Air Plant Hanging Planter DIY

Quickly make your own air plant hanging planter DIY! Loved by kids and adults, air plants are versatile for home décor and are pretty easy to take care of.

Air Plant Hanging DIY Planter Easy and Quick Craft

Here at the ‘Boots, we believe in crafting with the little ones. This simple air plant hanging planter can be done with kids. If you are working with little ones, check out the lessons learned section.

If you’re looking for more fun to do with the little ones, check out our Kid Crafts section for DIYs and more: balloon painting (SO MUCH FUN!), DIY dragons (very popular), and even a preschooler dream catcher craft.

Supplies for Air Plant Hanging Planter DIY

//www.pinterest.com/ndcfullcircle/air-plants-holders-diy-decor/

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  • Clay (we used oven-baked to cut down on the crafting time because the kid has the attention span of well, a 5-year-old)
  • Clay glaze (to protect from misting and moist plants) and tools (we used a knife and foil)
  • Brushes (for painting and glazing) and acrylic paints
  • Twine or string for hanging
  • Small bowls (pinch or prep bowls work well for most air plants)
  • Air plants (we buy ours on Amazon from the company below because they have great quality air plants which arrive healthy; you can also source them locally but they might be more expensive)


How to Make an Air Plant Hanger

This is an easy craft for the little ones, however, younger kids will need some supervision. My 5-year-old did almost everything herself but did get frustrated when the clay was warm. Our images will include two different clay pieces she made. 

Yield: 2 air plant hangers

Air Plant Hanging Planter DIY

air plant hanger

Quickly make your own air plant hanging planter DIY! Loved by kids and adults, air plants are versatile for home décor and are pretty easy to take care of.

Active Time 20 minutes
Baking Time 22 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $5

Materials

  • Clay (we used oven-baked to cut down on the crafting time because the kid has the attention span of well, a 5-year-old)
  • Clay glaze (to protect from misting and moist plants) and tools (we used a knife and foil)
  • Brushes (for painting and glazing) and acrylic paints
  • Twine or string for hanging
  • Small bowls (pinch or prep bowls work well for most air plants)
  • Air plants (we buy ours on Amazon)

Instructions

  1. Create the clay pieces. Soften and roll out the clay. Keep the clay pretty thick for the younger crowd or dare to dream and roll thin. I have made them thin and thick and they both work well.
  2. Polymer Clay Air Plant Hanging Planter
  3. Drape the clay over a small pinch or prep dish and lightly press. Cut off the excess clay. We used two different bowls to create our clay planter pieces.
  4. Create Your Textured Clay Pieces for the Air Plant Planter
  5. Remove the clay from the dish and work into the desired shape. Use a toothpick or the end of a thin paintbrush to create the hanging holes. If you are making this air plant hanging planter with little ones, choose four holes for stability.
  6. Poke Holes in Planter for Threading
  7. We noticed the designs won’t stay because of all the shaping you’ll be doing, so if you use a fluted bowl, don’t expect for those to show. Add texture, if desired. We used a knife to create a notched edge on one of the dishes of our air plant hanging planter DIY. We also used a paintbrush to create a textured look on the sides of the other piece.
  8. Score the edge of a clay piece
  9. Finish the clay pieces. Place the shaped forms onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Use foil, if needed, to support the shapes.
  10. Bake per the instructions. IMPORTANT: turn off the oven and leave the clay pieces in it to cool down.
  11. Bake Air Plant Hanging Planter on a Foil lined sheet
  12. Once the pieces are cool, paint ’em. When painting, use a straight-edged brush to keep the line.
  13. Paint Air Plant Hanging Planter DIY
  14. Once the paint is dry, glaze the pieces. You don’t need a very thick coat here. In fact, two light coats are better (top, sides, and bottom). When glazing, be sure to clear out the holes with a toothpick. Let them dry completely.
  15. Glaze the Clay Air Plant Hanging DIY
  16. Assemble the air plant hanger. Create knots on the end of your string and thread the string through your bottom piece. If your kids are helping with this, make sure the knots are thick enough to prevent them sliding through the clay pieces.
  17. Thread Twine Through Bottom Clay Piece Air Plant Hanging Planter DIY
  18. Determine the length you want from the bottom piece and tie knots. We made the front of the higher tier lower than the back on some. Thread the string through the top piece once all knots are in place, adjust for display, and then tie off the strands at the top.
  19. Tie Knots under the Upper Tray Air Plant Hanging DIY

Notes

Lessons Learned and Tips for Making a Clay Air Plant Hanger:

  • If the clay gets too soft and won't hold its shape, put it in the fridge for a couple of minutes.
  • Make sure to check the hole size the kids make for the string you're using. Let's say you didn't check the hole sizes, just grab some pokey thing and make the hole a bit bigger or use a toothpick to shove the string through. Both work but opt for the toothpick to avoid cracking.
  • Don't let younger kids use the clay glaze because they'll add 1,000,004 bubbles in 12 seconds from stirring it and then you'll have to wait.

For more fun crafts, visit Ruffles and Rain Boots.

Did you make this?

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Upclose Medium Sized Air Plant in DIY Hanging Planter

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This air plant hanging planter DIY was a fun activity for a day we were stuck inside. We had everything we needed (inexpensive air plants here) and now have two playful hangers for our plants.

Please pin this great hanging planter to your favorite DIY board on Pinterest and check back for more air plant DIY projects.

Air Plant Hanging DIY Planter

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