Save Money On Plant Pedestals With A Gorgeous Thrift Flip

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Pedestals are a great way to show off your favorite houseplants, but they often come with a hefty price tag, particularly those unique vintage-looking ones that have us drooling outside the windows of Anthropologie. Fortunately, you can create something just as interesting for a fraction of the price by haunting the aisles of your local thrift store. The thrift store is a great place to hunt down finds you can transform into beautiful garden decor. Candle stands are a staple at most thrift stores and can form the base of an adorable plant pedestal. Simply pair a cute ceramic planter — also in abundant supply at thrift stores — with a candle stand. The stand may have a short protruding spike to hold the candle, but you can break this off by grasping it with pliers and bending it back and forth. Wear gloves and eye protection while doing this. If that doesn't work, you can also gently hammer it down. It won't be seen once you fix the pot planter.

Use a strong craft adhesive like E6000 to attach the pot to the stand. Since the candle stand's platform area will likely be slightly concave, you'll need to apply the adhesive around the edge for good adherence. This will give you a cute plant pedestal, but it won't allow for drainage, which is necessary for healthy plants. Even if the planter has drainage holes, you'll need to seal it off to avoid water seeping from the planter to the stand. You can place your plant in a smaller plastic nursery pot inside the planter so it'll be easy to remove for watering. Place a small plank or styrofoam block under the nursery pot to keep it from sitting in standing water.

Now that you have one — or many — cute plant pedestals, use some designer tricks to transform your space with houseplants. Grouping several plants together lets you create an inexpensive focal point on a buffet or in an unused corner of your house. Use several plant pedestals of different heights to create vertical interest. Groups of odd numbers will give a more dynamic feel than even numbers. Even numbers can feel too symmetric and bland.

Vary the types of plants you use, particularly when you're grouping them. Designers use a concept called "thrillers, fillers, and spillers " when arranging plants. Thrillers are attention-getting plants that have height and drama. Put one of these in the back of your arrangement. The plant you put in your plant pedestal can work as the thriller in this situation. Fillers are smaller, bushier plants that create a look of abundance. Spillers are trailing plants, such as pothos or string-of-pearls, that trail over the edge of the pot. 

Hang plants around your house to take advantage of the vertical space. A trellis will make your hanging potted plants look fuller as they grow. You can transform a sunny window into a plant shelf as an alternative to curtains. Plants are also great for making dead zones in your house look intentional and stylish. Putting plants in seating areas will create a cozy ambiance and make it easier for you to keep an eye on them for signs of problems, such as over- or under-watering or scale.