Every good plant parent needs awesome indoor plant shelf ideas to show off their plant babies! So we are sharing our very own plant shelf ideas, along with some from our favorite plant Instagram accounts. Because we all love our plants, so let’s show them off! And none of us mind if you steal our best ideas, promise. And at the bottom of the post we’ll share where to buy indoor plants online.
Awesome Indoor Plant Shelf Ideas
So these first few plant shelf ideas are from our very own home. We love our plants so much that they truly have become part of our family, like pets! And we use them in our decor, because what is better than a living plant in any, and every room! And if one is good… well at the moment, we have over 50 indoor plants in a 700 square foot condo. Yep, we have a problem. 😉 And we’re totally ok with that.
Ikea Plant Shelf Ideas
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again- IKEA is always a great start to a budget friendly DIY project!
IKEA Bookcase Plant Shelving
We used an Ikea Expedit bookcase and turned it 90 degrees away from the wall to allow light in from both sides. Then we used it to display some of our fav houseplants! This Ikea bookcase idea also makes a major design impact… When you open the front door of our small condo, it’s the first thing you see- filtering the light and the view, and filled with bright, healthy green plants!
Remember the trick about turning the bookcase away from the wall… it allows so much more light to reach the plants, resulting in happier, healthier and prettier plant pets!
Wondering what these plants are? From left to right, starting at the top…
- Top of plant shelf – Pothos, baby Boston fern, heart leaf Philodendron
- Second Row- English ivy, maidenhair fern, Tillandsia. (Air plant)
- Third row- Tillandsia , Pilea peperomioides (Chinese money plant)
- Fourth row – Pothos, prayer plant
- Bottom Row – Rhipsalis, Schefflera (umbrella plant)
Find out where to buy these potted plants at the bottom of the post!
Floating IKEA Shelves
We made a floating plant shelf from the ones you can buy at Ikea for less than $10. Make sure you anchor it into the wall though, plants can be very heavy, especially when they are freshly watered. Here we have a spiderwort, prayer plant, a snake plant and a pothos. There is a small air plant sitting on the shelf as well, along with a glass vase I use to propagate cuttings. You can find similar shelves to make your own at Amazon. (If you love these tropical indoor plants, check out our post on Hardy Outdoor Tropical Plants over at TGG!)
More DIY Plant Shelf Ideas
Ready to dedicate some more space to your houseplants? Check out all these ideas to find the one that fits your style and suits your collection.
Create a plant wall- or just a couple wall shelves for your plants!
If you have a wall that gets just the right amount of light, you might just want to totally go for it and create an entire wall of greenery. You can customize it to fit the entire wall by DIY’ing the whole system. Check out our post on DIY Bookshelves for ideas. We made an outdoor living plant wall over at TGG you might want to check out as well!
Go Modern and minimalist
Create a minimalist, modern display with this glorious diy by “Clever Bloom.” So cute and so easy! Find the tutorial here.
DIY Plant wall
All it takes to create a lush plant wall in your home is a few levels of wall shelves and then lots of plants of course! Wall shelves are actually super easy to diy with some wall brackets and nice planks of wood. This idea by ‘Life Love Larson shows just how to turn a wall of your home into your own jungle.
Pegboard plant wall
I would not have thought of this one, but you can get crafty and create your own plant wall with a diy pegboard and shelves to go with it! Check out the tutorial here or find a whole list of ideas for pegboard shelves for plants over here.
Ladder Shelf Ideas
Ladder shelves are great for potted plants because they provide a nice, sturdy place to display them. These ideas are great if you have the wall space but aren’t keen on the idea of drilling into the wall.
Bob Vila’s Plant Ladder
This ladder shelf idea is great because the baskets keep your plants nice and secure, but also easy to access!
Stylish ladder plant shelf with instructions
Shara at “Woodshop Diaries” created a super helpful video tutorial for this gorgeous ladder idea. And she also shows you how to create some cute little plant labels!
Mini plant ladder
Keep your wall space for wall art and other decor with this shorter version of plant ladder shelf by “The Merry Thought” will suit your needs quite well.
