are the names of the plants you used? Thanks
“Laura picked out the plants because she’s good at that stuff.” hahahahaaa
Oh my, I love Joshua’s posts, always my favourite 🙂
(not that I would ever build anything… I got two left hands, but I just looove reading these posts!!)
What’s the super waxy-looking plant in the lime planter? I must have it in my house..!
gorgeous!!
xx nikki
http://www.dream-in-neon.com
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I would suggest putting a rubber band around the pipe before cutting. Measure to make sure you put the rubber band on evenly, then use your sharpie marker to mark your cut lines.
Loved your post! Beautiful images 🙂