Hang Air Plants in Home Decor
Tillandsias, also known as Air Plants, are beautiful, sculptural and intriguing plants that make the most beautiful living decor objects for your spaces, whether it's at home, at the office or even in a classroom.
Tillandsias are called Air Plants, because, differently from other plants, they get the majority of their nutrients from the air surrounding them. They don't need soil to thrive; they only need a nicely ventilated area; abundant indirect sunlight and regular watering or misting, based on the temperature and humidity, (or the lack of thereof), of where you place your Air Plant.
Air Plants, like other epiphytes, use their roots only to anchor themselves to other plants or trees. For this reason, they can be gently trimmed when kept indoor. For more informations on the nature and care of Air Plants, I recommend you check out the Modern Air Plants website, where I got all the knowledge I needed to care for my two beautiful Air Plants.
I own two Air Plants; a Capitata Peach, shown here above and a Caput Medusae, shown in the picture below.
My Air Plants taking their 1 hour weekly soaking bath.
Air Plants are extremely easy to care for and are very low maintenance once your learn the basics rule of thumbs to make them thrive:
1) place them in a well ventilated environment;
2) place them in bright indirect sunlight and
3) provide proper watering or misting, (I don't mist mine; I soak them in water for an hour weekly).
Because Air Plants don't need soil to thrive and are extremely easy to care for, you pretty much have endless design options to display them in your home. The flexibility of these plants gives you so many opportunities to unleash your creativity when decorating with Air Plants.
Tillandsias' shapes, colours and sheens are so beautiful and unique that you can just place them on a counter to enhance a space. Their sculptural characteristics allows them to lift the look of a space without necessarily having a base or support.
Because they don't need a pot with soil, you can move them around and constantly change the way you display them, (provided that you respect their basic needs). I love to do that! You will never see my Air Plants displayed the same way for too long!!!
Based on the type of Air Plant you have, its size, shape and colours, you can either display them as an individual plant or in groups or add them to a composition of other plants or decor objects. They pretty much fit with everything.
However, it's important you choose the display that suits your particular Air Plant the best. There are many different types of Air Plants with different shapes and colours and not every stand or holder suits every shape, so it is important that when you look around for Air Plant display ideas you really keep in mind the type of Air Plant you have. Think of it as you were looking for a frame for a piece of art; it needs to suit its content and it need to go well with the surrounding environment.
Here below are some tasteful and creative display ideas for your Air Plants. Since there are so many ways to display Air Plants, I divided the display methods in 4 large broad categories; Stand and Base Display; Wall and Ceiling Hung Display: Terrarium Displays and Creative Composition Displays.
Here is an example showing my Caput Medusae Air Plant hanging out with other plants. Notice how it enhances the composition with its shape?
Stand and Base Air Plant Display
I have to admit the Stand and Base displays are my favourite types as they allow for maximum flexibility and ease of maintenance. Remember that you have to remove your plant from its display for watering and care at least once a week. I personally find it easier and faster to remove my Air Plant from its base if I can see it on a table top rather than hanging in a wall display.
This is a handmade driftwood base. Driftwood and Air Plants go really well together as they both have natural shapes and textures.
Photo Credit: Johanna Rundel
These geometric structural shapes have been really popular lately. They are highly decorative and they are really functional for Air Plants as not only they uplift the look of the plant, but they guarantee great air circulation all around the plant. They are flexible as they can be placed on a surface or hung on a wall or from a ceiling. They come in different finishes, shapes, sizes and colours!
Photo Credit: Plants and Beautiful Things
I really like the combination of Air Plants and natural stones and gems. The stone's light reflection brightens up the Air Plant and makes for a beautiful and meaningful decor composition.
Photo Credit: Dot & Bo
This hand-bent ringlet holder is very simple in design and provides a highly decorative support for this Caput Medusae Air Plant.
Photo Credit: Seattle Seed Co.
I really enjoy how this Air Plant looks with this stand. I believe the beauty of the composition stands in the shape of the air plant and how well it goes with the stand. The fact that this Air Plant shape is curved to the right, balances the the wire stand fastened to the left side of the wood base. A straight Caput Medusae or a Xerographica Air Plant would not have the same visual effect on this stand.
Photo Credit: Contemporist
Another excellent way to display your Air Plants is to use them as centre pieces for your table, whether it's a permanent display or occasional when you have guests.
Wall and Ceiling Hung Air Plant Display
Wall and Ceiling Hung displays are beautiful and can easily replace art on your walls. However, it is important you don't forget your Air Plant there as it will still require its proper watering or misting.
In order to care for your plant without damaging your walls or your holder, you need to be able to remove your Air Plant easily from the composition without damaging the plant either.
Photo Credit Idle Hands Awake
This is a hand made holder to custom fit Air Plants. As you can see the wire part is made to perfectly wrap around the Air Plant stem. Click on the photo credit link to build your own wood slice Air Plant Holder.
Photo Credit: Ruth Yarn
If you already have plants hanging from macrame' baskets, this is the perfect Air Plant display for you!
