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DIY Stainless Steel Bowl Hanging Planter

This post will teach you how to make DIY hanging planter out of an Ikea Blanda Blank stainless steel bowl

How to make a stainless steel bowl hanging planter!

Hey guys! It’s about that time again–time for month two of the 10-Minute DIY series! February is all about planters…my favorite! So this is an easy one for me. I can always use another planter, and I love getting creative with using non-traditional items as planters.

I love customizing terracotta pots, but it can get a little boring after a while…so today I am charing a quick and easy DIY for a hanging planter! This planter is for a sad and empty corner of our living room. I have a plant on the floor, but it isn’t very tall, so I decided to fill the empty space above it by hanging something.

hanging planter made out of a stainless steel bowl

As always, Ikea had the perfect solution: Blanda Blank bowls, which come in four sizes, all for great prices! I got the 14″, 11″, and 8″ ones. The thing I like most about the biggest Blanda Blank bowl is that it’s two inches bigger than the target bowl and $5 cheaper. I’m using the 14″ bowl for this tutorial.

Blanche thought it was for her…

cat curled up in a bowl

Here’s what I used:

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  • Ikea Blanda Blank stainless steel bowl
  • Drill (we have this one) and bit that is an appropriate size for your quick links
  • Quick links—You can buy them in singles in most hardware stores, or you can buy a 12-pack here OR small s-hooks
  • Black chain—I got this one, but check out this one with hooks already on it on Amazon
  • Screw hook—Buy an 8-pack here or pick up a single in a hardware store
  • Pliers
  • Stud Finder
  • Optional: My favorite gold and black spray paint—FYI the black is much cheaper in a hardware store

And here’s how to make a hanging planter using a stainless steel bowl.

(Remember to wear eye protection while using tools, and wear an appropriate mask while working with paints, stains, and finishes. Follow the directions and warnings from your particular brand. Do not use any tools without proper training, precautions, and supervision from a professional. Read my full terms of use here.)

Step 1: Drill the holes.

Drill three holes on the top of your bowl, spacing them out so that there is an equal distance between all three. This was a little tougher than I expected it to be; I don’t know if it’s because the battery on my drill was dying or my bit was a bit dull. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t drill through right away. Apply some pressure!

Tip: You can use pliers to rip off any jagged pieces of stainless steel around the holes.

stainless steel bowl
stainless steel bowl
stainless steel bowl
drill bit
drilling holes in the bowl
drilling holes in the bowl

Step 2: Optional step: Paint. 

I have gold accents in my living room, so I decided to paint my bowl using my favorite gold spray paint. I also spray painted the quick links and the screw hook black to match the chain, which already came with a black powder coating on it. This step is completely optional and will obviously prolong your DIY time while the paint dries, but the spray painting itself is quick!

painted stainless steel bowl
painted stainless steel bowl with blank chain attached
attaching the chain to the bowl using D links
piece of chain

Step 3: Plant and hang!

Use your stud finder to find a ceiling joist. This is a *critical* step…if you screw your hook into drywall only and there is no ceiling joist, you need to use a special toggle anchor. The screw hook alone is not enough.

Once you’ve found and marked where you want to insert your screw hook, grab your drill and a bit that is just slightly smaller than the treads on your screw hook. Drill a pilot hole up and into the ceiling, and then screw your hook in.

Pop a plant in and hang! You can easily just set a plant in its plastic nursery pot down into this bowl. That way, when you need to water it, you can just remove the plant in its pot and take it to the sink.

hanging planter made out of a stainless steel bowl
hanging planter made out of a stainless steel bowl and a large snake plant
hanging planter made out of a stainless steel bowl

**UPDATE**

Hey there! I’m popping in about two years after I first published this post to give you guys an update! I wanted to let you know that this hanging planter has held up extremely well. The plant in this spot has grown like a weed! Here is a picture of it even after a few trimmings.

The only bad part is that it’s growing so well you can barely see the planter now. I’ll live, though, because the green on that black wall is stunning.

hanging planter made out of a stainless steel bowl

I’ve also made a few more of these planters, including a little one out of a smaller bowl I found at a thrift store and hung in my office space, as well as one in our bedroom. I did the little one black and the one upstairs in our bedroom gold as well.

hanging planter made out of a stainless steel bowl
hanging planter made out of a stainless steel bowl
hanging planter made out of a stainless steel bowl
hanging planter made out of a stainless steel bowl

If you like this, I also have full detailed posts on how to care for pothos plants and how to grow golden pothos from cuttings! You can also check out some of my other plant care tip posts, including ones for cape ivy, snake plants, string of pearls plants, prickly pear cactus, and rubber plants!

