DIY Window Gardens: Creative Ways to Display Indoor Plants

Adding greenery to your indoor space not only elevates the aesthetic but also promotes a healthier environment. To help plants bask in natural sunlight, many homeowners set pots on the floor or a table in front of a window. While these traditional placements work, we’re sharing more creative ways to display indoor plants near your windows. From suspended planters to built-in shelving, here are three step-by-step guides to help you add design interest and maximize the area around your windows.

Hanging planters from the ceiling above a window can add a charming touch of greenery to your indoor space while maximizing limited floor area. By following a few simple steps, you can easily suspend planters that will transform your room and utilize an often overlooked area. Here’s how to tackle this DIY project:

1. Start by shopping for 3-5 hanging planters that complement each other to create a cohesive look.
2. Install plant hooks in the ceiling above your window, ensuring they are securely fastened.
3. Adjust the strings so that the planters hang at varying heights, creating visual interest and ensuring each plant receives unobstructed sunlight.
4. Hang the planters and select plants that thrive in lower water conditions since they’ll be a bit out of reach. Plants like ric rac cactus (also known as fishbone cactus), snake plants, pothos and hoya don’t require much watering.

Building shelves in front of a window provides a creative space for your indoor plants to thrive. Whether you're looking to maximize sunlight exposure or simply add a decorative element to your room, constructing shelves in front of a window is a crafty way to incorporate house plants. Let’s walk through the step-by-step process to build sturdy and stylish window garden shelves:

1. Build two "ladder" structures, one for each side of your window, to support the shelves.
2. Measure the height of your window from the outside of the bottom trim to the outside of the top trim.
3. Cut four 1-inch square dowels to this length. These will be the vertical supports for the ladder structures.
4. Cut four 1-inch square dowels to a length of 7 3/8 inches each. One will be glued and screwed between two vertical lengths at the top, and the other at the bottom for both ladder builds.
5. Decide how many more shelves you want in addition to the top and bottom shelves. Cut that many additional square dowels at 7 3/8 inches for each of the ladders.
6. Measure and mark where the additional shelves will go, then glue and screw the dowels in place.
7. Lightly sand, prime and paint the two ladders.
8. Align one ladder on the right side of your window trim, ensuring it is flush with the top and bottom of the trim. Drill pilot holes and screw the ladder to the wall in 2-3 places. Be sure not to drill into your window as this will void the warranty.
9. Align the other ladder on the left side of the window and attach it the same way.
10. Use wood filler or spackle to fill screw holes, then sand the filled areas and any rough or sharp edges.
11. Prime the spots where the holes were filled, then paint the ladders with an additional coat.
12. Measure the distance between the outer edges of the two ladders and cut 1x8 poplar boards to this length for the shelves.
13. Sand, prime and paint the shelves.
14. Slide the shelves so they sit on top of the rings of the ladder.
15. If your shelves need to span a long distance or hold a lot of weight, attach a 1x2 poplar board to the face of the shelf board to give it additional strength.
16. Depending on which direction your window faces, consider bright light plants such as cactus, aloe vera, African milk plant, croton, palm, fiddle leaf fig or succulents.

When it comes to indoor gardening, utilizing the space above a window allows you to artistically incorporate greenery into your home décor. Styling a shelf above a window with indoor plants not only adds a touch of natural beauty but also maximizes the available space on your counters, tables and floor. This elevated placement creates an eye-catching focal point in the room. Here’s how to style a shelf above your window with indoor plants that elevate your design:

1. Gather a selection of plants that thrive in indirect light, such as hoya, ferns, snake plants, monstera or philodendron.
2. Install a floating shelf above your window, ensuring it is level and securely anchored to the wall.
3. Add a piece of artwork above or on the shelf to serve as a colorful backdrop for your plant display.
4. Arrange your plants on the shelf, mixing different leaf shapes, textures and heights to create visual interest and dimension.

Experiment with different plant varieties, arrangements and designs to personalize your window garden and enjoy the benefits of a greener, more vibrant home. By following these steps for a DIY indoor window garden, you can transform your windows into stunning displays of nature, bringing beauty and tranquility into your space.