DIY Hanging Basket

I'm pretty sure I'm the only person that needs hanging baskets in the Winter.  I don't like to wait to do things such as waiting until Spring to repot house plants.  I mean why?! They are houseplants. What difference does it make?  Now, I'm sure there is a reason but I am unaware of it and I refuse to dig deeper because then I may actually have to find some patience wait.  My main reason for repotting in the Winter is that I have a habit (or a new obsession) of buying plants this Winter and I like to get them repotted as soon as possible because they are typically root bound and bone dry. (Even stores ignore their "indoor" plants in the Winter.) 

With that being said, I recently bought a Spider Plant that needs to be repotted and alas, the mystical hanging basket is nowhere to be found. It's like finding a unicorn this time of year.  You ask if anyone has any and they chuckle under their breath at the crazy lady looking for something that doesn't exist. (Ok. That's a lie.  But I don't need a 12" pot which would be WAY to big and I'm not replanting…Mums…I think the guy said.) So I found some materials and made my own. 

For this project you need whatever size pot you wish. I believe I ended up with a 6" and an 8" (maybe a 10"), chains. (I found mine in the plant section near the coconut baskets)  A drill with a small drill bit, a pencil for marking the wholes, and (optional) pliers. I bought my materials at Lowe's. It's been like a second home I've been there so much lately. 

These are the chains I used. (Some assembly required) They also come in white.

If you are like me and find yourself with several drill bits to choose from, I looked for one that would fit nicely into the "lip" of the pot.  In this case the 3/32 size drill bit worked perfectly.

Now for this project I tried 2 different methods. You can decide which one works best for you. 

Method 1: Drawing dots on the bottom…

I used a super high tech program for this one. I call it "Finger Measuring".  I know, I know.  How did I come up with it?! I'm a genius.  Just accept it.  Basically, you draw one dot, guesstimate the other 2, then finger measure to see if they are even.

I thought mine looked pretty even so I proceeded with the drilling.  Make sure you put something under your pot when you drill otherwise you may drill through the table or whatever your working on. I found an old scrap piece of wood. This may sound like common sense but you'd be surprised at who might forget this tiny, seemingly insignificant step.

Next, I lined my drill bit up with my hole.  (It's a bit trickier than I would have expected) And drilled away.

This drill bit was the perfect size for my "S" chains to fit through. After you drill all 3 holes, add the chains and wallah! You are done!

Now remember I said I had 2 methods. Here's the second one.

Method 2: Drawing dots on top…

I personally like this method better. With the first method I had to redraw and redrill my holes.  But I'm not very good at dividing things into thirds.  Which is exactly what this method is but for some reason, seeing it from the top worked WAY better.

You can sort of see my dots….at least 2 of them. When I drilled these holes, I only had to drill one set of holes. Then, just add on the chains the same way and you're done!

If you recall, I said pliers were optional. Well here's where that option comes in. These pots look great just the way they are. However, if you set them on a table or anything to plant, all the chains fall off and its a pain in the tuckas.  You have to reconnect all the chains Every. Single. Time. Who wants to deal with that? I mean seriously.  So, if you have some pliers (needle nose SUCK for this I quickly learned) you can secure this puppy and those chains will stay put. 

Squeeze the part of the "S" hook (with the chain in it) closed. I repeat. NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS SUCK FOR THIS PART. Repeat for all "S" hooks connected to the pot.  Once that is completed I recommend placing the "S" hooks back into the sides of the pot upside down.  Just more security so they don't fall out.

Step 1

Step 2

Finally, gather all 3 chains at the top, into the "S" hook and secure. (THESE are the good pliers to use. The grooves grip those suckers like nobodies business. To bad I found out so late.)

Now you have new, SECURE hanging baskets that cost you a total of $7.69 (not including sales tax because we don't have that in Oregon) to make.  Fill them  what you wish.  Mine will have Spider Plants in them and I can't wait!

If you go to hang your pots and realize the hook is too small…like I just did….improvise. I found some o-rings to hook them too. (I have a shower rod by my window to hang them on.)