Having a Snake Plant in your home should be at the top of your list! They are great for beginners because they adapt well to any lighting situation and don’t require frequent waterings (usually about every 2-3 weeks!) Their structural vibe will take your decor up like 50 levels, and they are perfect to give as a gift!! Oh and did I mention that they filter the air in your home better than any other houseplant? Yep. Snake plants are going to rock your world!!

Here’s The Gist Of It:

To grow and maintain a healthy snake plant, what you really ought to know is this:

• A snake plant can grow in just about any room in your house.
• They are low maintenance when it comes to water, light, AND soil.
• Water moderately when the top inch of soil is completely dry. About once every two to three weeks.
• More indirect sunlight will result in a faster growing plant while less sunlight will result in a slow growing plant. Either way, the snake plant will stay alive in most lighting conditions!
• Snake plants like a smaller pot – a pot that’s just a bit wider than the base..

If you want screaming success with your snake plant, read on my friend! This guide is sure to give you all the info you need to see your houseplant THRIVE!

A Snake by Any Other Name…

The snake plant – mother-in-law’s tongue – bowstrings hemp – or biologically, Sansevieria. We’ll lovingly call them Sans, that’s what the cool kids do.

Sansevieria are fun because they have such a unique shape and color scheme. Their huge green stalks add variety to the typical houseplant collection. They’re is on my list of best low light house plants and I’m going to tell you everything you need to know to keep this green beauty happy and healthy in your home. (hint: it’s not a lot because they’re really low maintenance!)

Why Snake Plants are the Absolute Coolest

Snake plants filter air better than any other indoor houseplant! Crazy right?! I would’ve thought something with huge bushy leaves would be the best at filtering (IDK why, more surface area?) But this simple fact means that I have a Sans in almost every room in my house!

Snake plants are also very very hard to kill. They happily hang out in low light and thrive on infrequent waterings (perfect for those of use that struggle to remember to wear deodorant, let alone water our plants).

They also bounce back from the brink of death really easily. So if for some chance your dude is struggling, you will still have time to correct it before it gives up the ghost!

Snake Plant Varieties

There are loads of Sansevieria varieties, here are some of my favorite!

Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Black Gold’ (taller variety) or ‘Black Jack’ (shorter variety)

Black Gold and Black Jack are the most common variety, when you think of snake plants you usually think of these guys wither their shock of yellow on the outer edges of the leaves.

Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Black Robusta’ (taller variety) or  ‘Futura Robusta’ (shorter variety)

Black Robusta and Futura Robusta are dark green with a lighter variegation running horizontally through the leaves.

Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Golden Hahnii’

Birds Nest Sans are a variety family where the short leaves curl back, and take on the shape of a birds nest!

Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Cylindrica’

Cylindrica Snake Plants are SO COOL. The leaves are thick, round, and very firm, with a tough skin. And they come with a few different varieties themselves!

Some stick straight in the air like this Cylindrica

Some have long arms that spread up and out.

And some resemble other things, like this Starfish Sansevieria

The best part is that they all thrive on less than ideal light and water conditions!!

Anatomy of a Snake Plant

Sansevieria are known for their long blade shaped leaves. The green on it is usually variegated and when they’re healthy they stand straight in the air. They always remind me of Honey I Shrunk the Kids, because they look like GIANT blades of grass!

The roots of snake plants are called Rhizomes. This means that that growth can happen on multiple places on the root system at the same time. They are easy to divide, and when planted outside will spread. The roots are very shallow, especially considering how tall the plant can grow. You can plant them in a more shallow container if you want, but the extra soil in a regular sized container can help counter balance the long leaves and keep it from tipping over.

Soil For Your Snake Plant

Unlike other high maintenance house plants, the snake plant doesn’t require fertilizers or plant food to grow. BUT they would grow a bit faster if you fed them a little more.

They also aren’t very picky about which type of soil you use. You don’t have to plant them in an indoor potting mix or specialty soil. Honestly, you could probably dig up whatever is out back and it would be fine! However, I would recommend using half garden soil and half cactus soil. The snake plant has really strong roots that can easily work their way through rocky soil. And the added rock in the cactus soil sets your plant up with a great natural drainage system.

