Turn Mismatched Forks into Unique Air Planters
I have this thing about forks, and apparently so does someone else. Most people complain that their teaspoons go missing. Not in our house. Nope, it’s always those darn forks. I’m convinced they put on these little forky sneakers and run off to that mysterious sock kitchen island 😉 Which means I have a whole bunch of mismatched forks locked away in a cupboard, pining for their long lost buddies. Time to do something about it. And no I’m not letting them go. I plan to tie them down for good and turn them into air planters for our Tillandsia Usneoides (aka Spanish Moss).
It’s not the first time we’ve made a planter for our Tillies, but this is one of those quick and easy crafts that can make a huge impact and add a unique touch to your gallery wall.
Fork (noun) An instrument used mainly to put dead animals into your mouth
Okay, before we get to the fork air planter tutorial, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!
How to Turn Mismatched Forks Into Air Planters
Grab those sad little mismatched forks and a few pieces of scrap pallet wood. Just make sure that the pallets are safe to use with plants. It’s best to only use those marked with HT (heat-treated) for all DIY projects.
Place the fork onto the wood and eyeball where it needs to be cut. Sand away any rough spots.
Seal the wood with a few coats of polyurethane if they’re going outside to protect the wood from rotting. Our mismatched fork air planters are hanging inside for now, but I’ve been known to change my mind often 😉 So better safe than sorry.
Place the fork onto the piece of wood and use a toothpick or something with a sharp point to mark where to drill some holes.
Use fishing line and sew the fork on to the piece of wood.
Drape your Tillandsia Usneoides over the tines, and your air planters are done.
I love the way they turned out. They make such a cute statement on our gallery wall in the kitchen. And they’re light enough to stick on using double-sided tape.
A Little Bit About Tillandsia Usneoides
Tillandsia Usneoides (Spanish Moss) is part of the pineapple family, and it loves indirect, bright light. In its natural habitat, you’ll find Spanish Moss draped over branches in warm, humid areas and it gets all its nutrients from the air. If you plan to grow them indoors, make sure to place them near a window. Just check that the air planters are not exposed to direct sunlight in summer. Give them a light mist of water on a daily basis and spoil them every now and again by mixing up a batch of compost tea and spraying that on instead. I love how easy most Tillandsia’s are to grow, and you can display them in many different ways too. You can even use them to make living 3D art.
If you like the idea of repurposing some forks to make an air planter, don’t forget to pin it for later.
What do you do with your mismatched forks? I’d love to know because I have a few more that need to be repurposed 😀
Looking for some more unique ways to showcase your air plants? Then you’re going to love these ideas:
- Repurposed doily air plant holder
- Gorgeous boho styled planter with beads and feathers
- Twine knit pockets and scrap wood
If you’d like to make something similar, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more unique DIY and craft ideas for you 😉
And if you’re looking to create those beautiful brick walls, perhaps these links might inspire you.
Until next time, hope you have a wonderful, love filled week. May the forks be with you 😉
I love air plants but I had never thought to demonstrate them this way! What a clever idea Michelle and how gorgeous are all these mismatched dinnerware!
Aren’t air plants just wonderful and the forks seemed like a really good idea. Much better than having them lie in some cupboard waiting for their long lost buddies to come home ?
Gosh, this is super cool, Michelle. What a beautiful way to deal with those mismatched forks! And as a known plant killer, I love the idea of using Spanish moss or any air plant for this project 🙂
Yeah, air plants are really rewarding and don’t need a lot of attention either. Plus they’re such unusual plants, they create a statement all on their own
These are super cute. I made some similar for drying flowers but I bent my utensils. I should look at hanging them like you did. Mine are hung up outside on a fence. Love these
Oh that’s sounds like a great plan. I never thought of using them to dry flowers. What a neat idea
Hi Michelle, I don’t what I love more the forks or the brick wall behind them!
love the look! love it! laura
Isn’t that brick wall just gorgeous. It’s actually washable wall paper and I love it. So easy to put up and so easy to clean too
This is such a unique idea!! I think they turned out wonderfully, Michelle. Great job!
