DIY Air Plant Centerpiece

I have been obsessed with air plants! I have a few in the house that I got from centerpieces at my friend’s wedding and have enjoyed for over a year. I love looking at the gorgeous air plant displays at the California Academy of Sciences in the rainforest exhibit. Talk about inspiration! Air plants, or Tillandsias are native to tropical parts of the Americas, where they live without soil on trees and rocks.

There are so many ways to display air plants. I wanted to create a centerpiece for my new kitchen island. This DIY is simple to create and will last for a long time.  Air plants are so easy to care for! They are an excellent choice for those that have trouble keeping house plants alive.

Read more for the tutorial and care tips.

Supplies: Airplants, river rocks, wood box, paint, foam brush

Air plant care:

Water: Submerge in water 2 – 3 times a week for 40 minutes, shake off excess water. Or mist several times a week.

Light:  Give them bright indirect light, ideally placing them within 6 feet of a well-lit window.

Fertilizer:  Feed monthly from March through October with an orchid fertilizer diluted to quarter strength (dunk plants in the dilution or wet leaves thoroughly).

(Care tips from Sunset magazine).

DIY Tutorial:

1. Paint wood box with white paint. I had to do 3 coats. Let dry completely.

2. Tape off the top third of box. Paint 3 – 4 coats of gold paint. Let dry completely.

3. Fill the box with river rocks. For a lighter weight box, fill the bottom third of box with newspaper.

4. Place the air plants in the rocks just enough so they will not fall over.

Enjoy! I am loving my air plant centerpiece in my kitchen!

Thank you to my friend Heather Rothert for her assistance with this project! Heather made an amazing air plant wreath for her front door. Love, love, love it!

–Sara

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All photos by Sara Albers for alice & lois design studios. Assisted by Heather Rothert.

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