A Living Wall: Framing Living Plants

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Doesn’t it seem that the only way to spruce up your white walls is with a new wash of paint or some art prints from Etsy? That’s how everyone else does it, so those must be our only options, right? Not exactly. Thanks to the glory that be, the internet, we’ve discovered that there are other ways to really make the house come alive, and it’s not with a reprint.

Discovering Your Green Thumb

If you’re not someone who is inherently creative (that’s okay!) it seems way easier to just go out and buy a knick knack from Ikea than it is to come up with wall d or ideas on your own, but where’s the fun in that?

Now before you say, “I don’t have the time,” or “I don’t have the skill” to make something, know that you actually do. Think about the amount of time you spend watching TV or online, it’s at least a couple of hours a week, right? What if you used a chunk of that time making something awesome for your living space? What if you built a living wall?

I’m not talking about something mystical here, I mean why not build an art project to hang on your wall made of living plants? You’ve probably noticed that succulents are an extremely hot plant right now, and there’s good reason for it: they’re beautiful, colorful and incredibly tough to kill. Basically, you can forget to water a succulent for a couple of weeks and it’s still going to be looking vibrant and healthy. Are you feeling ready to challenge yourself?! Continue reading to learn how to make your very own living art piece!

Materials Needed:

Succulent cuttings

Succulent soil

Prefabricated shadow box

Leak sealant

Wire mesh

Hammer

Nails

Wire cutters

Directions:

1. Spray the inside of the shadow box with a leak sealant. Set aside and let dry. The inside of the box is always going to be a little moist, and a sealant will protect the wood from rotting.

2. Lay the wire mesh over the shadow box. Make markings on the wire mesh where it needs to be cut. The wire mesh will need to fit in the securely in the shadow box.

3. After making your markings on the wire mesh, cut away the excess wire with wire cutters.

4. Nail the wire mesh into the shadow box. You can also staple the wire mesh into the shadow box using an industrial stapler.

5. Fill the shadow box with succulent soil. Make sure not to pack the soil too tightly, otherwise it’ll be tough getting the succulents in there.

6. Plant the succulent cuttings in the shadow box. Make sure they are spaced apart from each other so they have space to grow.

7. Set the shadow box on a flat surface and water the succulents once weekly.

8. After the succulents have grown to your desired size, hang the shadow box on the wall using supportive 3M hooks. Make sure to look at the amount of weight the hooks can support. You don’t want to come home to a crashed succulent planter lying in a heap of dirt and splintered wood on the floor!

Remember that when you do water the succulents, you should remove the living frame from the wall and let it sit for a couple of days as the succulents soak up the water. Extra weight on your wall could potentially cause some damage, so it’s better to play it safe.

Who knew gardening was so easy, right? And you can do it all from the comfort of of your own living room! For more wall décor ideas tips and tricks, visit craft sites like A.C. Moore, they really know how to craft!

Courtney P.

I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!

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