How to Easily Install Beautiful Floating Plant Shelves

Marcia Socas
by Marcia Socas

I have this stationary door that goes out to my patio, and I wanted to do something different with it, so I decided to create some floating plant shelves.


These shelves are a great way to add some greenery to your home while still letting light into the room. Plus, they’re easy to make!


This post was transcribed by a member of the Hometalk editorial team from the original HometalkTV episode.

Tools and Materials:

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Check out these beautiful floating plant shelves that Amazon reviewers swear by!

Here is the door where I will be hanging the wooden shelves.

Rope and wood shelves for plants

1. Measure and Mark the Wood

I started by measuring and marking the wood one inch from the end and one inch from the side.

Measuring the wood with a tape measure

This ensures that the holes for the rope will be evenly spaced and look neat.

Drilling holes in the wood

2. Drill Holes for the Rope

Next, I used a drill with an eighth-inch bit to make holes in the marked lines. These holes are slightly larger than the rope, making it easy to slide through.

Sliding rope through the holes and tying a knot

3. Insert and Knot the Rope

Once the holes were drilled, I slid the rope through and tied a knot at the bottom.

Hanging plant display shelves

This knot ensures that the wood stays securely on top of the rope.

Measure 20 inches for evenly spaced plant shelves

4. Measure for Even Shelves

I wanted my plant shelves to be even, so I measured 20 inches up from the bottom knot and marked it. This is where I made the next knot to support the next piece of wood.

Repeat the process to create multiple hanging shelves

5. Repeat for Multiple Shelves

I repeated the process of adding wood and tying knots until I had five shelves in place. This created a sturdy and balanced structure for my hanging shelves.

Securing the rope on a curtain rod

6. Secure the Rope

I then secured the rope on the curtain rod that I already had on the door.

Custom floating shelves for plants

This held the shelves in place while I worked on the other side, making sure everything was even.

DIY shelving ideas for plants

7. Adjust for Level Shelves

Once everything was hanging nicely, I noticed that some of the floating plant shelves were not perfectly level.

Adjust the knots to ensure your wooden shelves are level

Luckily, the rope was easy to adjust, allowing me to loosen the knots and move the wood until it was level.

Instructions for wooden plant shelves

8. Finish and Decorate

After everything was in place, I set my plants on the shelves.

Easy guide to making hanging shelves

This project also works great on a window and looks even better if you finish the wood with paint, stain, or decor of your choice.


Want more rope shelf ideas?

See this DIY Rope Hanging Shelves tutorial for a fun way to add display trinkets in your home!

How to build DIY floating plant shelves

Floating Plant Shelves Tutorial

Creating these hanging shelves was a fun and easy project that added a lot of charm to my patio door.

Decorate your shelves with beautiful plants for a stunning plant display

I love how the light still comes in, and my plants are beautifully displayed. This project can be adapted to fit any space in your home.


I’d love to hear your thoughts and see your own plant shelves projects!

Marcia Socas
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 5 questions
  • Karen Goodenough Karen Goodenough on Jul 19, 2024
    I’m thinking this door doesn’t get any use?
  • Drl108714547 Drl108714547 on Jul 19, 2024
    How about velcro to hold the plants in place?
  • Kristy E. Lee Kristy E. Lee on Jul 30, 2024
    Does the plant weight keep the shelves from knocking against the door when it's open or closed? What about drainage? Do these need to be certain plants (full sun or partial? I guess I mean does being inside even on a door cause changes in the sunlight like a greenhouse might? I really like this project, thanks for sharing!
Comments
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2 of 11 comments
  • Iris Hartstein Iris Hartstein on Jul 19, 2024
    Genius
  • Elizabeth Elizabeth on Jul 20, 2024
    I had questions about this project. But every person that commented here answered them. Wow, I got all the advice I needed from the smart people that commented. Now I can do this brilliant project.
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