DIY Jungle Plant Wall

As my love for houseplants expanded I needed more places to display them. But I'm a fulltime student so I needed to use my imagination in order to make it in an inexpensive way. Everything that's on the wall I've either got for free or at thrift stores very cheap, or from the forest. If plants are not something that interests you, this could be a great way for putting up decorations on as well.

For this tutorial I'm going to present how I choose to do it, but there's a lot of room to make this wall in your personal style by switching out things I used. Instead of shelves you could use books, wooden boards, anything that's kinda flat and can hold some weight.

Shelves

* 1 IKEA, LACK wall shelf 30x190 cm, white (the color is up to you)

(* or buy Ikea LACK - wall shelf, 30x26 cm as many as you need)

* 18 pcs Picture hangers

* Wrapping string (Or any typ of sturdy rope)

* Hammer

* Level

Branch + lights

* Branch

* Saw (coarse-toothed). I used a Stanley Fatmax Handsaw

*Screwdriver (with a bit that fits the wallshelf), handheld or electric.

* Sandpaper (60 or 100 grit). I used sandpaper sheets.

* 3 hooks (that's suitable depending on what type of materia your ceiling/wall are)

(* 3 plugs for the hooks if you have a concrete roof)

* Chain (lengths depending on how long you want the branch to hang from the ceiling). Like this chain.

* Plier (for cutting the chain)

1. Find a suitable branch

I got my branch from a fallen tree in a nearby forest. Be sure you're allowed to take it, and don't break anything of a living tree. It's better to grab a branch that's slightly too long than to short.

Pro tip: Good company is prefered when searching for the perfect branch. For this quest I was accompanied by my trustworthy dog.

2. Prepare the branch

i) Wash the branch with soap. I used environmentally friendly soap made of pinewood oil. You want to use a friendly soap without a lot of chemicals for best results. With the help of a dish sponge I scrubbed off all loose moss and dirt.

ii) Let dry. To speed up the process I placed it on a radiator over a period of 24h for it to become completely dry.

(Optional after washing and drying: You can use oil to seal the wood. This could also give it a nice finish or another color. Depending on what materia your branch is, what type of oil you should use can differ. Check with a shop, if possible take a piece of the wood with you so get the right stuff)

iii) Cut into right length If you don't already find a branch in the perfect size you're gonna have to measure the wall so the branch gets cut into the same length.

iv) Use sandpaper on the whole branch so it's nice and smooth to avoid splinters when handling it. I used 100 grits sandpaper at first and foremost on the edges and 60 grits sandpaper on the rest.

Tip!

Save the pieces you cut off! These can be used as plant support, or for other projects.

i) Pre drill 3 holes for the hooks.

(Optional step: Put in a plug before screwing in the hooks, if you have a concrete wall. Check with your local hardware store to get the right type of plugs and hooks to support the weight of the branch)

ii) Screw in the hooks

iii) Measure out the lengths on the chains depending on what level you want your branch to be on.

iv) Put up the branch in the chains (for this step it's useful if you get some help if the branch is long)

If you already have enough lightning there's no need for this step. But I needed more lighting for my plants as some demand much light to thrive.

i) Twirl the lights around the branch. I used a a three armed lamp I found at a thrift store. If you're going to have plants on the shelfs I recommend searching up the amount of light your plants need, and to have that in mind when placing the shelves.

ii) Put up a cable canal to hide the wires.

i) LACK wall shelf

Unscrew the shelves from the base

ii) Gift string (or any durable rope that's easy to handle)

Cut two pieces in the same lengths and make a knot on each piece.

iii) Picture hangers

1. Mark where you want the shelves to be on the wall.

2. Put up the picture hangers with a distance of 23cm/ 9.055 inches between every two hangers for one shelf.

iv) Place shelves

Place the shelves into the strings.

v) Use a level to make sure the shelves is horizontal.

I chose to hang the shelves randomly. By doing so it allowes for plants of different height and widht.

Tip!

For this step everything is optional in terms of material. Just make sure it can handle the weight that's going to be on the shelves.

Last but not least, time to let out all your creativity!

I have a variety of plants on the wall, they are positioned based on light demand and size. For a more monochromatic look I spray painted all poots white so the color of the plants really come through.

Plants on the shelves (in no particular order) ; Rhaphidophora tetrasperma, Peperomias, Syngonium podophyllum “white butterfly”, Blue star fern 'Phlebodium aureum davana', Epipremnum n’joy & golden, Chlorophytum comosum and Begonia maculata 'Picta'.

Airplants on the wall; Tillandsia xerographica, Tillandsia curly slim, Tillandsia gardneri and Tillandsia usneoides.

Plant in the coconut shell hanger; A miniature Pachira aquatica

I wish you the best of luck with this tutorial! I would love to see the results if you decide to do a dream wall of your own.
Best regards, Diana

Picture 1: Use the branch to hang up plant hangers to get a fuller look of the wall.

Picture 2: I got another smaller branch that I pinched into place between the big branch and the ceiling. With that I created even more room for hanging plants. I chose my Tillandsia Curly Slim for that, and ofcourse it needed some googly eyes, it makes everything better.

Picture 3: Do you like to propagate? Then these shelves are perfect for small cuttings. Or why not place some flowers like tulips or roses for a colourpop?

Picture 4: If you have plants with long bines you can climb between different shelves.

Picture 5: If one of the plants needs extra support, use things from nature! For my Begonia maculata 'Picta' I used two small branches from Corylus avellana 'Contorta'.