Cold winter days need not be devoid of sprouting green life. For this week’s How-Tuesday post, Alicia Kachmar, Katie Hatz and Margaret McGuire, authors of the book Microcrafts, have a granular gardening project to bring life to even the smallest of spaces. Learn how to make a micro planter and a matching mini macramé plant hanger to add an itty bitty breath of fresh air to a nook in need of a little love.
Whether you live in a big country house or a teeny city apartment, it’s easy to tend a wee secret garden. Any small container will do. Mini terra cotta pots are available at garden centers and craft stores, but household items like teacups, shot glasses, and thimbles can add a dash of charm.
Cuttings from spider plants, jade, and string of pearls thrive in small containers. Bonsais, mini ferns, dwarf mosses, and micro-orchids are available at greenhouses and online.
Supplies:
- Any little container or jar with lid
- A handful of potting mix or garden soil
- Miniature plants or cuttings
- Hammer and nail or wire mesh (for terrarium)
Directions:
1. Fill the container with dirt and gently pat it down. Use your pinky finger to make an indentation about
1/3-inch deep. Place your plant or cutting in the hole and pat down the soil to fill.
2. Water gently. Just be careful not to flood the little pot! It’s fun to use an eye dropper, plant mister, or dollhouse watering can, which will also help prevent overwatering. Small pots dry out quickly, so water as needed.
3. Provide adequate light, depending on the type of plant you choose.
4. To make a terrarium, punch holes in a jar lid with a hammer and nail, or cut a bit of wire mesh to fit the top of the jar. Place your container or terrarium in a macramé hanger (see below) and hang it from a windowsill.
Macramé Hanger
Make your houseplant mobile! This fun and retro plant holder is easy to whip up and is perfect for hanging your little pot in a window or even from your earlobe.
Supplies:
- 8 yards of thin cord or embroidery thread or string
- 1/4-inch jump ring
Directions:
1. Cut 8 lengths of cord, each 36 inches long, and two lengths of cord, each 18 inches long. Use one 18-inch piece to completely cover the jump ring with half hitchknots. Fold the 36-inch pieces over and through the covered ring. Use the remaining piece of cord to tie a 1/4-inch wrap knot around all the cords to gather them at the base of the jump ring. Hide the ends of the knot.
2. Tie 1/4 inch of half-knot twists on each group of four cords. To create a half-knot twist, tie one-half of a square knot (as shown below), and repeat multiple times beginning with the left piece of cord.
3. Drop down 1/4 inch and tie a row of alternating square knots to connect the left two cords in each group with the right two of the group next to it. (To make a square knot, do steps 1 and 2 above, and then repeat, starting with the right cord this time.) Repeat this step two more times.
4. Place your chosen container into the hanger to make sure it will fit, and then tie a 1/4-inch wrap knot. Cut off and fray the ends as desired.
If you make your own mini planter, share a photo with us in the Etsy Labs Flickr group.
Thank you to Quirk Books for sharing this project with us. For more mini projects like this one, check out Microcrafts, available from Amazon or an independent bookstore near you.
132 comments
MishaGirl said 9 years ago
How cute!
MegansMenagerie said 9 years ago
Love this post!!!
collectiblesatoz said 9 years ago
Darling idea...........love the plant hanger earrings!
UncommonShop said 9 years ago
Ah, yes, bite-size plants. Our cat will appreciate this.
MyHomemadeHome said 9 years ago
How quaint, they make unusual gifts too!
cartelle said 9 years ago
This is so freaking cute I don't even know how to control my baby voice right now lol. ♥♥♥
NobleTextiles said 9 years ago
So cute! I love tiny things!
Yokoo said 9 years ago
Gaaah! I can't stand the cuteness! I love them!
packmatthews said 9 years ago
This is horticulture on my scale! Can't wait to try it. Maybe I can graduate to not killing full sized plants.
BerryAlaMode said 9 years ago
Super cute! Must try it at once! Thanks for sharing :)
CherylBrissonFolkArt said 9 years ago
I'm off to plant a beautiful teacup...It's too small for tea anyway!
RotdCreations said 9 years ago
Great creations for your home or office! Great blog!
LittleWrenPottery said 9 years ago
Everything is cuter when it's smaller! : D so sweet
recycledideas said 9 years ago
Those are really adorable.
