DIY: The Foraged Wall Hanging

***Rachel Khoo would like to thank all the inspiring people who helped make the Khoollect studio a hive of creativity. Although the Khoollect studio’s doors have now closed, you can keep up with Rachel’s newest adventures on RachelKhoo.com and on Rachel’s Instagram and Facebook pages – and, continue to enjoy the Khoollect website’s stories and recipes, which will remain available.***

This wondrous DIY wall hanging project comes to Khoollect from the beautiful new book, House of Plants.

Many of the materials we have used in our designs were first discovered on our travels, from the intricately-patterned balls of Moroccan marble we began using as terrarium bottle stoppers, to crystallised minerals and silky driftwood from the coasts of England. Like weathered souvenirs of each landscape, they seem to bring a bit of tactile energy to the indoors, and inspire memories of long-ago adventures.

Since they generally prefer indirect light, and can easily be moved when it comes to watering them, air plants are the perfect choice for decorating a wall hanging. For this design you will only need three base materials: a nail, some rope and a piece of wood. If you have access to a drill, you can make a couple of holes in the wood to attach your rope, but otherwise you can simply tie the rope instead.

This project is all about simplicity, so don’t worry if you find yourself improvising with other available materials. Thread, fabric or string can be used in the place of rope, and, if you prefer, you can replace the driftwood with a piece of shop-bought wooden doweling or a length of hollow copper metal piping.

house of plants wall hanging DIY

Tools and materials

  • Driftwood
  • Rope, string or thread
  • Nail or picture hook
  • Hammer
  • Drill (optional)
  • Air plants
  • Foraged objects

How to make your foraged wall hanging

  1. If you are going to use a drill to make holes for your rope, use a pencil to mark a spot at either end of the piece of wood where you would like the rope to be positioned. Drilling holes is not essential for this design, so if you do not have access to one, or have never used a drill before, ignore this step and move straight to step 03. Particularly if it is warped or curved, before drilling any holes it may help hold the wood against the wall to decide which way you would like it to hang.
  2. Depending on the thickness of the rope or thread you are using, choose a suitable size drill bit for wood. Ideally, find an outdoor surface you can rest the driftwood on. With the edge you are drilling sticking out over the edge of the surface, hold the driftwood firmly with one hand, keeping hand and fingers well away from the area you are abut to drill. Carefully drill the first hole, and then repeat on the other side. Once finished, thread each end of your rope through the holes and tie a knot, giving each one a tug to check it will hold.
  3. If you are choosing not to make holes in the wood, simply tie your rope to either side of the wood, keeping in mind how low you would like it to hang below the nail. Have a play with different ways to tie the rope; you can make the knots as simple or detailed as you like. Give the knots a tug after you finish tying them to make sure they will hold.
  4. Once the rope is tied securely to both ends of the wood, your wall hanging can be suspended from a simple hook or nail. Once hung, you can begin to add the air plants and other objects of your choice, positioning them along the wood in your own unique design.

house of plant wall hanging DIY

Extracted from House of Plants by Caro Langton & Rose Ray, photography by Erika Raxworthy, published by Frances Lincoln (£20).

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WRITTEN BY:
Sonya Gellert

Sonya Gellert is a contributing writer and associate editor for Khoollect. She lives in Sydney....

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Khoollect tip!

If you’re struggling to balance your air plants or foraged objects, simply use some clear fish wire or delicate thread to gently attach each one to the hanger. Remember, you can mist you air plants weekly to keep them healthy, but they will benefit from an occasional soaking. So, best not to tie them on too tightly.

Photos by

Erika Raxworthy