Turn A Simple Shower Caddy Into A Stunning Modern Plant Tower For Your Home
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It starts with one little succulent, and before you know it, you've run out of surfaces for displaying your house plants. The satisfying and mood-boosting effects of keeping house plants means that the quest for beautiful and space-saving plant storage never ends. Instagram plant teacher @houseplusplant recently shared a genius hack for leveraging vertical space for displaying plants without incurring the usual steep cost or drywall damage that comes with wall shelves. It involves simply repurposing a shower caddy and adding any necessary grow lights. This project can fit in a wide variety of home configurations, it doesn't leave any permanent damage (perfect for renters!), and it's waterproof.
This DIY will only work in rooms with ceilings 10 feet high or shorter. The overall price will vary depending on your room's lighting and the light needs of the plants you're displaying, as these details will dictate how many grow lights you need to purchase. You can purchase this Corner Shower Caddy Tension Pole on Amazon for $49.99 at the time of writing, and each LED Puck Grow Light costs $29.95 on Amazon. You might not need any grow lights or you may need four of them, which means that DIYers can expect to pay approximately between $50 and $170 for this complete project.
How to assemble your new plant tower
Once you've gathered all of your materials, it should only take a few minutes to complete this project and liven up any space. Since your plant tower can be customized to fit your space and your plants, first select which of your house plants you'd like to display. Taking their heights and their specific light needs into consideration will help you build your plant tower correctly. It's okay if you need to continuously experiment with lighting needs to figure out what works best for your plants in this new location.
Next, assemble the shower tower according to the directions, spacing the placement of each shelf according to the height of your selected plants. Use the included support collars to keep each shelf in the correct place, since you don't want them sliding around once your plants are settled in. Depending on the light needs of each plant and on the natural light available in the space, add any necessary grow lights using the included adhesive backing. Attach the wires to the pole using zip ties for a tidy appearance. You may need to use a power strip to accommodate your lights since they each use their own cord, but once they're all plugged in, you can use a timer to tailor each light to the corresponding plant's unique needs. Arrange your plants and enjoy!
Modifications and considerations
This project is an excellent fit for tight spaces, rental properties, and small houseplants. There are a few aspects to be aware of, though. First, the weight capacity of the shower caddy is listed as 9 pounds. Carefully weigh your plants and consider using lighter pots for this display instead of denser ceramic ones. Remember that your plants will also be heavier immediately after watering.
In addition, while the shower caddy is perfect for holding plants because it's waterproof, your floors beneath this display will likely need extra protection. There are drainage holes in each shelf, so if your plants are dripping after a thorough watering, that water won't stay on each shelf but will instead end up on your floor. Be careful to arrange power cords far away from any potential moisture and add a protective bottom layer.
Finally, many plant lovers might find that this shower caddy project doesn't fit the aesthetic of their home. Especially if you've ever used this type of caddy in your shower, the design is quite recognizable. Don't be afraid to make it your own. Add LED lights around the pole for a whimsical effect and create an even more unique DIY plant shelf. You can also offset the positioning of each shelf so that its arrangement doesn't directly resemble the shower setup, which would also give each plant more vertical space. With careful application, you could even use waterproof contact paper to transform the appearance of your shelves.