Air plants, or tillandsia, are popping up all over the web these days. And with good reason… they’re low-maintenance, inexpensive and are sure to garner attention from your guests. Here are ten super inventive air plant holder ideas, and creative ways to display these curious little natural beauties.
Pigment
1. Painted wooden bell cups make the perfect container for your air plants… check out the tutorial here. [Photo: Lovely Indeed]
2. Air plants don’t mind being upside down… so take a cue from this photo and house one in an empty glass bottle. [Photo: The Gifts of Life]
3. Here’s a cool air plant holder incorporating string art … find out how to make your own version here. [Photo: Brit + Co.]
4. You may not have to look any further than your pantry – “plant” your tillandsia in dried beans! Find the full how-to here. [Photo: Lauren Donaldson]
5. Mason jars and twine look great with air plants too. Find out more about this project here. [Photo: Karla Lim]
6. Consider layering different materials in a glass jar underneath the plants… sand, rice, beans and rocks are a few ideas. [Photo: Debra Lee Baldwin]
7. A flat platter or tray like the one above makes for a beautiful presentation as well. [Photo: The Knoxville Holts]
8. If you live near the ocean, go grab a piece of driftwood and attach your tillandsia to it. Check out the tutorial here. [Photo: Euro Style Lighting]
9. This is one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” ideas… a glass vase inside of another glass vase. So beautiful! And this idea is fairly pet-safe if you have a curious little furry friend like I do. [Photo: About.com]
10. This last idea is my favorite – a living wreath! Use air plants, flowers, branches and other natural items to decorate a pre-made wooden wreath. Here is the tutorial. [Photo: Pigment]
10 More Air Plant Holder Inspiration Ideas
Tillandsia are a wonderful way to add greenery to your home without the maintenance of a regular houseplant. They do require water, but they don’t need to be planted in soil so they can be placed in all kinds of unique spots in your home. Here are ten more of our favorite ways to display air plants.
1. Triangular wall-mounted hangers give them a modern, geometric look. [Photo: Homey Oh My!]
2. You might try suspending them from the ceiling with some neon cord for a bright pop of color. [Photo: Via Decoist]
3. This deconstructed look humorously suspends the tillandsia above the pots of dirt. [Photo: Via Minimalisti]
4. Or perhaps you could buy several air plants and display them in frames on the wall. [Photo: FloraGrubb]
5. A piece of driftwood is a lovely spot to place an air plant as well. [Photo: Via Minimalisti]
6. Or you could get super creative and arrange them in the shape of an @ symbol. [Photo: Well Groomed]
7. Wire is a great material to use to show off your air plants. [Photo: Homedit]
8. A simple wire grid from the home improvement store is a super easy and stylish display idea. [Photo: The Horticult]
9. Fishing twine will make your air plants appear to be floating in mid air. [Photo: Floatypoe]
10. A wreath is another great way to share your tillandsia with passersby. [Photo: Calypte Collection]
Some Unusual Air Plant Displays (Still Gorgeous)
A Curbly reader was inspired to share some gorgeous pictures of air plant displays. The top image, which utilized silver chains and hoops is an original creation of thyrza’s. I’m totally digging the alien/pod thing that’s going on in this thyrza terrarium as well:
(You can see more work by thyrza by following this jump.)
Tillandsia rises to the occasion, literally, at this installation by Flora Grubb Gardens at the Bardessono Hotel, Napa Valley:
Detail:
Here’s another installation by Flora Grubb Gardens in, appropriately named, The Plant Cafe Organic on Pier 3 in San Francisco:
And check out these ‘domes’ of dripping Tillandsias Usneoides (Spanish hanging moss) that featured last fall at the London Design Festival. They were created by French designer Patrick Nadeau for Boffi.
Air plants might look fake, but they’re not. They can be grown indoors or out, prefer cool nighttime temps and bright filtered light. They also do well in artificial light as well; florescent is best. Tillandsia grown indoors prefer to be thoroughly wetted 2 to 3 times a week, whereas if they’re grown outdoors they may never need watering. For food, an air plant will do just fine with a Bromeliad fertilizer (17-8-22) twice a month. If all these ‘rules’ sound stringent, they aren’t. Tillandsia are incredibly hardy, which is one reason why so many people think they’re not real!
Now, how to display them…. Apartment Therapy put together a gallery of some great ideas. Although, according to my source, Air Plant City, Tillandsia don’t like to be in containers that hold water. That being said, let’s take a peek, shall we?