TheIDconnection said 9 years ago
Love the earrings!
purpleandlime said 9 years ago
so itty bity! love!
sianykitty said 9 years ago
too cute.. love it
Maelo said 9 years ago
You guys feature the best how-tuesdays <3 I love you ETSY
ZenBrush said 9 years ago
Good things in small packages!
littlesoup said 9 years ago
cuuute!!thanks for the instructions on the hanger!meow!
sillysister said 9 years ago
A simple solution to watering is tiny ice cubes. They release the water slowly, so no water drains out - all goes to the plant roots. And they're easy to measure. You can use crushed ice if your ice cubes are too large for your planter.
somsstudiosupplies said 9 years ago
Oh my!!! I love these! And they are perfect for my apartment too!
driftforever said 9 years ago
adorable!! thanks for sharing!
Funamals said 9 years ago
I LOVE this! I love small things and I love plants. I have a lot of plants but I tend to kill them a lot too lol.
michelemaule said 9 years ago
ahhhhhh!!! This is just too cute!! :D Thanks for posting this!
MissHildebrandt said 9 years ago
What sweetheart projects! Oh I'd love to have dozens of the hanging plants!
emwi said 9 years ago
I love this so much! Small versions of things are just so much cuter than regular-sized things. I've been wanting some macrame plant hangers, but living in my small apartment, I don't have much space. This is the perfect solution! I do have a jade plant, so all I need are some clippings and I can have an adorable mini-hanging plant space. Thanks for sharing!
emilysislandknits said 9 years ago
Thanks for this cute idea. These will make great Easter gifts for my nieces!
grandmae1 said 9 years ago
OH NO... Another collection!!!!! At least this one will fit in my room (~.~) Ellen This was an eyeopener " how-tuesday" THANKYOU
ArtDecoDame said 9 years ago
that is adorable!
myvintagecrush said 9 years ago
So cute! Succulents are my favorite!!
grandmae1 said 9 years ago
Just a thought for everyone else who is space challenged...Etsy has some old , free standing mug racks that would make a nice spot to hang these!
pillowfactory said 9 years ago
so stinking cute!
Iammie said 9 years ago
Love it!
ballerina20 said 9 years ago
I love this idea! I made my cousin two of these as necklaces for her birthday and she loved them. If you want to make them totally by hand you can even buy molding clay from a craft store and make the pot yourself. I made little heart shaped pots, they were adorable!
bhangtiez said 9 years ago
Awesome! Great ideas!
WingedWorld said 9 years ago
Love the vintage thimbles used as planters!
oo0oSUGARo0oo said 9 years ago
SO CUTE! :D
NaviWing said 9 years ago
This is definitely super adorable, and I love the idea of having a whole bunch of little planters, but won't they someday get... big?
thevicagirl said 9 years ago
That is so cute! I love that there is jewelry out of them to!
aptrick said 9 years ago
wow i can't wait to give my toys PLANTS :D so great
bigtwig said 9 years ago
These are fantastic – I live in a small apartment, and tiny plants like this would be perfect.
Zerplooty said 9 years ago
My heart is bursting from the cute!
glusk said 9 years ago
is it bad that i want to eat the little plant and its pot and hanger?
AvianInspirations said 9 years ago
As a recent convert to house plants, I love this! and those earrings are epic!
srwatches said 9 years ago
Cute! I love miniatures (as you can tell by my watches)! I used to grow all kinds of mini plants, from African Violets to Roses. I am going to have to get the book "Microcrafts". Happy to find other people that like miniatures.
busterandboo said 9 years ago
Adorable! I'm a big miniature collector. Love these!
blainedesign said 9 years ago
Those macrame pot hanger earrings from KatieHatz are killing me. Seriously, Etsy, honestly, I love you forever. Don't ever leave me!
Macramaking said 9 years ago
Excellent post! I've been making miniature plant hangers for quite some time. They are so much fun & the possibilities are endless! Such a nice conversation starter too! Love it!
alittlelessmundane said 9 years ago
Precious!
mostlyart said 9 years ago
What a great idea! I like the instructions for a miniature macrame plant hanger too!
StillWithYou said 9 years ago
Adorable!