Thanks so much Ayana
Hi Michelle! Such a cute idea!!! In our house, it was the spoons… Turns out our son was taking them to school in his lunch bag, leaving them on the outdoor kindergarten lunch tables to pick up when lunchtime was over, but the janitors would grab them and throw them away… When I figured out that we were really missing spoons and asked about it, we were down to three! From about 20! That’s when I showed Peter the joys of plasticware. Lol! {Did recover one spoon in perfect condition years later… in with his camping Scout kit!}.
Really love how your air planter turned out and that wall with all its textures!!! Perfect! Pinned out to my DIY board. <3
Have a great weekend!!!
Barb 🙂
LOL Brabara, I imagine the janitors must find tons of forks and spoons and things lying around after lunchtime. Thank goodness for plastic ones. Hope you have a lovely weekend too ?
It is a fantastic project Michelle and that wall is outstanding and unique!
Aww Maya Thank you so much ?
What a lovely and original project Michelle! I love your creativity! BTW I just realised I don’t have mismatched forks at home!
You’ve got to tell me how you get the right Nati. Every time I think I’ve got a full set, one of them goes missing ?
I love this unique look! That blue pattern makes it perfect too… I may have to do this on our outdoor patio!
Ooooo I think the air planters would look lovely on a patio wall. As long as they don’t get to much sun they’ll be super happy there
This is such a cute decorating idea! I love unusual ways to display plants and flowers.
Thanks so much Katie ?
This looks so cool. I actually adore this idea it is so creative! You did a great job.
Glad you like it Elizabeth, thank you
Michelle, what a fun and creative way to repurpose those forks. They’re little stinkers for running off like that. 😉 Great idea to tie them down and plant moss around them. I love how your gallery wall looks. Those blue plates are gorgeous!
Little stinkers is right Keri ? P.S. Those blue plates are actually paper plates but they are gorgeous and looks so good on the wall
What a unique idea! I would’ve never thought to turn forks into an air planter. Also, your tweet made me laugh! Somehow, I don’t think that’s the definition in the dictionary. ?
LOL Sam would you believe me, that quote actually does come from a dictionary ? Well sort of. It’s called the Devil’s Dictionary and it was started as a weekly newspaper by Ambrose Bierce way back in 1881. I put the hyperlink to the dictionary on the quote but it seems it only does the tweet. So here it is in case you want to see more weird and wacky definitions https://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/bierce/bierce.html
I eat with my mismatched forks! Mine are ALL mismatched along with my spoons and knives. I love your product. Does Spanish moss grow in South Africa?
It does yes, but not in all areas. You’ll find it in the warm humid areas down on the South Coast and the subtropical regions in the northeast of South Africa. Up here on the highveld, where we stay, we need to make sure that it doesn’t die in the cold, dry Winter months so we installed a sprinkler system to help with that.
This is an incredible idea! I love what you have created. Surprisingly, we don’t loose a lot of spoons or folks but I would love to loose some in art like this. 😉
? Bring them to our house, they’ll get lost real quick ?
That is such a clever DIY trick! I love those air plants too – I want some for my kitchen!
Glad you like it Elizabeth, thank you
I have got quite a number of mismatched forks I had love to experiment this with. I believe I can figure it out
You’ll do it without a problem, it’s really easy but let me know if you get stuck or if the tutorial isn’t clear
Always good to learn about something new … I had no idea about the Spanish moss and now I do. You post also made me realize I have really basic and boring dinnerware. haha 🙂
❥ tanvii.com
? LOL Tanvi, I can’t resist unusual dinnerware
These are such unusual plants Michelle. And the way you have placed them on the forks really shows them off. Now the forks won’t feel neglected. Your wall gallery is also a thing to behold and admire.
Aren’t they just beautiful and they’re one of those plants that just keep on giving even when you forget about them for a bit. I’m glad we could bring some inside and add them to the gallery wall. They fit right in ?
First off, your forks are so pretty! Mine look all the same and I don’t even notice if one left us 😉 And it would only be you who’d make a beautiful wall display out of miss matched forks! SO clever and SO unique, I love it!
I really like unusual dinnerware but they always seem to go missing. Right now everything is mismatched but the worst is definitely those forks ? and I have no idea why. Glad you love the idea Katrin though, thank you