Sunlight For Your Snake Plant

The snake plant adapts really well to most lighting conditions. Especially when it’s grown indoors, you won’t have to worry about him getting too much direct sunlight. Ideally, our friend prefers lots of indirect sunlight. But again (and I cannot stress this enough), you could keep a snake plant alive in a basement bathroom.

Watering Your Snake Plant

The Snake plant is an extremely low maintenance house plant. It’s almost as drought tolerant as a cactus. Watering is infrequent and only when the top two inches of soil are bone dry do you water it again! I check mine about every two weeks.

Tip – Water with room temp water to avoid scaring the leaves.

Plants need nutrition, just like humans! The absolute best fertilizer that you can use is Happy Happy Houseplant Plant Food. It is LIFE CHANGING. It comes in a cute bottle that you can keep on your counter, and you use it every single time you water. You’ll never forget to feed it because it’s so consistent! And it is an absolute miracle!! New growth galore!! 

Potting Your Snake Plant

Smaller pots are better when it comes to the snake plant. They grow faster in a smaller pot because they like a crowded root system. 

Tip: Most Sans will come in a fairly thin black plastic pot. As the roots systems become more developed, they can bulge and even break the plastic pot. If you need to get the plastic pot off your plant without damaging the roots, just take a pair of scissors and cut the pot away from the root system. See how out of round the planter is in the picture below? These guys have seriously strong roots!

Does My Pot Need To Have Drainage Holes?

Yes, yes, and yes. Always. Set yourself up for success with your houseplants by including a great draining system in each potted plant. Without a great drainage system, the water that the plant doesn’t need sits and causes mold, fungus, and root rot. A overwatered, poorly drained plant is a recipe for disaster. Layer rocks/gravel at the bottom of the pot, then add your soil mixture.

But some planters don’t have draining holes! If you bought yourself a super cute planter only to realize it didn’t have a hole in the bottom, don’t stress too much. A planter without drainage holes can still house a snake plant. I’m telling you, these are the toughest houseplants! Layer the bottom of your pot with gravel, add your soil and your snake plant. Don’t worry about a water tray. The rocks act as your water tray, allowing the soil to let go of unnecessary water and avoid root rot. Because the snake plant is so dang durable, this will likely be just fine. Couple this with the infrequent watering and your snake plant will be just fine.

Pruning Tips

There are a few cases in which you’ll want to prune your snake plant. It could be outgrowing the pot you have it in. The leaves may have fallen over or turned brown. In any case, pruning is pretty simple:

• When you cut the stalk, it’ll ooze a bit and that goo is mildly poisonous. Guys, I can’t believe I’m typing this, but don’t eat it.
• Cut damaged or dropping leaves near the base of the plant. Don’t throw these cuttings away!! They can be propagated into new snake plants! 

Buying A Snake Plant

Check with growers around town. These houseplants are super tough. They transport well. And they’re easy to propagate. They can be a little on the expensive side if you’re snagging them from a nursery (around $50-$100 for a full size one) but I see them all the time at Home Depot for half that price. I just scored some at a local nursery for $12.98, and a lot of IG comments mentioned getting them at Walmart for $10. So if you’re in the market, check your local hardware store garden first. If they don’t have them, you’re sure to find them at your local nursery. 

Favorite Places For Growing A Snake Plant In My Home

Remember when I mentioned earlier that almost all of my rooms have a snake plant in them? That’s not a joke. They do well everywhere like this colorful desert nomad room!! 

Even in our desert climate, we can grow snake plants outside. I keep them in the pot (because they like a crowded root system) and out of direct sunlight. They do really well on our north facing porch or on our gorgeous patio! 

Troubleshooting A Sick Snake Plant

I asked on Instagram last week if you guys would send in pictures of your dying snake plants, and these are some of them!!

If your snake plant is anything less than green and full, there has to be something wrong with it. Because the snake plant is so good at adapting to most lighting situations, it’s usually a case of over or under watering. Usually over watering, remember Sans thrive on neglect. Just watch for the signs below and follow through with the corresponding treatment:

Why does my snake plant have bloated brown slimy leaves?

Likely cause/solution: Your snake plant is waterlogged! This only happens when you’re overwatering your houseplant. Prune waterlogged leaves. Cut back on the watering and if the problem is still occurring, maybe your pot isn’t draining very well. Try repotting.

