There are many examples of these chairs on the Internet and in magazines so I wanted to see for myself how much effort it would take to make one of these adorable plant stands.
The results will surprise you and hopefully get you to take on such a project.
On a scale of easy to hard, I would say it was an easy project almost anyone could complete.
The first step of course is to find the chair you would like to use.
There are many sources to find a chair try garage sales, flea markets or thrift stores. Don't go out and buy a new one — reuse what you have.
The criteria, well for me anyways, was to use one that was missing the seat. But any chair will do. You may have to cut out a hole in it for the plant or pot if yours has a seat.
In my case the chairs I used were purchased from a customer of mine: Trashsista "Valerie". Since I am drawn to rusty and/or chippy furniture, I just had to have them — even though they were missing the seats and their rockers (they were originally used as rocking chairs).
I knew what I wanted to do with them when I saw them but it was just finding the time.
My second step was of course to go to the hardware store ().
The supplies I picked up were a sealer, aviary wire, soil, and of course plants. The only thing they didn't have was the moss I used which I had to pick up from .
What they lacked in supplies they made up in service. Lori was a tremendous help with the plants and I was surprised by the selection they offered. Thank you Pete's — oh and shop local, you save on gas!
Just a little hint on buying plants for any project: bring a container — or in this case chair — to the nursery with you when you shop for the plants, they don't mind.
You can arrange the plants in a way that peaks your interests and you have literally the whole nursery to go through.
I placed the plants on the floor and visualized what it would look like in my chair. Remember to consider the plants you choose for sun or shade-areas and color combinations.
I went back at my shop, , to start the process. I lightly sanded the chair and cleaned the piece with mild soap and water. Since I wanted to retain the look of the pealing paint (yes, crazy I know), I sealed the chair with a spray protective coating Krylon Matte Finish.
Also, since it will be watered often, this step is a pretty important one that people seem to overlook. The chair will last longer for future replanting if you do this following step.
After it dries for about 15 minutes, measure the base of the seat and double the size for your cut on the aviary wire. Use gloves and wire cutters, not scissors. The wires can poke and you can ruin your scissors.
My chair measured 10"x12" so my cut out was 20" by 24".
After you cut the wire, push the wire through the base of the seat from the top, forming a shape the plants will fit in. Be patient, the wire is easy to mold. You can try again if it doesn't look right.
Be sure to leave plenty of excess wire at the top to attach to the chair and fold it over the sides. With the old chair I used, the wood was hard to penetrate. I tried using a staple gun to attach the wire, but it just wouldn't hold. So I ended up using another piece of wire to stitch the wire together. Improvise — I do.
After the wire is molded and secured, prepare the green moss by soaking it in a pail of water. Squeeze out the excess water. Don't be lazy doing this step. The moss will mold much better and make the project easier to do.
Expect to use a bag of "green" moss. The moss acts as a barrier to keep the soil and moisture in the planter when you water it. Mold the moss to cover the aviary wire completely. Start at the bottom and work your way up.
When done, add the plants. Remember large plants to the back and small to the front. Add soil as needed to fill in any gaps.
And you're done! See, not hard at all.
Good luck!
This item can be purchased from my shop and studeio: Restore & Rework. You can also visit my website http://www.restoreandrework.com/ and Facebook page.
Jackie