Hanging Air Plant Basket from Recycled Wine Corks

One of my friends is obsessed with air plants and was moving into a new place, so I wanted to make a neat gift to welcome him to the new digs. Having just grabbed a huge box of wine corks left over from a wedding, I was eager to put them to use.

These little hanging air plant baskets feature two types of plants and can be hung in groupings or by themselves. They add a lot of charm indoor or out, and the plants are nearly impossible to kill. They make awesome gifts for your less-than-green-thumbed pals.

TOOLS:
- Hot Glue Gun
- Scissors
- Small round dish, like a tea light holder. The size of your dish will determine the size of your hanging basket and determine how many wine corks you will need.

MATERIALS:
- Thread. I used waxed linen thread that I had left over from another project, but any type will work.
- Wine corks. I used ten corks for each planter, but you can easily use more or less depending on how large you want your basket or how large the air plants are.
- Hot glue sticks
- Hemp or yarn (optional)
- Air plants. If you live somewhere that has a lot of airplants, it is likely that many of the branches that fall down during a storm or from squirrel activity have air plants on them that, if not picked up, will go right in the chipper with their fallen branch. I live in Florida and there are air plants littering the ground underneath every tree in my neighborhood, so hopefully you can find some free plants nearby your home. For my air plant hanging baskets I used Spanish Moss and this crazy ball-shaped plant.

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Hanging garden chair

This is a cross between a chair and a hammock, for use on sunny days in the garden or taking with you on a camping trip.  It is surprisingly comfortable and can be adjusted to give a fairly upright position (suitable for using a laptop) or a more recumbent one for lazing the afternoon away.  Similar chairs cost from £65 to £120 or more to buy, but you can have one for a fraction of the cost.  This is a good project for teenagers to make for Father's Day because everyone can contribute, whether it is with sewing skills, basic woodwork skills or tying a few knots. It should be easily made in a weekend.

My chair hangs just a short way above the ground, making it easy to get in and out of and allowing my feet to rest comfortably on the ground when I am in it.  You could hang the chair higher up but then you might need a ladder to get into it, which could be a hazardous exercise.  Some commercially available hanging chairs have a foot rest, which would be easy enough to add if you want to be well above the ground and don't feel comfortable with your legs just dangling. You will spin and swing around a bit in the wind if your feet don't touch the ground, but that is part of the fun. 

You will need

1.4 m (1 5/8 yd) of canvas (or other strong, rip-resistant, hardwearing fabric) that is at least 1.3 m (51") wide
Strong sewing thread
A reasonably powerful sewing machine fitted with a jeans needle and ideally a walking foot
2.7 m (3 yd) of 25 mm (1") wide webbing
A crayon, chalk or a biro
Ruler or tape measure
Strong scissors capable of cutting the canvas and webbing
Sewing pins
One 28 mm (1 1/8") diameter wooden broom handle, at least 1.2 m (48") long
Two 23 mm (7/8") diameter wooden broom handles, at least 1 m (39") long
10 m (11 yd) of 7 mm (1/4") rope from a climbing shop (check the breaking strain is well above your weight)
A length of thicker rope - length depends on how high up your tree branch is
A hand drill or power drill with 8mm and 10mm wood bits
A saw
Sandpaper
Teak oil or wood preservative
A carabiner capable of taking your weight plus the chair's (optional)
A suitable tree

Unless you live somewhere where the climate is dry, I suggest using canvas, webbing and sewing thread made from manmade fibres that will not rot if they get wet, because sooner or later your chair will get left out in the rain.  Opt for polyester or nylon instead of cotton if you have the choice.  Ideally, the canvas should have an open weave to stop rain collecting in it, but strength is more important than that.

Safety warning

The strength of this chair depends on the materials used and the quality of your stitching and knot-tying.  Mine takes an adult male weighing 11.5 stone (160 lb, 73 kg) with ease, but you may need to beef up the components if the user is substantially heavier.  When buying the rope and carabiner, check their load ratings.  Carabiner-type keyrings are NOT suitable.  Don't take chances, particularly if you want to use the chair to hang high above the ground.  Make sure the branch you hang it from is sound wood and thick enough to bear the weight of the occupant.  Remember that the load will be increased if the chair is used like a swing.  Check the stitching and knots every now and again, and certainly before using the chair after it has been put away for a while.

I have given suggestions for the knots to be used, but the best knot for a job depends on such things as the flexibility and slipperiness of the rope, its fibre content, construction and diameter as well as what needs to be connected to what.  If in doubt, consult a good book of knots or someone who understands such things - amateur sailors are usually good on knots. 

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