Add A Touch Of Whimsy To Your Plants With This Beautiful Beading Trick

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You've done it. You've finally ticked off every species and cultivar on your houseplant wishlist and completed your collection. Every nook, cranny, and flat surface of your home that could host a houseplant has one. The problem is that reaching the pinnacle of indoor plant success, at least in terms of volume, has only left you wanting more. The solution to this gnawing hunger is accessorization. That could mean investing in cuter planters or safely decorating your houseplants for Christmas, but why not get started with something simpler? Turn vining house plants into evergreen giant necklaces by threading beads onto the growing stems, then training the tendrils up your wall.

Look for lightweight beads with wide holes. A golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) stem, for example, can reach a diameter of up to 2 inches when mature. Consider, too, the number of beads you want to add per stem section and color scheme or aesthetic you're going for. You could, for example, use beads in different shades of blue or admire the way the sunlight sparkles through rows of transparent beads in rainbow hues. If you're a crafter, you might already have a bead collection you can raid. If not, you'll need to purchase the beads, like this 50-piece set of TOAOB European Large Hole Pink Craft Beads for almost $8. Get, too, a 60-pack of self-adhesive LQ-SCYCX-TT Leaf Shape Vine Wall Clips for about $5. Or, better yet, this pack of 100 ViiWxx Self-Adhesive Plant Clips for Climbing Plants comes with 10 undeniably adorable snail clips for just over $7.

Ready to add light and style to your houseplants with a simple, budget-friendly upgrade? First, count your plant's actively growing stems and select an appropriate number of beads. (If you have followed our advice above, you'll already have a rough plan in terms of color scheme and bead numbers.) If you're a planner, you could also pick out beads you want to add to new sprouting stems in the future and set them aside. Gently slide each bead onto the end of a tendril before the new leaf emerges, being careful not to bend or nick the tender stem as you do so. Damage at this vital stage in stem development could lead to stunted growth; a wound could introduce disease.

Remove the self-adhesive backing from a vine clip and affix the first beaded tendril to the wall. Point the stem at the ceiling to stop the bead slipping off. Repeat for all the stems you bead, spreading the plant along the area you want to cover with this living art. For the most part, the care requirements for a beaded houseplant are the same as those for an un-beaded vine. You do, however, need to keep a close eye on any bead-adorned stems; you may have accidentally used beads with holes that are too small for your growing plant. A strangled branch won't get the nutrients it needs to grow and will eventually perish. Note too, that the beads are permanent, unless you're willing to remove an entire branch.

Beading is proven to work with philodendron and pothos, but there's no reason you couldn't also try this decor idea with other vining plants that will give your indoor space a fresh look. Creeping fig (Ficus pumila) is a fast grower, allowing you to achieve a thoroughly bejeweled plant quickly. Hoya boasts strong, woody stems that would support heavier beads. If you're not a fan of plant clips, train whichever species of vine you decide to try out up your wall using a thrifted empty picture frame or a height-adjustable plant lattice hung on Command hooks. Renters worried about damaging walls can encourage their houseplant to clamber over a tall trellis or pole pushed into the soil of the planter.

Worried about your ability to gently thread beans onto your plant's stems but still want a jewel-covered plant? Charms — yup, the same ones you'd add to a human-worn bracelet — offer a far less permanent adornment solution. Hook teeny metal dragons, butterflies, and suns, sometimes complemented by a few beads and crystals, using removable jump rings or clips. Alternatively, you can buy a set of three Rainteam Cute Brass Animal Figurines for about $10 to hang from houseplant stems. If you prefer to avoid the stems altogether, go for ornamental trellises in contemporary shapes or threaded with beads, embellished fairy stakes and mini shepherd hooks you push into the soil of the planter, and even necklaces you loop around the planter itself or hang from the rim.