Why does my snake plant have brown crunchy leaves?

Likely cause/solution: The snakes are thirsty. Water more frequently.

Why are the tips of my snake plant leaves brown and dry?

Likely cause/solution: Infrequent watering. Create a more consistent watering schedule.

Why are the leaves of my snake plant scarred or splitting?

Likely cause/solution: The snake plant is getting too much action. Maybe it’s in a high traffic zone and being touched too often by hands or people walking by. This scarring doesn’t hurt the snake plant, it just makes it look less than perfect! If it makes you crazy, you can snip the leaves

Why are the leaves on my snake plant droopy?

Likely cause/solution: This can be another sign of overwatering. Be sure to water only when the top two inches of soil are completely dry. Also, look at the container that your plant is in. Is it pretty shallow? Having wiggle room at the base of the plant can absolutely cause the leaves to appear droopy, when in reality they just need to be put in a different planter! (That is what is happening in the picture above!

Why are the leaves of my snake plant shriveled up and wrinkled?

Likely cause/solution: This can be caused by the plant freezing! If you left him outside too long on a cold day or the plant is in direct line of a cold draft when the door opens. This can also be caused by underwatering. Check the soil

Why are the leaves of my snake plant covered in white spots?

Likely cause/solution: Your snake plant has scale! These little creatures will completely cover the leaves and suffocate them. Cut this leaf off and throw it away. Removing all of the other bugs from the remaining leaves is also super important as the scale will divide and take over again. To remove the scale use a mixture of 1 liter water + 1 tablespoon of vinegar and clean each leaf thoroughly by wiping it off every 2 days until the scale disappears.

Why is my snake plant tiny and not growing?!

Likely cause/solution: I got this question SO MUCH, and as I looked through the pictures I saw that for most asking, there wast a problem with their snake plant growing, the just didnt know the variety that they had purchased! If you’ve got a plant that seems stunted, it might be the mini version!

Anything Else You Should Know?

But of course! Below are just a few more tidbits to keep in mind if you’re growing your own snake plant. Let me know if I missed anything! If you have questions about your snake plant (or any of your houseplants) that I didn’t answer here, please reach out! And as always, love your guts. –Mandi

Green Thumb Still Itching? Check out these popular posts as well!

• The Ultimate Guide to Rubber Plants
• Mandi’s Master List of Low Light Indoor Plants
• STOP KILLING YOUR PLANTS!! The Parable of the Accessory Plant 

[mv_create key=”2″ layout=”circles” title=”The Essential Houseplant Master List ” type=”list”]

The post The Complete Guide To Caring For Your House Plants: Snake Plant Edition appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

I just cant believe what a huge difference a live plant makes in a space. If a room in your house is feeling a little ho hum, get your cute butt a plant. They are a really great inexpensive way to liven things up (literally!)

Every plant needs a planter to spread its roots in. This is something that we all agree on, but finding one (and one that wont cost you your left trunk) is quite a different story. Until today. This Openwork Cube Planter comes in just under $30 and is the easiest thing to build!

You will need:

(1) 12” Terra Cotta Planter
(6) 1”Square Wooden Dowels that are 36” long (standard length from HD)
Wood Glue
Nailer or Screws
Wood Filler (optional)

Start by cutting (12) 13” pieces. If you are making this with a different size planter, measure the top (ours was 12”) and add 1”. This will give you a hole that is 11” (because each wood piece is 1” wide)  If you don’t have access to a saw, you can have these pieces cut for you at Home Depot.

To assemble them put a small amount of glue on the end of one piece.

Then attach it with your nailer or a screw.

Wipe the excess glue off and move to the next corner.

You will make 2 squares.

Glue and nail the other 4 pieces onto the squares you just made.

Fill in nail holes with wood putty.

Let it dry for 24 hours before placing your potted plant in it.

Picture how cute this would be on a smaller scale with glass fishbowls or small pots on a book shelf or running down the center of your table!

The post Modern Openwork Cube Planter DIY appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

Staghorn Ferns are one of the coolest most fascinating plants to use in home decor. They are great planted in a planter, but the really cool thing is that they can also be mounted on a board and hung on your wall, just like a living picture! Today we’re going to talk all about how to mount and care for Staghorn Ferns.

