Maybe you’ve been to a cool hipster restaurant and have seen an amazing living wall installation, or maybe you just watched Zac Efron in Down to Earth and feel the need to add some greenery to your home.  Believe me, I’ve been there…in fact I am always on the hunt for ways to add more greenery to my home without my husband feeling like he lives in an actual Amazon Rainforest; cue the living wall.

I created this project to be both basic and budget friendly, because it would be easy for this concept to become spendy pretty quickly.  I’ve found a way to create a modern living wall for under $30 (plus plants) and am excited to share that process with you!

 

Shopping List

(3) 48” 1/2” dowel – 2 cut down to 42”

(9) 1/4” x 3 zinc eye bolt

(9) #8 – 12 x 1 1/4 drywall anchors

(12) IKEA SUNNERSTA Containers

Optional

–matte black spray paint

-stain (I used a mix Minwax “Provincial” and Minwax “Simply White”)

-paint to create color block (I used Benjamin Moore “High Park”)

 

Let’s Get Rollin’!

 

Step 1 – Color Block

First, I created my color block to set the space.  Using a string attached to a pencil, I drew a large circle; slightly wider in diameter than my dowel’s length.  Then, I painted the outside edge using a small craft brush and rolled the inside.

 

 

Step 2 – Spray painting and staining

Start by spray painting your eye hooks and containers.  I chose a matte black spray paint, for a modern, industrial vibe.  Second, stain your dowels.  These steps are totally optional depending on what look you are going for.  I used 1.5 cans of spray paint for this project.

Step 3 – Installing the eye bolts

While the spray paint and stain is drying, begin marking out the position of your eye bolts on the wall.  I highly recommend a laser level for this to ensure your eye bolts and evenly spaced.  Start by deciding where the center of your plant wall will be and mark those positions first.  Decide how much space you would like between each row vertically and mark those positions.  Then, mark the outside bolt positions.  I chose to mark them 20” from the center bolt so I had some dowel overhang.

Use a 1/4 inch drill bit to drill the holes that you will insert the drywall anchors into.  Tap the anchors into the drilled holes, and then hand tighten the eye bolts into the drywall anchors. 

 

 

Step 4 – Assembly

Slide your dowel through the eye bolts and clip your (planted) IKEA containers onto the dowel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s it! An easy and affordable plant wall that doesn’t sacrifice style!

Do you think you would try this project? Let me know in the comments below.