Photo Credit: Indulgy
This type of driftwood Air Plant hanger can be hand-made if you have easy access to a beach. The only recommendation I have is to avoid gluing the Air Plant to the wood. Try to find a natural hole or crevice in the piece of driftwood you found and get your Air Plant to simply sit on it. It will be much easier to water your plant.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
This is another interesting hand-made hanger made with a piece of driftwood and some yarn. Once again, make sure your Air Plant is not permanently attached to the composition and it is easy to remove for watering.
Photo Credit: Behance
This is a brilliant white metal holder for your Air Plant. It's the perfect product to bring your Air Plant to the office or for those sleek and minimalistic type of homes.
Photo Credit: Elaine B Jewelry
This brass hanging holder is perfect for a large Xerographica Air Plant. It enhances the look of the plant and it's airy at the same time so it doesn't take away from this Air Plant beauty.
Air Plant Terrarium
I believe Air Plants are great in a Terrarium, however, not all terrariums are great for them.
It is critical that whatever container is used for the Terrarium, it allows enough air circulation for your plant. Tillandsias won't thrive in a closed terrarium or a terrarium with little air circulation.
Air Plants can be mixed with other types of plants in a terrarium as long as they are not watered together and the Air Plant is not in contact with soil or any other moist and humid medium, such as damp moss and rocks.
Make sure you can easily remove your Air Plant for periodic watering once you've created your terrarium. You should not water or mist your Air Plant inside the terrarium.
Here below are some examples of suitable terrariums for Air Plants. All these terrariums have easy access to the Air Plant for care purposes.
Photo Credit: Lucky Think
The only living plant in this terrarium is the Air Plant. This open type of terrarium works well for Air Plants, as there is no soil, nor rocks in contact with water. The Air Plant can easily be removed from the container for watering purposes. Since this glass container is only open above, it's important the Air Plant is completely dry after watering before placing it back into the terrarium.
Photo Credit: Modern Air Plants
This type of geometric terrarium is great when the Air Plant is one of the few elements in it, (or the only one). The glass and metal structure of this geometric container are highly decorative on their own, so there is no need to load this terrarium with plants and decorative sands and rocks.
Photo Credit: Suburble
A lantern open on one side makes for a creative Air Plants terrarium. The plants sit on dry sand and are easy to remove for watering or misting. Rocks and a yarn ball add a nice tough to the composition.
Photo Credit: Twigs Terrariums
A plain fish bowl is a nice container for a terrarium. However, make sure you don't stuff it with too many Air Plants as the opening for air circulation is not very big. Because of this round shape with a small opening at the top, it is critical that the Air Plants dry throughly after watering before placing them back in the container.
Photo Credit: Luludi Living Art
This is a unique Air Plant Terrarium. Because this container is wide open, it makes a perfect environment for Air Plants. Just make sure you have the right size and correctly proportioned Air Plants, or the composition may result unbalanced.
Air Plant Creative Compositions
The sky is the limit when it comes to the creative possibilities with Air Plants, provided that the basic care requirements are respected.
Here below are some very tasteful and creative examples of what you can do to enhance your space with Air Plants.
Photo Credit: SandCStudio8
Driftwood and wire. We have seen this type of stand here above but the ability to add a message to the stand it's unique.
Photo Credit: Bespoke Occasions
This isn't an Air Plant display but I wanted to add it here anyway to show the beautiful things you can do with Air Plants!
Photo Credit: Decoratio
If you have several Air Plants and like to display them together, this is a nice way to do it. I like the idea of recycling existing items in creative ways. The same concept can be adapted to an old bicycle wheel!
Photo Credit: Refab Diaries
I think this is brilliant and can be adapted to a large Xerographica Air Plant as well. I am not sure how easy it is to remove the plant for watering but considering this globe round support is made out of metal, it shouldn't be that hard to submerge it into water with the plant attached to it.
Photo Credit: Fluorish Succulents
This hanging metal orb is stunning. Air Plants are attached to a wood branch inside the globe. If Air Plants cannot be removed from the branch, this metal orb can be submerged in water to hydrate the plants.
Photo Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
There are several different variations to this composition but I like this one because its white frame enhances the colours of the Air Plants. I have seen many compositions made with twine and straight wire but I think the chicken wire is a way better solution to anchor the plants without permanently gluing them and it seems easy enough to remove them for watering.
Photo Credit: Pottery Barn
If you don't want to buy this piece of home decor from the Pottery Barn, you may be lucky to find these riddling racks in an antique store. They are the perfect mounting panels for your Air Plants and more!
Photo Credit: Loom & Lavander
This hand-brushed macrame' string on a gold toned ring is such a delicate and tasteful display for your Air Plant. If you like this holder, click the link on the Photo Credit to look for the right colour macrame' string for your Air Plant.
Source: https://blog.mytastefulspace.com/2019/06/05/decorating-with-air-plants-air-plant-displays-and-terrarium/