DIY Macrame Plant Hanger + Gold Plant Stand

Remember the five-dollar plant stand I scored at a local Habitat for Humanity's ReStore?
I honestly had no idea what it was at first, but it had oodles of potential, so of course I scooped it up and took it home with me. Besides, I had pinned enough images of bohemian home decor to know that this strange object belonged in our future bungalow.
There's just something super laid back and chill about lots of plants scattered around the home... Even better if they're hanging in a macrame plant hanger - it's like a hammock for your plants, and maybe, just maybe in addition to hanging there and looking all pretty, it could serve as a reminder for me to "TAKE IT EASY, OKAY?!"
Anyway, I don't know why I'm getting so worked up about a plant hanger. Clearly I need a vacation or maybe some sleep. Either way, I'm excited to finally share the end results, seeing how I watered this plant all of two times in the past two months. It's a miracle it has survived this long. Maybe I'll opt for a cactus next time.
In case you're looking at these photos and thinking to yourself, "I NEED A HANGING PLANT IN MY LIFE" - fret not! Check out your local ReStore, scour some vintage shops, find a home auction in the area or go yard sale-hopping one Saturday morning, and you're bound to come across a random piece of metal with lots of potential. Sand that sucker down and spray a couple coats of gold spray paint. My all-time favorite is the Rust-Oleum Metallic Gold - and this is coming from a spray paint veteran.
The macrame part is where it gets a little tricky, but if I and my sausage fingers can do it, so can you.
I confess, after about thirty-six failed attempts of cutting the string to a proper length, I was about ready to declare war on Pinterest and all of its misleading "so easy, even a child can do it" claims.
BUT - lucky for you, me, the plant, the stand and the good people at The Home Depot who had to deal with my neurotic self - I persevered and now can officially add "macrame artist" to my ever-changing Instagram bio.
You'll Need the Following Materials:
Vintage plant stand
Sandpaper
Rust-Oleum metallic gold spray paint
Scissors
Washi tape
Ruler
3 cords that are three times as long as you want your plant hanger to be
3 cords that are ten times as long as you want your plant hanger to be
1 short cord - approximately 6 inches
How to Determine the Length of the Chords:


First, measure how long you want your plant hanger to be.


For example, let's say you want it to be 10 inches. In that case, you will need three cords that are 30 inches each, as well as three cords that are 100 inches each.
Tying the Top Knot


First you will need to knot a loop from which to hang your plant hanger.


To do so, fold all six of your cords right at the middle. Using your thumb and pointer finger on your left hand, pinch together the six cords about two inches from the top - less if you want a shorter loop and more if you want a longer loop. To make the next steps easier, tape the six cords together slightly above where you want the actual knot to start, like so:
Then with your right hand take the 6-inch cord that you cut earlier and place it perpendicular to and on top of the cords you're holding in your left hand. Make a loose loop, like so:
Then taking the cord on the right and circle it behind the main "braid" and over to the front, just below the short cord sticking out on the left. Continue making these not-too-tight circles around the "braid" until you've almost reached the end. At this point, your knot should look something like the photo below. On your last circle around the "braid," pull the cord inside the loop seen below (away from yourself), then pull both loose ends in opposite directions, until the knot is tightened.
View the full tutorial here:
Oksana Radionova
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  • Joanne Kreil Joanne Kreil on Jun 01, 2017

    I believe what you have is a birdcage hanger. Your repurpose of it is really a great idea.

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  • Chey Chey on May 22, 2017
    That is beautiful. Quite creative and with an artistic modern look - it fits in your surrounding/room. You did a great job! Thanks for sharing.
  • Tawny Leste-Carlson Tawny Leste-Carlson on Nov 22, 2020

    For some reason I cant find the link to the complete tutorial. Bummer!

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