RetroRevivalBoutique said 9 years ago
Egads! This is just the right mix of cute & genius! :D
minta77 said 9 years ago
so cute! love it and am going to make some :)
whimsywireandwool said 9 years ago
OMGoodness. ADORABLE!! Hmmmm, gives me so many ideas.
grandmamarievintage said 9 years ago
Lovely!
Mina1130 said 9 years ago
I love it! Going to see what I can come up with soon as I get home. :)
KKSimpleRegalJewelry said 9 years ago
I LOVE it! Very fun. (Easy to clean up if it spills too!! :} ~Krista
thesetinytreasures said 9 years ago
How adorable! I LOVE tiny things :)
naturalwooddesign said 9 years ago
Awesome !! Those earrings are pretty interesting!!
ajewelrycraft said 9 years ago
This is ingenious! I absolutely love these little plants!
9stories said 9 years ago
Very cute and original!
bedouin said 9 years ago
Great idea ~ so much for so little!
UrbanCottageCrafters said 9 years ago
Adorable and creative!! Thanks for sharing!
ShastaBlastaMasta said 9 years ago
I love all the micro plants! I am going to have to try to make myself a pair of those tiny micro plant holder plant earrings. Very cute idea. I also have an idea to use a strain of moss on some foam or something. Some moss strains can live on just the air or very little water like cactus
BabbidgePatch said 9 years ago
Too adorable! my inner botanist was awakened just looking at this blog post! thanks for sharing :)
sarahpennington1 said 9 years ago
What a unique idea. I have a friend who makes miniature houses and rooms as a hobby and I'm definitely going to share this idea with her.
doodlebirdie said 9 years ago
L.O.V.E!!!!!!
TerraCasa said 9 years ago
SO adorable! What a great way to add a little green to my windowsill!
elleestpetite said 9 years ago
Super cute, I love the miniature planter idea. Although I may not be able to pull off those knots. . .
dobleele said 9 years ago
Can't wait to try it out! Great tutorial :)
HeatherLucille said 9 years ago
PRECIOUS! I want to make about one million of these itty bitty dreamer plants. Of course I'll need a tiny house to put them in and a tiny snail named Countess Slime Trail to occupy the house and tend the plants!
sarahkaydesign said 9 years ago
This idea is fantastic! You can make anyplace beautiful! Great post!
ilovesmallbites said 9 years ago
Oh my gosh those photos are so cute! Recently I saw in a store that they were selling real mini cactus plants as refrigerator magnets and thought that was the cutest thing. I would love to decorate our apt. with these tiny plants! What a great idea.
JenniferSonjaArt said 9 years ago
Love these darling little minis! Thanks for posting!
accentonvintage said 9 years ago
Love those teeny plants! Great post!
FullCircleRetro said 9 years ago
This is the best post ever....mini cuteness! Thanks =)
nihanparlak said 9 years ago
Goergous! :)
FranceGallery said 9 years ago
These tiny planters are so sweet!
khalidkk said 9 years ago
one tree like one life http://www.alasifpackages.com/
BanglewoodSupplies said 9 years ago
What a conversation piece. They are too cute!
paperbugg said 9 years ago
these are so cute. I cant wait to make them and put them all over my house. im gonna try putting them into jars.
anitaliwette said 9 years ago
Precious! Makes me think of Thumbelina, fairies and all things tiny, adorable and happy!
EmeraldPixie said 9 years ago
Love microterrariums.
marieowltoinette said 9 years ago
Adorable! They're like little baby plants xD Just Precious!
kiranofindaly said 9 years ago
Love you mini plants! I make mini-sculptures to save space
kmoran114 said 9 years ago
What great ideas! My kids will LOVE trying this out! Thanks :)
feelingartsystudio said 9 years ago
Too cute!!!!
mayapar said 9 years ago
So cute! Thanks for the idea!
Velvetmanna said 9 years ago
Love this! Sent it to my daughter in Cali who lives in a small space, but has a big love for plants. Thanks!
blueroompottery said 9 years ago
Absolutely adorable!!! Love it! :>)
ljersey said 9 years ago
So cute! I LOVE this!
organichaos said 9 years ago
Weee!!!
JennasRedRhino said 9 years ago
The cats are begging me to make some of these.
