Want to create a chandelier hanging planter with a difference? Here's how to turn an old chandelier into a beautiful and unusual addition to your garden.
What you need to make a chandelier hanging planter
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An old chandelier with arms that end in upward-facing lamps. (If you don't happen to have one lying around, don't worry – they're easy to find online.)
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Plant pots and pot saucers to fit the lamp bases of your chandelier. Small terracotta or plastic pots are ideal, or you can improvise with tin cans or even old teacups with holes drilled in the bottom.
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Spray paint suitable for outdoor use, to paint your chandelier once finished. Alternatively, you could decorate the pots to suit your own style.
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Waterproof glue that's suitable for outdoor use. Various glues are available, so check that the glue is suitable for the materials you will be glueing, e.g. metal/terracotta or metal/plastic.
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Multipurpose compost.
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Water retaining granules.
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Plants.
How to make a chandelier planter
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Remove the bulb holders from the bases. They may pull off, or you may need to use a screwdriver to remove them.
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Using wire cutters, cut off all the electrical wires flush with the bases and where they come out of the top of the chandelier so that no cables are visible.
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Glue a saucer to each of the bases where the bulb holders used to be, and leave it to dry completely.
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Next, glue the pots to the saucers, and leave to dry.
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Spray paint the whole chandelier the colour of your choice. Do this in a well-ventilated area, ideally outdoors, and wear a face mask and goggles to protect yourself.
Choosing plants for a chandelier planter
Once the chandelier planter is finished, it's time to plant it. Use multipurpose compost mixed with water retaining gel crystals. These swell up when wet, gradually releasing their water into the compost and allowing you to water less frequently.
Your choice of plants will depend on where you are planning to put your planter. Chandelier planters are very versatile, and look equally good hanging from an overhead hook or used as a table centrepiece.
For a hanging planter, go for trailing plants that will tumble over the rims of the pots, allowing you to appreciate the flowers. Petunias, calibrachoas and trailing lobelia are all excellent choices for planters in a sunny spot. Trailing fuchsias, variegated ajuga and ivy look lovely in shady planters.
To make a beautiful and unusual table centrepiece, plant up your chandelier planter with colourful bedding plants to reflect the season, such as violas and primroses in spring, or bright begonias in late summer. You could even turn your planter into a miniature herb garden by filling pots with thyme, mint, lavender and other fragrant herbs.