DIY Plant Shelf Display (IKEA Hack)

If you guys follow me on Instagram, you might have seen that we got a puppy this year! He is an endless ball of energy and curiosity that has led to some recently emptied planters…

Luckily, my friends at Mountain Crest Gardens reached out to see if I’d want to try their succulents *happy dance*. They’re a specialty succulent nursery with the most incredible selection. Have you ever scrolled through plant feeds and can never find the name of a plant or a nursery that even stocks it? Bet ya they have it. I’ll gush more about them at the end of the post, but let’s jump into the plant shelf DIY so your new plants out of reach from the fur babies. 😉

 

  

The base of this project is the IKEA display box. This was definitely a whim purchase, but the shape was cute, the offset hanging notches on the back meant I could put it up with Command Hooks our rental, and it was a cheap thrill for $15. It was begging for a makeover. Some other good rental-friendly/Command Strip options are this hexagon shelf (add wood to the top for an extra shelf!) and skinny, tiered shelf.

You’ll Need
display box
pliers
sandpaper
spray paint
clear enamel spray paint
wood (try to match the thickness of the original shelves for max support)

Step 1 | Kick Down the Door!
I knew I wanted to have the String of Pearlstrailing from the top shelf, so I opted to remove the door. Keep it on if you want the display box to act as a hanging greenhouse.

Simply bend the door back and forth until the hinges pop off. (Yay cheap IKEA pieces!) Use pliers to twist off any small parts remaining on the shelf.

Step 2 | Sand it Down 
Use a low grit sandpaper to smooth out the spot where the hinges were. If the small gaps between the frame bother you, spackle them in and sand for a seamless finish.

Step 3 | Finishing Touches ✨
Paint and seal the shelf. Seal the shelf with clear enamel spray to keep dirt from staining the new paint job. Alos, instead of painting the existing shelves (they just slide out), I swapped them for a wood board for more texture. Same deal for these- seal with a water-resistant spray or wood butter to protect.

Step 4 | Let’s Take a Shelfie
Now the fun part. I wanted a mix of textures and colors and Mountain Crest Gardens’s curated sets were the perfect place to start! They’re grouped by similar growing requirements, so you know they’ll all be happy in the same home. I asked them which plants would do well indoors and they pointed me to the Rock Garden, soft succulent set. From there I added 2 String of Pearls and a Ruby Heart (the rosette in the gold pot).

I love that my walls get a little more color and the new plants are out of pup’s path. What plants are on your collection bucket list?

Affiliate Disclaimer: After working with Mountain Crest Gardens for this post, ctrl + curate is now an affiliate of MCG. If you make a purchase from their site via a link in this post, we get a small commission.

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