*psst: You can win 3 air plants of your own at end of this post- read on!
I've held a secret obsession with air plants since my younger days, when junior high trips to the beach with my church youth group inevitably led to visiting Wings for a cheap souvenir. You know the kind of place: where you find neon tie dye tee shirts, Hard Rock Cafe knock offs, hermit crabs with a shot glass instead of a shell and air plants super glued to a magnet with some sort of plastic placard emblazoning "Plastered at Myrtle Beach, Spring Break '91". Despite not experiencing the aforementioned drunk fest, the magnets hold a special place in my heart right beside my golden Elvis bust and string art collection.
But they're not always kitsch; air plants are actually quite fascinating and have recently been elevated to high design all over blog land!
Sprung from a train of thought somewhere between John Giacomazzi's chandelier and the numerous terrariums all over the web, I was inspired to create a simple chandelier of air plants for Mabel's room. A little bit about air plants: they're epiphytes, which means they gather most of their needed nutrients from the air through their leaves and they're of the genus Tillandsia (which may come in handy if you're using the Google to shop for them). These little bromeliads need to be drenched 2 times a week or have a once-a-week 10-minute soak {Mine have i.d. tags in waterproof ink, so I soak 'em tags and all}. Give them a good shake after watering so the water doesn't settle in around the base of the leaves; the collected water will cause rotting. Semi-monthly fertilizing is also recommended for making baby plants and for flowering. After the soak, I just use the water on the other houseplants and no one feels left out. See more great tips for caring for them here.
Tools:
Nimble fingers and/or Crochet hook in a medium size
What you'll need:
Linen thread (I used linen rug warp I had on-hand for another project)--you can find this at craft stores with bookbinding products, or at the ever tantalizing Paper Source. Jute twine is available at hardware stores and would also make a beautiful, natural way to hang your planters.
Glass spherical candle holders. CB2 offers glass tea light holders for $3.95 each (I used 8; use fewer for a more minimalist look, more for a bigger statement piece)
Planter bracket or ceiling hook (go ahead and install this where you'll want your chandelier to hang)
Air plants (mine are from Airplants4u and I was very happy with my experience)
And a Quick'n Dirty How-To
Start with a generous loop at the start of your thread; this will be what you loop on the ceiling hook. Crochet a chain stitch to the desired length. Tie off the chain stitch so it doesn't unravel and tie on your globe; hang from the hook. The next one you make will be the process as before but with more stitches, allowing the bulb to hang 2-3 inches lower than the first. Repeat making individual crocheted chains for each candle holder and hanging as you go. Note the length of each chain, adding a couple more loops each time; this will make the cluster appear as if the bulbs are spiraling down.
For greater visual interest and texture, instead of crocheting all of the thread, I braided some, knotted a few strands like you do when making a friendship bracelet, and left a strand or 2 straight, but still used different lengths to attain the spiral.
Once they're all hung in lengths that look good to you, you'll just place an air plant inside each candle holder.Some of my globes hold several plants, while others hold single plants I felt had more dynamic lines.
There you have it, a modern planter that is totally doable, right?
***It feels so good to be back and spring gardening is just around the corner. In celebration, I've got a giveaway! Three air plants to get you started on your own air plant chandelier! All you gotta do is tell me what your favorite handmade air plant product or project is. Next Friday I'll pick a winner and you'll be well on your way to your very own air plant jungle!
Renee Garner has a passion to make things grow, although her brownish
thumb wants her to believe otherwise. When mud pies aren't on the menu,
you can find her doodling the days away at Wolfie and the Sneak.