Staghorn Fern 101

Staghorn Ferns are a species called Epiphyte which means that they don’t need soil to grow, the reason that you can hang them on the wall. They are in the same family as airplants, and in the wild find a host, that they attach their roots to and pull all of their nutrients in through their fronds.

Staghorn Ferns have 2 different types of leaves (or fronds).

The first type is the “antler” leaf, they are long with uneven tips and vary in size. They grow from the center of the plant and jut out in every direction. The second type of leaf is the shield frond. These flat circular leaves grow against the base of the plant. When they sprout, and until they reach full size they are green and veiny, once they are fully grown, they turn brown and papery. DO NOT REMOVE THE BROWN LEAVES!! These leaves form a protective shield over the root ball and help it stay anchored in place.

The roots on the Staghorn Fern are fairly minimal (one of the reasons you can mount them!)  They need a good amount of drainage so that they don’t get root rot.

Watering

Watering a mounted Staghorn Fern is a little bit of a commitment, because they absorb water through their fronds, they love a good misting. The root ball also needs to be soaked every 1-2 weeks. Keep reading, I’ve got a whole step by step tutorial at the end of this post!

Light

Staghorn Ferns, love bright indirect sunlight. Find the brightest room in your house without direct light and that is where they will thrive.

Are you ready to learn how to mount them?! Let’s get started with our step by step tutorial.

How To Mount Staghorn Ferns

Mounting Staghorn Ferns should be done on rot resistant wood like cedar. Because of the aggressive way that they are watered, and the fact that they are so closely connected to the wood, you need something that can last long term.

You’ll need:

• Cedar board
• Fishing Line
• Stainless Steel Screws
• Heavy Duty Picture Hanger
• Sphagnum Moss (i.e. Sheet Moss) You can find this in the indoor garden section at Home Depot.

Make your shield

1. Fold a piece of paper in 1/2, making sure that when it’s unfolded, it fits onto your cedar board.
2. Draw a shield shape
3. Cut it out and trace it onto your cedar board.
4. Cut out your shape with a jigsaw

The edges got a light sanding and they were ready to go!

Start by mounting a heavy duty picture hanger on the back, the large plants can get pretty heavy when they are wet.

To Divide or Not To Divide, That is the Question

Staghorn ferns have rhizomes (remember we talked about those here?) which means that there are different growth points that can be divided. It is really easy to tell where to divide these plants because of the shield leaves. That being said, the roots are really dense. They’re teeny in size but mighty in numbers. You want to use a knife to gently divide them.

You don’t need to divide the plants to mount them though. If you want a larger statement piece, you can simply remove the plant from the pot and get rid of the excess dirt.

Determining Your Root Ball Size

When you’ve successfully divided and conquered, loosen the roots and remove a good amount of the dirt.

Your root ball should be about the size of a fist for smaller plants, and continue larger as the size of the stag increases. You can tell the general size based on the shield leaves, make your ball about the size of the shield leaves width.

Mounting Your Staghorn

Now that we have our mount ready, and our plant ready, we’re going to marry the two in complete happiness!

Step #1: Determine Your Screw Placement

Lay your fern on the mount and see the general space it takes up. Mark 4 spots just inside the root ball borders, this is where your screws are going to go

Pro Tip! If you screw them in at an angle its easier to wrap your fishing line around.

Step #2: Place a small amount of moss onto your board

When you are mounting the plant you want to do it so that the dried shield leaves are at the top, but not directly against the board (or else the plant will shoot straight up and not up and out. Especially the little guys.)

Step #3: Secure Your Root Ball On Top of the Moss

Put your root ball on top of the moss, and lightly secure it to the board using fishing line. (I used 12 lb test line and probably wouldn’t recommend anything thinner)  When I say lightly I mean not too tight and across the root ball just a few times. This is just making it easier when you put the moss on top.

Step #4: Add More Moss

Spread a not too thick/not too thin layer of sheet moss over the root ball and up around the back of the plant at the top. You don’t want to see the dirt at all.

Step #5: Secure Everything With Fishing Line

Wrap the fishing line really thoroughly over the root ball, connecting the screws in all directions. Make sure that you aren’t getting too close to the living shield leaves, and don’t go over the top of the dried ones, just gently lift them and go underneath. If you go over the top of the dried leaves, the fishing line will cut through them.

