Skip to main content
Bunnings

Sign in or sign up

No Bunnings account? Sign up
PowerPass customer?
Visit the dedicated trade website

Project list

Sign in to your account

Ready to Collect in 2 hours

D.I.Y. hanging plants

A blue themed outdoor area with a variety of pot plants, some hanging from vertical gardens or hanging baskets

Overview

Plants add a splash of colour and make a great feature anywhere around your house. This easy-to-make hanging pot garden will let you transform an empty space into a thriving oasis.

Steps

1Cut your ply

To make this D.I.Y. project even easier you can get your form ply cut to size at your local Bunnings. Our cutting list for the 1200mm x 595mm x 17mm form ply is

  • 440mm x 220mm x 2
  • 930mm x 220mm x 2

The tools and materials necessary for the job, including a mitre saw, hole saw, power drill, flowerpots, screws, chain, clamps, square rule, pliers and more

2Measure and mark for the pots

Measure and mark the form ply for the pots. You can make yours any size you like. Ours measured 220mm wide and 930mm long.

A vertical garden tier being measured and marked for placement of flowerpots

3Mark out the squares

Using the combination square, measure and mark the 220mm squares along the length of the ply. We left 50mm in the centre as a design feature.

A square rule and pencil being used to mark spaces for plant pots to sit in a hanging garden tier

4Find the centre of the squares

Draw straight, diagonal lines across the squares. Then mark where the lines intersect, this is the centre of the squares. 

A scrap piece of timber being used as a ruler to plot out the centre of squares drawn out in a vertical garden tier for pot plants

5Pre-drill the holes for the circles

Clamp the ply to the workbench. Use the 3mm drill bit to pre-drill holes in the centre of all of the squares. This will make positioning the hole saw easier.

A hole being drilled at the centre of space set aside for a flower pot on a vertical garden tier

6Cut out the circles

With the ply still clamped to the work bench, use the hole saw to cut halfway through the ply. Turn the ply over and re-clamp it. Continue cutting with the hole saw. Cutting the holes out from both sides will stop the ply from splitting.

A hole saw being used to cut holes in the vertical garden tier for pot plants to sit in

7Measure and mark the width for the ply

Measure and mark the ply at the width of your choice. Use the square to draw a straight line along the length of the ply.

A tape measure being used to mark the vertical garden tier for cutting

8Cut the ply

Clamp the ply to the workbench. We're using a straight edge to run our saw against. Before cutting, make sure you take into account the distance between the edge of the saw and your blade. Then, use the circular saw to cut the ply.

A circular saw cutting through a piece of particle board painted black with a hole in the centre

9Measure and mark the ply to the right length

Work out how long you want your shelf to be. Measure and mark this distance on the ply.

A tape measure being used to measure the length of ply to be cut

10Cut the ply to length

Clamp the ply to the workbench. Use the drop saw to cut the ply to length.

A circular saw cutting through a piece of particle board painted black with a hole in the centre

11Measure and mark for the screw eyes

Measure and mark where you're going to put the screw eyes. On one side of the shelf we measured and marked 10mm in on each end, and in the middle. But because we're hanging more than one shelf, we measured in 15mm on the other side for the screw eyes to offset and help balance the planter.

A Square rule being used to mark drill points on a vertical garden tier

12Pre-drill holes for the screw eyes

Use the 3mm drill bit to pre-drill all of the holes for the screw eyes.

Holes being drilled into a vertical garden tier to anchor screws

13Attach the screw eyes

Hand screw the screw eyes into place. Then use pliers to secure them firmly.

Hanging screws being secured into a vertical garden tier

14Cut the chain to length

Measure and cut the chain links to the length you want. This will depend on where you're putting your hanging pot garden and the size of your plants. Depending on the thickness of the chain you might be able to cut it with pliers or you may need to use bolt cutters.

A length of chain being cut to the required length with pliers

15Attach the chain to the screw eyes

Use the pliers to twist open the end link on the chain. Connect this link to the screw eyes. Repeat this for all of the lengths of chain and the screw eyes. 

Pliers being used to attach a length of chain to the screw eyes used to hang the vertical garden

16Measure and mark for your hanging pot garden

Because it's heavy, the hanging pot garden will need to be attached to a joist. Use a stud finder to locate the joists in the ceiling. Then measure and mark the position for your hanging pot garden.

A completed vertical garden with three tiers, each tier holding four pink plant pots, in front of a circular patterned glass window pane

17Install the hanging pot garden

Use the 3mm drill bit to pre-drill holes to hang the garden. Then drill the holes for the larger 65mm screw eyes. Twist the screw eyes in, use pliers to make sure they're secure. Hang the “S” hooks from the screw eyes and hang the shelves.

A blue themed outdoor area with a variety of pot plants, some hanging from vertical gardens or hanging baskets
Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer. You can also use a simple test kit from Bunnings to indicate the presence of lead-based paint.