Having plants is a joy, and displaying them can be a joy too!
As much as I love the unique leafy characteristics of my plants, a major part of the equation is proper presentation. Each plant has it's own personality, therefore each of them deserves a special spot of their own. My cozy little abode has limited space for all the things I love (there's so much to love), how do I make it all fit without looking cluttered? When there's limitations one is then forced to be creative.
I looked high and low for the perfect plant shelf to fit a particular spot in my home. The criteria was as follows; 1) Wheels to save me from moving individual pots about in search of just the right lighting conditions, and 2) it needed to fit the modern rustic farmhouse theme that I have begun transitioning too. Unfortunately nothing seemed to fit the bill.
When I accepted the fact that the vision I had in my mind wasn't going to be found, I knew I had to investigate diy options. I've always liked the look of furniture made from wood and metal plumbing pipes, so this was as good as any excuse to make it happen. When you can't find what you need, you improvise.
My shopping list for this project:
1 pine board - 2 inches thick (I like the chunkier look)
4 plumbing pipes - 12 inches long
8 pipe flanges (make sure it fits the pipe diameter)
4 wheels/casters
1 package of wood screws
1 can of matte black spray paint
Paint and painting supplies for the wood
STEP 1: Choose Your Wood
I picked out a 2 inch thick piece of pine. I asked the staff at the hardware store to cut it in two feet sections to fit my particular awkward wall space. Having it cut before you leave the store saves a ton of work and time. I also wanted a piece that had plenty of imperfections, the more knots and dings the better for achieving the desired rustic look I envisioned.
STEP 2: Sand & Paint the Wood
When I got the wood home I sanded down any rough edges, and surfaces. No one wants a nasty splinter. This made the surface ready for a coat of paint. I used a light coat of two leftover paints that I mixed, from other projects. A pale grey chalk paint, and a creamy coloured milk paint. Yes you read correctly, I mixed them for a batch big enough to cover each wood piece. Waste not, want not! Once that dried I gave it a coat of wax, again leftover from a previous project.
STEP 3: Spray Paint the Metal Parts
The pipes, flanges, and screws were in various shades of silver, and greasy! I fixed that by spray painting a coat of matte black paint on all the metal pieces, only after I washed the greasy pipes with steel wool and dish soap. I used quick dry spray paint, and within minutes it was dry. I scraped them up a bit to achieve a worn imperfect look. Please note that you should test that all parts fit together nicely before you spray anything!
STEP 4: Assembly
I choose each wood piece carefully, noting which side I wanted facing up. I started assembling by screwing the wheels on one wood piece, building up from there. I then simply put together the painted pipes and flanges on each end before I screwed them in place. This is amazing, the flanges screw on the end of each pipe like magic, making a stable and secure bond. I measured the halfway mark on each wood section to be sure I centred each pipe and flange piece correctly before I moved to the next level. I found it very helpful laying it on its back to double check that each shelf was lined up nicely with the last. No one wants a wonky off kilter shelf.
Now I have a happy place for pretty plants to call home!
The project was not time cosumming, waiting for the paint to dry was the longest part. However it was a bigger investment then I usually take. Who knew plumbing parts were pricey? This three tiered shelf banked me somewhere between 60-80 dollars all in, but I would have paid so much more if I didn't make it myself no complaints here. Worth It, you betcha!
As much as I love the unique leafy characteristics of my plants, a major part of the equation is proper presentation. Each plant has it's own personality, therefore each of them deserves a special spot of their own. My cozy little abode has limited space for all the things I love (there's so much to love), how do I make it all fit without looking cluttered? When there's limitations one is then forced to be creative.
I looked high and low for the perfect plant shelf to fit a particular spot in my home. The criteria was as follows; 1) Wheels to save me from moving individual pots about in search of just the right lighting conditions, and 2) it needed to fit the modern rustic farmhouse theme that I have begun transitioning too. Unfortunately nothing seemed to fit the bill.
When I accepted the fact that the vision I had in my mind wasn't going to be found, I knew I had to investigate diy options. I've always liked the look of furniture made from wood and metal plumbing pipes, so this was as good as any excuse to make it happen. When you can't find what you need, you improvise.
My shopping list for this project:
1 pine board - 2 inches thick (I like the chunkier look)
4 plumbing pipes - 12 inches long
8 pipe flanges (make sure it fits the pipe diameter)
4 wheels/casters
1 package of wood screws
1 can of matte black spray paint
Paint and painting supplies for the wood
I picked out a 2 inch thick piece of pine. I asked the staff at the hardware store to cut it in two feet sections to fit my particular awkward wall space. Having it cut before you leave the store saves a ton of work and time. I also wanted a piece that had plenty of imperfections, the more knots and dings the better for achieving the desired rustic look I envisioned.
When I got the wood home I sanded down any rough edges, and surfaces. No one wants a nasty splinter. This made the surface ready for a coat of paint. I used a light coat of two leftover paints that I mixed, from other projects. A pale grey chalk paint, and a creamy coloured milk paint. Yes you read correctly, I mixed them for a batch big enough to cover each wood piece. Waste not, want not! Once that dried I gave it a coat of wax, again leftover from a previous project.
The pipes, flanges, and screws were in various shades of silver, and greasy! I fixed that by spray painting a coat of matte black paint on all the metal pieces, only after I washed the greasy pipes with steel wool and dish soap. I used quick dry spray paint, and within minutes it was dry. I scraped them up a bit to achieve a worn imperfect look. Please note that you should test that all parts fit together nicely before you spray anything!
I choose each wood piece carefully, noting which side I wanted facing up. I started assembling by screwing the wheels on one wood piece, building up from there. I then simply put together the painted pipes and flanges on each end before I screwed them in place. This is amazing, the flanges screw on the end of each pipe like magic, making a stable and secure bond. I measured the halfway mark on each wood section to be sure I centred each pipe and flange piece correctly before I moved to the next level. I found it very helpful laying it on its back to double check that each shelf was lined up nicely with the last. No one wants a wonky off kilter shelf.
Now I have a happy place for pretty plants to call home!
The project was not time cosumming, waiting for the paint to dry was the longest part. However it was a bigger investment then I usually take. Who knew plumbing parts were pricey? This three tiered shelf banked me somewhere between 60-80 dollars all in, but I would have paid so much more if I didn't make it myself no complaints here. Worth It, you betcha!
Comments
Post a Comment