This hanging planter is a fun do-it-yourself project, and it’s perfect for small spaces. Not only is it useful, but it also provides a decorative appeal to the kitchen.
Use insert pots to prevent a mess when watering your herbs. Depending on the size of terra cotta pots you choose, a 4-inch or 6-inch plastic pot wrapped with a plastic sandwich bag can be slipped into each terra cotta pot to avoid spills.
Tools & Materials
• Terra cotta pots (3)
• Acrylic paints, for terra cotta
• Letter stencil
• Yarn or wool
• Macramé ring, metal or wood
• Soilless mix
• Herbs
Step 1: Paint the pots as desired with acrylic paint. Use a letter stencil to paint the name of the herb to be planted in each pot.
Step 2: Place each plastic potted herb into one of the terra cotta pots, and set them aside.
Step 3: For the macramé hanger, choose a thick yarn or wool as bulky as you can find in your color preference. Cut three pieces, each about 4 -1/2 yards long. If you’re using pots larger than 4 inches, add another 1/2 yard or so to allow for more length.
Step 4: Thread all three yarn strands through the macramé ring, slide it down until it’s centered on the strands, and then make a simple square knot tied tightly to the ring.
Step 5: You’ll now have six strands. Divide these into pairs, forming three sets of pairs. Hang the ring on something solid, which will allow you to use gravity to set your lengths when you do the next few knots.
Step 6: Measure down 15 inches from the top knot, and knot the two strands hanging to the left together. Repeat this with the middle and right pairs, making sure all the knots are approximately the same distance from the top knot.
Step 7: Gather all six strands together, and do another square knot, about 4 inches below the last three knots. This is the first pocket.
Step 8: For the second pocket, measure 6 inches from the square knot. This provides room to insert the plant below the first pocket. (Again, adjust the lengths if you’re using bigger pots.) Divide the six strands into three pairs, and knot each pair again. Gather together, move down another 4 inches, and square-knot the six strands together.
Step 9: For the last pocket, measure 6 inches down, and knot in pairs. Measure 4 inches down, and knot all strands together with a square knot.
NOTE: If you want, you can add a wood bead or a piece of driftwood at the end, and then put another square knot below to hold it in place.
Step 10: Place your potted herbs in the hanger. Space out the strands so they securely hold the pots in place. Hang the planter from the ceiling near a window, and enjoy!
Shelley Levis is a horticulturist, writer, and garden designer. She’s also the voice behind the gardening blog Sow & Dipity. This article is excerpted with permission from her book Countertop Gardens (Quarto).