Introduction: Plastic Wall Hanging Box for Succulents With Frame

By TeleToyland
About: A Maker since childhood with all the classic symptoms, a robot builder, and an Internet software CTO/Tech Product Manager.

This is an easy to make plastic wall hanging box for succulents, tillys etc. It is made from PVC plastic, and is completely waterproof. It also has a decorative frame. The top has an opening for watering and adding more soil/moss over time.

This is part of a pair of Instructables - one made of wood and this one made of plastic. The plastic one costs more, but is completely waterproof. The white PVC is painted to make it a more pleasing color.

Supplies

  • PVC Trim Board 1x4 inch (nominal - actually 3.5 inches x 3/4 inch) x 8 feet. This is designed for exterior use and is paintable. One board can make four planters.




  • Mesh for the front - I had this mesh around, but there are many choices including chicken wire.



  • PVC Casing Molding. You can use different styles. This worked well for me since it lays flat. One piece is 7 feet long, so each one can make 1.25 planters.


  • Clear Gorilla Glue. This is suitable for outdoor use and works very well for gluing the PVC frame.


  • Paint for PVC frames. I used this green tinted paint, but any exterior paint that will adhere to plastic is fine.


  • ABS Sheet for the backing. I got 12 inch x 12 inch ones that exactly fit my planters, so no cutting was required.


Step 1: Building the Box

The size of the planter was designed for the PVC backing - 1 foot x 1 foot. The front frame ends up being 15.5" wide and 14.5" high.

The two vertical sides are 12 inches long. Cut one piece this length. Cut that side piece in two lengthwise (about 1-3/4 inch) - I used a band saw with a fence, but any kind of saw will work with varying degrees of effort.

Cut one more piece 10-1/2 inch long for the horizontal cross pieces. Since the sides are 3/4 inch thick each, the width is 12 - (2 x 0.75) = 10.5. Like the side pieces, cut the cross pieces lengthwise in two.

I lightly sanded the boards after cutting to remove the plastic burrs.

I used 2 of the 1-5/8" drywall screws on each corner. Note that the top piece is rotated so you have an open top for adding dirt or moss later. I used a countersink bit for the screws to avoid splitting. I screwed them on a flat surface to make sure the frame was straight - I would consider that essential. I also had a guide for the back and side to make sure that was square, though I am not sure how important that was.

Once the frame was complete, I painted it with the exterior all-surfaces paint.

After the paint dries, you can screw the back board on. I drilled (9) holes 3/6 inch in diameter for the drywall screws. Since the backing is thinner than the wood, I used 1-1/4" screws. The top has no screws since it is not touching any of the wood.

The mesh is cut to the size of the box, then stapled on with the water resistant stainless steel staples. I had to hammer a couple of the staples that did not go in all the way.

There are numerous ways to hang the box. I chose to add screw-eyes to the top, then some chain and clips. These are visible, but do not interfere with the back against a pole or wall.

Step 2: Building the Frame

For the frame, the box opening is 10-1/2 inch wide x 9-1/2 inch tall. We'd like to have a 1/4 inch reveal all around, so the inside dimensions of the frame are 11 inch x 10 inch. I cut them on a miter saw at 45 degrees with the thick part of the case molding on the outside. Since the molding is 2.25" wide, the outside dimensions are 15.5" wide x 14.5" tall.

I used corner clamps to hold the sides square and flat while gluing with the Clear Gorilla glue - works very well on plastic, and is rated for outdoor use.

After the glue dried, I used the spray paint for the frame.

Finally, I nailed the frame to the box on top of the mesh. I used a nail gun with 1" brads, but any finish nails or screws would be fine.

Step 3: Planting

Air Plants

For air plants, the material in the box does not matter much. It's mostly to hold the moisture between watering. You can use Sphagnum Moss or more eco friendly Coconut Coir in the box. To tack the air plants use Tilly Tacker or similar floral glue to glue the plants to the plastic mesh on front. They like more shade and can be sprayed once a week or so. You can use Epiphyte Fertilizer in water and dunk them once a month or so.

Succulents

For the succulents, one tip is that the home stores often have arrangements that are less expensive per plant than buying them one by one. Work with the planter flat on a table front side up. Fill the box about half way with potting mix. Then decide where you you want the plants and do the minimum cutting of the mesh to fit their roots through into the dirt. Dunk the roots in a bowl of water first to clean the dirt off to make the roots smaller. When the plants are all in, you can pack a bit more dirt in though the mesh using chopsticks, and also a bit of Sphagnum Moss or Coconut Coir to pack and hold the dirt in. Leave it flat for a few weeks to allow the roots to grow - add more dirt as needed. Succulents like full sun, and you can spray them gently to avoid washing the dirt out. You can sprinkle more dirt on the top opening from time to time.

For the Yard

Participated in the
For the Yard