By Dee Archibald
I’ve been working on a little botanical gallery wall at my place lately and I wanted something to bring it to life. Well I think this is just the thing! I love how the plant pops out of the wall in a 3D fashion amongst my other less dimensional frames. Now I need to get cracking on hanging the rest of the artwork, but that’s a whole other DIY for another day!
You will need:
- A potted Stagshorn fern (if you’re having trouble locating one, succulents work just as well)
- A piece of wood (old or new it’s up to you!)
- A bag of green moss
- 8 screws or nails (around 5 cms long)
- A hook for hanging (or 2 extra screws and wire)
- Fishing nylon (twine or neon string if you want it to stand out)
Step 1
Choose some wood for the base of your design. This could be anything from an old rustic off-cut to a tree stump round. I chose a new piece of ply as I like the clean scandi look. I gave it a light coat of Matt vanish so it looked more polished.
Fix your hook in the back at this point as it is very hard to do so later. I didn’t have a hook on hand so used a couple of small screws and wire (as pictured) Kiwi ingenuity!
Step 2
Pull your plant out of its pot in one piece and set it aside. Use the top of the pot to trace around, making a circle in the middle of your wood base. Then add your 8 screws (or nails) evenly around the circle, leaving around 3-4 cms of each screw poking out.
Step 3
Take your plant and carefully break away the first 4-5 cms in one piece, then place it between the screws.
Step 4
Cover all the soil with a thick layer of moss, then tie the end of your nylon around one of the screws. Wind the nylon across the moss wrapping it tightly around the opposite screw and continue around each screw to bind everything in place. I even wrapped the nylon around and around the base of the moss to keep it tidy. Finish by tying the end in a knot around a final screw.
And there you have it. 3 dimensional botanical art ready for placing on a gallery wall, shady outdoor area or pressy for mum this Mother’s Day!