Like this? PIN IT!

collage that says DIY stainless steel bowl planter
Yield: 1 DIY stainless steel bowl hanging planter

DIY Stainless Steel Bowl Hanging Planter

stainless steel bowl hanging planter

How to make a hanging planter using a stainless steel bowl. This sleek planter is a cheap and beautiful DY solution you can customize to your liking!

Instructions

    1. Drill three holes on the top of your bowl, spacing them out so that there is an equal distance between all three. Don't be afraid to apply some pressure.
    2. Use pliers to rip off any jagged pieces of stainless steel around the holes.
    3. Optional Step: spray paint the bowl and spray paint the quick links and the screw hook black to match the chain.
    4. Use your stud finder to find a ceiling joist. This is a *critical* step...if you screw your hook into drywall only and there is no ceiling joist, you need to use a special toggle anchor. The screw hook alone is not enough.
    5. Once you've found and marked where you want to insert your screw hook, grab your drill and a bit that is just slightly smaller than the treads on your screw hook. Drill a pilot hole up and into the ceiling, and then screw your hook in.
    6. Pop a plant in and hang!

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  1. Lima says:

    Beautiful idea! where can I purchase a chain like that?

  2. Jennifer Perkins says:

    This looks so chic! Would be great flipped the other way as a pendant light too.

  3. Victoria @DazzleWhileFrazzled says:

    Very cool! Love easy projects like this. I’m in the process of bringing some type of greenery into our TV room and it already makes such a difference! Visiting from Inspire Me Monday party.

    • Brittany Goldwyn says:

      It totally does! And I love how hanging planters keep the plants up and out of the way.

  4. Lindi says:

    I hope you won’t be offended when I copy and re-create this… lol. LOVE the project and MUST do it myself now, lol.

    • Brittany Goldwyn says:

      No way, lol! I am not the first person to drill holes in a bowl and hang it haha. I just made another one for our bedroom this weekend!

  5. Kels says:

    What kind of plants did you use for the hanger and the one sitting under? I need some in my yoga room that I’m working on fixing now

    • Brittany Goldwyn says:

      Hey Kels! The plant in the hanger is a Golden Pothos, and they grow like crazy. This was was about 1/4 the size when I got it last September. The one in the white pot is a snake plant. You can get either from Lowe’s, Home Depot, and probably all nurseries. I actually think I got the Golden Pothos at Ikea. They have a pretty impressive live plants section these days.

  6. jes says:

    I LOVE This! and the plant under it too!

  7. MEDINA GRILLO says:

    I love this…and that black wall behind it! 😉

  8. jessica says:

    I love this soon much! So pinning!

  9. Sam @ Raggedy Bits says:

    What a clever idea!

  10. leanne with divaofdiy.com says:

    Your cat is just the cutest! Loving the planter!

  11. sara says:

    It looks so good! And your cat is so cute!

  12. Claire says:

    Great IKEA hack, love the gold too!

    • Brittany Goldwyn says:

      Thanks Claire! I think I’m going to do a black one for the bedroom…bright white walls.

  13. Melissa W says:

    **goes to dig my blanda out of the goodwill bag…**

    I just had an offer accepted on a condo and will finally be able to put holes in things to decorate! And this is a cat-friendly/safe DIY!

    • Brittany Goldwyn says:

      YESSSS!!!! Congrats!! That is awesome. And yes, anything with leaves has to be out of Henry’s reach because, as you know, he is a major asshole. I’m dreading the day he discovers these and tries to jump at them.

      • Melissa says:

        Thanks! The place is already in GREAT shape, so the fixes will be minor. More money for decorating and a new couch! You’ve even got me considering a dark accent wall.

        I was chatting with my realtor (fellow cat lover) and she mentioned that she started giving her cat 1/4 Pepcid tablet and her cat stopped trying to eat plants. Apparently it’s an acid issue? Gonna confirm with my vet this week and give it try.

        • Brittany Goldwyn says:

          Yep, that’s how our place is. Lots of painting and personalizing, but thankfully it’s a new house, so nothing is horribly dated. No soaker tub though, so I’m pulling the trigger on that soon. I love being able to do whatever we want to the place! And that’s interesting about the Pepcid…definitely let me know. Blanche doesn’t bat an eye at plants but Henry likes anything leafy. 🙁

  14. Designing Vibes says:

    This is such a fabulous DIY. You are rocking the planter diys. Love them all!

    • Brittany Goldwyn says:

      You gotta have somewhere to put them all, and pots can just get boring after a while 😉

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