Step #6 Finish It Off

Tuck a few bits of moss over the screws to hide them. Trim your fishing line and you are done!!

How To Water A Mounted Staghorn Fern

To water your fern, fill up a sink or tub with water and submerge the plant (I usually stick it in up to the moss)

How about a pool party? Everybody in!

When the moss is completely soaked through, drain the water and place them sort of upright to let all the excess water drain off.

Staghorn Ferns need constant moisture, so I do this about once a week and mist the moss with a squirt bottle almost every day.

Do you want to see something cool? I decided to remount the plant that came mounted (the board was ick looking)  This is what the backside of the ferns look like after they’ve been attached to a host for a while.

Don’t they totally look like antlers?! I wish you could tell in these pictures how big they are.

See you tomorrow!

The post How to Mount (and Care for) a Staghorn Fern appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

I. am. so. excited. the last few mornings when I’ve taken Ivie to school have actually been fall-ish!! Cut the fall leaves emoji! Living in Southern Utah, it takes a bit for the crisp air to kick in and I get madly jealous of the crunchy leaves and sweaters that all you lucky folks get to rock.

I am always in the mood for a little light DIY, you know the kind right? Projects that take just a few minutes and don’t require a sawdust exorcism of your house?! I’ve teamed up with my friends at The Bouqs Company. to show you 2 quick DIY floral vases that you can master in under 15 minutes. And while they do create a little bit of sawdust, I promise its not enough to worry about calling a priest.

The first vase I dug out from under my kitchen sink, I’m pretty sure that we all have one or two lying around our house.

I gave it a quick coat of white matte spray paint and while it was drying got started on the wood corners.

I thought it would be awesome to modernize it with wood corners. I used a piece of 1×1 walnut (yes, the obsession continues!!) and cut a groove just under 1/2” in from the edge.

Then I flipped it and ran it through again and cut another groove. It left me with a perfect little corner piece notched out. (When you are doing this make sure that your saw blade height is exactly the same as the distance that your guard is from the blade!)

I measured the height of the vase and cut the wood to fit. Also, watch for rain while your vase is drying on the lawn….

I gave the wood a quick wipe down with Danish oil. I will never get sick of seeing how intensely it brings out the natural color of the wood, its like magic!

Once everything was dry I glued the pieces to the edges of the vase. and filled it with the coolest flowers that I’ve ever seen.

They have Bouqs like this filled with fresh protea and other seasonal greenery. Doesn’t it look other worldly?! They are so cool!

My second vase comes from a Target impulse purchase that needed a little oomph.

I bought it a few months ago and haven’t done a thing with it. The problem that I kept running into when I tried to plant in it is that the opening is wayyyy to little.

Nothing of substance can fit inside and so it wasn’t super functional as a vase. I decided to remedy the situation by chopping the opening off and widening it.

Muuuuuch better!

I taped off a few of the sections and painted them white.

Then, to make it actually capable of holding water (cause that’s a little bit important) I put a bag inside and trimmed off the excess.

This guy is filled with orange and white ranunculus. When they arrived they were closed up pretty tight, but with a little soak in warm water they opened right up!

So here’s the skinny on The Bouqs Company. They’re an online florist that grows their sustainable flowers on (wait for it) the side of a volcano in Ecuador!! They are cut and shipped (for free!) the same day, this ensures that the flowers arrive super fresh because there is no waiting in warehouses until they’re ordered. Always good quality and beautiful!

The thing that I love most is the exotic variety that they have. When I’ve ordered flowers online before it seems like the options are so meh. Take a peek at their site and see for yourself!

From today until Nov. 3rd (1 week)  Bouqs.com is offering a 20% off discount for Vintage Revivals readers when you use the code FARMBLOOMS so get on it!

Massive thanks to Bouqs.com for teaming up with me on this project!

The post 15 Minute DIY Fall Floral Vases appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

I know that Plant Week was last week, but I got to Atlanta last Wednesday and realized that I forgot to shoot this fail-proof tip. Soooooo I guess its Plant Week + 1 day!

