Houseplants are easy. Most of the houseplant species you’ll find at your local florist, garden shop, or discount store are hardy and simple to care for. The biggest difference between the available plant species is the amount of light they need. The easy-to-make macrame knit hanger and simple wooden plant stand allow you to place your plants in exactly the right position they need to get the proper amount of light.
Before You Build: Choosing the Right Window
Low-light plants, such as pothos plants, philodendrons, parlor palms, and ZZ plants will do well with the amount of light that streams in through an open horizontal blind, vertical blind, or shutters. Layered and sheer shades in the open position also work well for most low-light plants. Shades, shutters, and blinds must be opened each day to provide light—even low-light plants need some sun. Bali offers window treatments that can be quickly and easily opened and closed.
Plants that require a lot of light—such as cactuses, aloe plants, jade plants, ficus plants, and money trees—should be placed in sunny windows where the window treatments can be completely opened. Bali solar and roller shades, motorized and configured to automatically open and close, are ideal in this situation. Learn more about Bali Motorized Shade options.
Once you’ve selected the right window and the right window treatment, the next step is positioning the plants at the window. Using a knit macrame plant hanger or simple-to-build wooden plant stand you’ll read about below, you’ll be able to correctly position your plants at just about any window.
The Easy Plant Hanger
One way to keep plants by your window is a plant hanger. This simple macrame plant hanger is inexpensive and easy to make.
For this project you will need:
- Macrame cord, cotton rope, or thick yarn
- One plant holder bracket and hardware to attach
- One plant pot (attached saucer recommended)
- A measuring tape
- Scissors
Step 1
To get started, cut eight pieces of your chosen cord that are at least six times longer than your plant pot is tall. This means, if you choose a plant pot that is six inches tall, you should cut each cord at least 36 inches long. If you’d like your plant pot to hang lower or your plant pot is extra wide, increase the length of your cords.
To make the hanging holder, begin by gathering all eight pieces of your cord at one end and tie them together in a simple knot. Make sure that all eight cords are aligned. You may trim the short ends to your desired length.
Steps 2 & 3
Using your tape measure, determine the width of the bottom of your plant pot. Round that measurement to the nearest inch and divide by two. 
Set your cords onto a flat surface and arrange the strands so that they lay flat, with the large bottom knot in the center of the strands.
Step 4
Select two strands that are next to one another. Measuring from the center knot, use the previous measurement you took from the bottom of your plant pot divided by two and tie the two strands together at that point. Lay the two strands down and move clockwise to the next two strands. You should have four pairs with a total of four knots.
Step 5
To create the next row, select two pairs that are next to each other. Take the two middle strands and use the same measurement from before to locate the spot to make the next knot. Similarly, to the previous knots, repeat the same process all the way around.
Continue measuring and knotting each layer until your plant pot sits comfortably in the holder.
To finish your plant holder, gather your loose ends and tie a loop.
Final product
Follow your plant holder bracket’s instructions for installation. Make sure when you install the bracket that you are mindful of the way your window treatments operate. If you have a cordless or motorized shade, you can place the bracket closer to the window. If you have a corded or continuous loop shade, be sure to leave room so you can still operate your window treatment.
Note: Be careful when watering your plant. If you chose a planter with an attached saucer, you could water the plant without taking it out of the hanger. Just be careful not to overfill the plant pot. If you did not choose a plant pot with an attached saucer, you may want to remove the plant pot from the hanger before watering to prevent spills and drips.
Building the Simple Plant Stand
For this project you will need:
- Two Eight-foot 2x2s
- Eight 2-1/2” drywall screws
- One 1-1/2” drywall screw
- Handsaw
- Tape measure
- Drill bit that matches thickness of drywall screws
- Power drill with drill bit matching head of drywall screws (generally Phillips or square drive)
- Chisel
- Pencil for marking
Our plant stand is made from 2x2s, which is basically a 2x4 ripped lengthwise into two equal-sized pieces. A 2x2 is generally the cheapest lumber you will find at the store and it’s the perfect size for our plant stand.
Step 1
Start with two 2x2s. Cut two three-foot pieces from each of the 2x2s. Set these four pieces aside. You will be left with two short lengths approximately two feet long. You will cut these short pieces to match the diameter of the pot you will be putting on the finished plant stand.
Measure the diameter of the pot at its widest point. Add a half inch to that measurement and use that number to make your cuts.
Step 2
Once you’ve cut the two smaller lengths to size, put two pieces side by side and make a mark at the middle of the lengths. Then, using a piece of 2x2 as a guide—placing it so that the mark falls at exactly the center of the 2x2 you are using as a guide—mark out a notch that is exactly as thick as the 2x2. Then mark the depth of the notch so that it cuts halfway through the piece. Make multiple cuts side by side and then chip out the waste bits with a chisel. Mark exactly the same-sized notch on the other piece, cut it out, and then test fit the two short pieces together by joining the notches. This X-shaped piece will form the platform that the plant will rest upon. Put these pieces aside.
Step 3
Take the legs—the four three-foot pieces of 2x2—and mark the height at which you would like your plant to sit. Then, use a 2x2 to mark where you want the X-shaped platform to join to the leg. Place all the legs side by side when marking so that they all match. Once all the legs are marked, it’s time to assemble our plant stand.
Step 4
There are a couple ways to join the legs to the X-shaped centerpiece. The first is using glue and dowels. This is the sturdiest solution, but it takes more time and is less forgiving when it comes to marking and drilling pilot holes. A simpler solution is using drywall screws—two for each leg, drilled through the leg and into the ends of the X-shaped platform pieces. We will use standard 2-1/2” drywall screws for our project.
One note on pilot holes. Do not skip the step of drilling pilot holes. You will be driving the drywall screws into the end grain of the cross pieces. If you do not drill a pilot hole first, there is a good chance of splitting the wood. The pilot hole will not only prevent splitting the wood, it will also make the joint stronger by ensuring that the threads of the screw are cutting into the wood and not driving the wood grain apart.
Each leg will eventually be attached with two screws, but we will start by first attaching each leg with one screw. (This will ensure all legs sit flat on the floor before we lock in the shape with the second screws). Attach one leg at a time by holding the X-shaped platform piece in exactly the position you marked. Start by drilling one pilot hole through one of the legs and into the end of one of the X-shaped platform pieces. Then, attached it with a 2-1/2” drywall screw. Do the same with the other three legs until there’s one screw in each of the four legs. The assembled piece should sit flat on the floor. Then, drill the rest of the pilot holes and install the second screw in each leg so that each leg is now attached with two screws.
Step 5
When you’re satisfied with how the plant stand sits on the floor, drill a pilot hole down through the place where the notches meet. This will permanently attach the cross-members.
The completed plant stand can be finished with a stain or paint—or left as bare wood.
More Considerations for Decorating with Plants
When picking plants for your home, think about what types of shapes and textures visually complement your particular window. A giant window with strong light might be well matched with a Norfolk pine or a hanging fern—the interesting shape of these plants and their large size would fit well against the broad opening.
For smaller windows with less light, a hanging pothos or philodendron, with their curving shapes and round leaves, would contrast nicely with the horizontal bands of Bali Layered Shades.
Color is another consideration. Lush green houseplants play well against deeper hues of Bali Custom Drapery. Shades and blinds in reds and blues offer a nice contrast to green houseplants. And the natural colors and textures of Bali Natural Shades are an ideal pairing with houseplants.
Houseplants bring your windows to life. Get the most out of your windows and find the perfect window treatments that provide just the light you need at baliblinds.com.