Window plant shelf ideas
Keep your sun loving plants happy by giving them a shelf in a window. Here are some great DIY ideas to put you plant shelves in the sunlight!
Easy Window Shelf Idea
This window plant shelf is super simple… If you don’t already have a wide window sill to place your plants on, have a board cut to fit the sill and attach with small nails. Make sure it is at least six inches wide if you plan on displaying larger plants there, like shown here! Throw in a cool corner shelf, and a couple of minimal plants stands, and you have a perfect plant display!
DIY hanging plant shelf
I found this beautiful hanging wooden plant shelf on Etsy and just knew it was DIY-able.
…and, yep! Here is the DIY tutorial that matches this same style of shelf idea! This one by “Living the Gray Life is extra clever because the holes in the wooden planks help to keep the plant pots nice and secure.
DIY swivel window plant shelf
I originally saw this idea on instagram, where one user had made this awesome project her daughter. After some research, I found that Home Depot actually has a perfect, easy to follow tutorial! This shelf is so clever because you can keep your plants in front of natural light unit you need to access your window or just want more light for yourself!
Bonus inspiration from Instagram
I don’t have links to tutorials for all of these, but they should get the creative juices flowing!
Cool Plant Stand
Another option is to just buy a really cool plant stand that adds to your decor, like this round stand @helloplantlover shared. These plant shelves hold all terra cotta pots, which really helps to make the display look “pulled together”. No, the clear glass vases don’t count. These are guidelines my friends, not rules. 🙂
Beautiful Plant Inspiration
So, this is NOT a plant shelf, but we couldn’t help including it. I mean, those plants!
Plant Wall Shelf
So Justina Blakely from ‘Jungalow’ helped to start the indoor plant craze. This plant wall shelf is so easy, and you can get this type of shelving at any home improvement store. This is cool because you can adjust the height of the shelves to match the height of the plants you want to display. Also, the gold supports? Pretty! I’m thinking a can of copper spray paint might be another cool way to go…
Floating Shelves for Decor, too!
We are in love with this floating plant shelf idea because it isn’t just plants. As much as we love our little green flora babies, we love good design too. Mixing your plants in with other accents is a great way to create a look that accentuates the whole home by sharing your personality too, not just your plants. And if you want to DIY this look, check out our post on DIY Floating Shelves!
DIY Plant Stand Ideas
If you want some place to put your plants that has character, then consider making your own DIY plant stands. You could use thrift store finds to create the pedestal or column and simple wood rounds from the craft store for the base and top. Screw it all together well, and make sure your base is slightly larger than your top, for balance. Old lamp bases or stair balusters are great ideas for a start.
Hanging DIY Plant Shelves
These floating shelves are great, but sometimes you want to get a little more creative, right? Wire storage grids are a great way to hang planters on the wall. Drill holes in the back of your planter pots, then use “S” hooks to hang them on the grid.
Use your Stairs
Ok, maybe you might want to leave just a little room for the humans in the house, but this is a time honored idea for displaying your plants! Just make sure there is enough light before you line the stairs with every single one of your prized houseplants.
Boho Style Ideas
If you love Boho style, (and who doesn’t?), then check out these plant shelf ideas. Rattan coffee tables, vintage desks and macrame will take you a long way towards that Boho look. And if you love Boho as much as we do, check out our Modern Boho Chic Home Reveal for more ideas!
Where To Buy Indoor Plants Online
If you’re wondering where to buy all these incredible plants for your indoor plant shelf or plant stand, look no further. We’ve got a nice list for you below.
Check out our post on Plant Subscription Boxes on our sister site, ‘The Garden Glove’!
Did you get enough ideas to create your own #plantshelfie? Want more plant love? Learn how to make simple DIY Macrame Plant Hangers over at TBD… Check out our posts, 13 Stunning Indoor Vertical Garden Planters, What are Air Plants, Cool Plant Stand Ideas and Chinese Money Plant Care on our sister site ‘The Garden Glove’! And if you want to grow your own plants, learn how to build a Homemade Greenhouse!
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