I’ve tried a lot of different ways of handling cactus for planting. Everything from leather gloves to salad tongs. But the problems are always the same. If I actually touch the cactus (even wearing gloves) I always get poked. Those little suckers work their way through the gloves no matter how thick they seem. And if I try to plant without touching it (like using tongs) I don’t ever have enough control over the situation. Especially if there is more than one growth on the cactus.

But necessity is the mother of invention, and I had a lot of planting to do for Plant Week. And most of all I didn’t want to spend $20 on a pair of leather gloves that would get filled with microscopic needles that would have to be trashed 5 minutes later.

I looked around my kitchen and came up with a pretty great solution.

All you need for poke-less cactus planting is a paper grocery bag!!

Cut it in 1/2.

Fold the bottom in 1/2. This is where your hand will go when you hold the cactus.

Trim down the length and you are done!

Seriously that’s it!! If your cactus is really heavy you might want to double up on the bags, but for smaller cacti one is totally sufficient. The long sharp needles don’t go through.

And the teeny furry ones (that are actually the spawn of Satan if you were unaware) don’t stand a chance.

This way you can hold the cactus, loosen the roots and move it around as much as you need to without getting poked!

The post 100% Poke-less Cactus Planting (You’ll Die When You See What the Trick Is!!) appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

Its PLANT WEEK!!!!!!!! Do you even know how exciting this is?!? Its like Shark Week but WAYYYYY better and with a lot less fear (mostly). Every day this week I have got an amazing project for you that will make the love in your plant-lovin heart swell to massive proportions.

So I get it. We’re not all plant-errificly gifted. Its fine. But just because you cant actually keep things alive doesn’t make you a bad person, it just makes you a bad plant owner. Just kidding. I know, its hard. But its ok because I have a bunch of plant treasures that require zero watering, sunshine, or guilt.

Black and White Cactus Print from Arrow and Apple. GET THIS. RIGHT NOW. Seriously.

Watercolor Cactus Print from Fox Hollow Cottage

Botanical Sumi from Minted + Domino

Aspen Minted + domino

Minimal Cactus Print Throw Pillow

Palm Leaf Throw

Green Watercolor Throw Pillow

Cactus Sketches (**I’m having problems with the shop checkout so if you are interested in these send an email to vintagerevivalsblog@gmail.com with your order and I will get it sent off!)

Have the best Friday of your life!

The post 8 Finds for the Self Confessed Plant Killer appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

Its PLANT WEEK!!!!!!!! Do you even know how exciting this is?!? Its like Shark Week but WAYYYYY better and with a lot less fear (mostly). Every day this week I have got an amazing project for you that will make the love in your plant-lovin heart swell to massive proportions.

You.GUYS!! I hope you are enjoying this fun weeklong series as much as I am. It was just the kick start that I needed to get back into project life.

I am not exaggerating when I tell you that today’s project is one of my most favorite EVER. Ever ever.

About 6 months ago I pinned this awesome picture because hello I want to move in there yesterday. For months I have been itching to recreate this modern trellis project in my home, and hooray! for finally getting around to it!

This wall in my kitchen eating nook was the perfect spot. There is a ton of light and you know how plants love that. And the ceilings are sooo tall (10 ft) that it is a major statement. A statement that says “I Hoard Plants”. So in an effort to get all of the little guys evicted out of their current residence (i.e. the kitchen table) this wall became their new home.

Also this was majorly one of those make it up as you go projects, so if you are going to recreate it make sure that you read all the words, and not just skim the pictures. Cause without the words the pictures are a leeeeeeetle confusing.

Every one’s wall dimensions will be different but the basic premise is the same. Start by taking the width of your wall and divide it in 3rds. This will give you 2 points to work off of.

I started by cutting a few different angles on my miter saw (because I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted it to look like and what angle would achieve that) a 60 degree angle ended up being just right.

To be completely transparent, when I was doing this project there was a lot of temporarily putting boards up to make sure that they were going to work and double measuring before I made the cuts.

There were a handful of long boards that extended the width of several diamonds. I didn’t really have a rhyme or reason for which ones went where, it was just where they made the most sense.

Once the 120 degree base angle boards were up, all I did was fill it in with boards that were cut to 15” and had a 60 degree parallel angles on both ends.

You know how sometimes I have those “I can teach it to you but I cant understand it for you” tutorials? This is one.