VintageAndSupply said 9 years ago
I soo want to try these now!! thanks for sharing! Many neat things that are otherwise unusable make great planters, like the thimbles, corks pictured, & also new found objects at yard sales & such. Someone else's trash... :)
BountifulDesigns said 9 years ago
So cute!! I'm going to do this!!
thebadgerset said 9 years ago
So sweet!
onesunnyafternoon said 9 years ago
This is so adorable! Thank you for the tutorial
sarahann0509 said 9 years ago
Adorable! I have the perfect little pots for these. One question though - do you have to repot these little guys? Or do they stay pretty little?
amytee252 said 9 years ago
I had one of these on the end of a mobile phone... a tiny little plant in an enclosed capsule (holes for water and air)... certainly garnered a lot of interest!
rootsintheair said 9 years ago
amazing! thank you!!
shawnz said 9 years ago
Big love for the teeny pots! Awesome.
Lockraemono said 9 years ago
The hanging plant is really adorable (:
wolfmansmummy said 9 years ago
absolutely adorable! i haven't thought of macrame in...nevermind, too much age math! wonderful! thanks!
chatterboxboutique said 9 years ago
I love the mini props used in the pictures (the dino's my fav!). Fun How-Tuesday article! Thank you!
fourbeansboutique said 9 years ago
Probably the most adorable and calming idea ever. Soooo cute!
amicafe said 9 years ago
Love this post!!!
lesley328 said 9 years ago
Too cute!
TheGoldenSnail said 9 years ago
This just made my day. Nuff said. :)
BritnJones said 9 years ago
How cute are those! Definitely going to try and make one!
OnlyOriginalsByAJ said 9 years ago
So cute and fun! I can't wait to make one!
Soupis said 9 years ago
These so cute. I wish my cats were not so fond of eating my plants.
nicoahsmeem said 9 years ago
I love these little creations. Afun thing to do too.
doggonecuteapparel said 9 years ago
All these little creations are so cute!
jinny888 said 9 years ago
So lovely
justthegoods said 9 years ago
Thank you so much for this post! I'm so intrigued by these incredible lil' green creations, and have so many on my favourites list, but since an overwhelming majority of the Etsians offering these are based in the US, I can't order one b/c I'm in Canada. That said, even though this post is very comprehensive,I have such a **non-green** thumb that I really do need someone else to make it so I can give my best shot at keeping it alive ;-) So hey, Canadians out there, please please make some teensie tiny innie minnie adorable micro planters/terrariums so I can buy one from you, okay? *tee hee*. =-)
LouLouGifts said 9 years ago
adorable!!
ZebraTooth said 9 years ago
Adorable! This should help me feel like a giant. Rawr!
lillysshoppe said 9 years ago
So cute!
khalidkk said 9 years ago
Absolutely first class http://www.alasifpackages.com/
QuirkMuseum said 9 years ago
I didn't think that I had any more room for plants, but now I see that I could add another 20 or so. Great story - thanks.
Thamburan said 9 years ago
Amazing..!!
melsumn1 said 9 years ago
I love your ideas Thank you. Been going through house plant withdraw due to the work schedule and the current home, the back yard is west of the house and the Sun can make it quite hot. Can't wait to give your tips a try.
shopworndesigns said 9 years ago
Thank you for the how to. Very cute. Love the ones made out of corks.
LunaReece said 9 years ago
Love everything in this post!!!!
PurpleButrflyCrochet said 9 years ago
My second love - plants....thinking of making a "curtain" of Macramé Hangers for my bedroom window.
mpetrea said 9 years ago
visit our shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtWorksRO
Lois Chang from annagrace2010 said 9 years ago
I grow plants and flowers in my house and backyard. But never grow something that tiny and lively. Soooooo cute and thanks for sharing this post.
Alex M Lynch from alejmiami said 9 years ago
I really enjoyed this blog - plants are everywhere in my house but these little beauties are amazing !!!
Jiaxin Wang from wjxwinter said 9 years ago
cute and lovely you can use on bjd
VIVID Paint from vividpaint said 9 years ago
how cute ~
Melanie from merVazi said 9 years ago
ilovesmallbites said magnets. Who doesn't have a fridge that needs a little cuteness added?