Leather Plant Hanger

It seems I'm always in need of a place for my growing plant collection, & hanging them is a great option. This (my first, so apologies for the length!) tutorial is for a simple leather hanger using materials I already had on hand.

Supplies

Gather your materials:

1) Scrap leather...This leather is scrap deer skin. It's easy to cut & manipulate (a friend of mine gave me this, but check out thrift & fabric stores for some).

2) Leather cutting scissors. These I've had & they are SHARP! I've also had success with rotary cutters & box cutters with new blades.

3) Grommet accessories.

4) Sharpie

5) Rope

6) Hammer (not pictured - ooops!)

Step 1: Make a Circle

Since I already had a plant, I used the 8" saucer + 3/4" for my circle.

When this was done, I folded the leather in half & marked where to put my grommets, keeping in mind to leave a border so the grommet was not to close to the edge. I did this for 4 grommets.

Step 2: Grommets 101!

I just LOVE grommets! Once you get the hang of getting them right, they are SO useful!

For this project I used a kit previously purchased from Home Depot. The kits come with a hole punch, small mat or piece of wood, 1/2" grommets (2 pieces), setting tool & an anvil.

First, punch a hole in the leather using the tubular cutter where you marked the holes. It takes about 5 or 6 good taps to cut all the way through the leather.

Second - While a little tight, push the larger of the 2 piece grommets through the holes, remembering that leather will stretch!

Third - Position the grommet circle over the other side of the hole, & then the whole piece over the anvil. The setting tool will fit over & inside the grommet on top. Several quick & firm hits with your hammer will set the grommet.

NOTE: Be sure to use hard surfaces for this step, such as bricks or a block of wood! I used bricks.

Step 3: Get Your Rope Ready & Assemble the Hanger!

Since I already had a plant hanger, I knew the approximate length of rope - in this case, it's Polypropylene - & cut a little bit longer.

Push the ends of the rope into the grommets. Knot the ends so they can't slip through. I had to double knot mine.

NOTE: The Polypropylene is synthetic, so I carefully burned the ends so they wouldn't fray. If you do this, dunk the ends in cold water....otherwise they will stay hot for quite awhile!

Step 4: All Done!

The time for this project was a little more than an hour, but keep in mind that I had all the tools at my disposal. Also, these can be easily modified - this one really needs to be longer! Enjoy!!