*One thing to note, when you are working on a miter saw, 90 degrees is 0, you subtract your angle from that. So to cut a 30 degree angle, I needed to set my saw blade at 60 degrees. Because 30 + 60 is 90. (The reason most people overlook this is because the most common angle is 45 and that is exactly 1/2 of 90, so you set your blade at 45.)

To cut the starting boards set your saw at 60 degrees. (2) 60 degree cuts joined together will make 120 degrees. The 15” boards with the parallel angles get a 60 degree angle at the end of each board, which means your blade will be set at the 30 degree mark on the saw.

To finish off an outside corner, take the measurement of your board (15”) and add the width (2”) so you’ll cut the outside corner boards to 17”. Or you can do what I did and use long boards to start/end the outside corner boards.

Once everything was in place with tap/temporary nails, I went back through and secured it with finishing nails. Make sure that you are hitting studs when you are finishing everything up so that it can hold the weight of your planters!

The original plan was to use cup hooks and these little egg shaped hanging planters that I found on Amazon (you can see it in the bottom left of the picture below)

But they looked so…

dinky.

So I scrapped the idea and decided to come up with a way to hold regular sized containers instead.

I scored all of the planters on clearance at Target and gave them a coat of Rust-Oleum Flat White 2X spray paint.

The leather that I used was left over from my couch reupholstery and if you know me at all you know that I LOVE leather. Like its probably a problem but I’m just so happy about it I don’t even care.

The most important thing is to make sure that you leather will fit snuggly around your planter on all sides with the edges overlapping 1/2”. The main strap measures 14”x2” and 2 cross straps measure 10”x1/2” each. To get the right measurement for the bottom straps all you have to do is drape a piece on an upside down planter and make sure it’s hitting just above the rim.

Fold your main strap in 1/2 (hotdog style) and using a leather punch you are going to punch 6 evenly spaced holes through both sides. I folded mine because I didn’t want it to stretch. If you have thick leather you most likely wont need to fold.

Take the 1/2” pieces and find the center point on each and punch a hole there as well as on each end.

Using a grommet setter (get them at Home Depot they are so much cheaper than craft stores!) you are going to attach everything together, starting with the center holes on the 1/2” straps.

Next put one end of the 1/2” pieces inside the main folded piece and line up the hole. Attach all 4 ends just like that.

Set the grommets in the 2 reaming holes and you are done! (and left with what appears to be a leather jockstrap. You’re welcome.)

Fold the edges over and line up the holes, this is where you are going to attach it to the wall. Place a screw inside the grommets.

Drill it onto the center the diamond points (make sure the sides are straight and not droopy!)

Yay! It’s not a jockstrap anymore!

They’ll hang a little, but you don’t want it to droop too much.

Fill it with your favorite plants (see more about how to do that here!)

Man I just love the wild and crazy hair on this little guy!!

Now, lest you think that my house is not suffering immensely from all of this planting… I present to you, the work station. Just out of shot.

See you tomorrow plant lovers!

The post DIY Wood and Leather Trellis Plant Wall appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

After years of regrettable plant killing mistakes, I finally feel like I’ve learned enough to keep them alive (the obvious reward for this situation is to buy more plants!!). Which means…(you know what this means right?) I need more planters. Its like the gift that just keeps on giving.

I have the most beginner DIY friendly for those that are itching to use some power tools but aren’t ready to build anything massive yet. (Or if you don’t have tools, this is such a quick job I’m sure you can bribe your neighbor with cookies and they’ll totally do it for you)  Its kind of one of those projects that you cant screw up.

Find the full tutorial over on Home Depot’s blog The Apron here and get some of my favorite clean up tips here!

To enter the giveaway for a $200 Home Depot gift card, all you have to do is leave a comment below with your favorite type of plant! My current obsession? String of Pearls.

The post Wooden Disk Hanging Planter + $200 Home Depot Giveaway appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

Shelves. They are one of those critical design elements in every space. I mean, there are just so many things to put on them! Right!? When I was working out the design for my living room and entryway, I knew pretty quickly that I wanted shelves in the entryway full of plants.

The original idea was to put the shelves on the wall that you see right when you walk in the door. But when we got a few installed it just made the walk space too tight. I knew it was going to be tight, I just needed to see it for myself. Being stubborn is one of my best qualities. Sometimes.

The obvious move was to bump them to the other wall in the entryway. Because plants. And also no one would hit their head. So its a win win!

Lets chat about the shelves themselves. Have you seen these ones that Anthro used to sell? Gorgeous. Amazing. Unavailable (and expensive). Just a few ingredients in the recipe for a perfect DIY project.

The hardest part for this project was tracking down the copper sheeting. Hello. If you give me a measurement thickness that means like nothing. Do you know what 3/342 of an inch is??! Cause I sure don’t.

After a fair bit of research I came across Basic Copper. They are flipping geniuses. On their site, they have a thickness guide with videos so that you can actually see what the copper looks like, how it bends, and how it cuts. I ended up buying a roll that was 24” wide x 20’ feet long and the copper was 5 Mil thick. I overestimated on how much I would need and was originally planning on making 5 shelves (it would have been the perfect amount for 5) and I am super glad that I did. #learningcurve

The first thing that you are going to do is construct the actual floating shelf. I used 1×2” sandwiched between 1/2” MDF that was cut 10”x36”  Use wood glue (I love Titebond III) and screws to hold everything together. I laid the 1×2’s so that the long side was against the MDF.

The next step is to build the inner support. It has to be able to fit in the hole that you created in the back of your shelf, so you will use 1×2” for that too.

Measure the length of your opening (it will be about 4” shorter than the length of your board) then attach 3 boards that will run the width of your shelf. This helps support and stabilize it.

When your shelves are built its time to wrap them in copper!

Just a word of advice, you will 10000% want to use gloves while you are handling this because it will cut you faster than you can say your favorite cuss.

Measure the distance from the back of your shelf, all the way around the front and onto the back of the other side, and trim your copper. Leave just a small overhang on the sides, they don’t need to completely cover the space because we are putting a trim piece on the front. Try really hard to shape around the corners as you go.

Then you are going to use a staple gun to attach it. You might need to lower the pressure if you are using a pneumatic gun so that the staple doesn’t go all the way through the sheeting.

If the length of your shelf is longer than the width of the copper roll you can do what I did. Put one piece on, and then on the second piece fold the edge over before you attach it. That will give you a finished edge for your seam.

Now for the trim piece. Measure the height of your shelf and add 1/4”. Use a straight edge, a fabric cutting guide is PERFECT for this project and measure so you have 1/8” poking out. Carefully fold along the edge.

Then place your straight edge on top of the fold and tap it down flat with a hammer.

You can find teeny copper nails at Home Depot. I used 1 package for each shelf. Space them about 3/4” apart.

When its time to mount your shelf, use a stud finder and secure your brace piece onto the wall.

Then slide your shelf on.

Attach the shelves with finishing nails or screws.

Shop my favorite planters below and check out the other tutorials in this series here!

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The post Anthro Inspired DIY Copper Shelves appeared first on Vintage Revivals.

Hey guys!! I have a SUPER fun and simple tutorial ! Leather Strap Planters for my budding cactus garden (I have a serious problem with cute cacti).

To make these planters you will need:

A vessel, bowl, or vase of your choosing

4 pieces of Leather Cording that is the length that you want your planter to hang (or leather that you can cut into cords) *they sell bags of leather scrap at craft stores with cords in them!

Small piece of Leather

Scissors

Start by cutting out small square donuts from your leather. You will need 3 per planter.

Next take 3 pieces of your leather cord and tie a knot at the bottom. These cords will be known as the vertical cords.

Near the bottom of your cords (maybe about 4 inches from the knot) hold a leather square behind the cord.

Take your last piece of cording (this will be known as the horizontal cord) and thread it underneath the leather, through the hole, over the first piece of cording, and back through the hole. See the picture below? The horizontal cord is holding the entire thing together.

Repeat 2 more times. Place your planter inside the vertical cords, resting on the knot. Adjust the vertical cords so that they are evenly spaced and tie a knot in your horizontal cord. (It is really easy to slide the squares up and down to make them level)

Trim your knot if you want (or leave it, because that is adorable as well.)  Tie all of the vertical cords together and you are ready to hang it!

Such a fun 15 minute project right?!

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