Creating an Upcycled Frame for Your Vertical Garden with @cassadazzle

Cassie Montoya (@cassadazzle) was kind enough to share the details of her upcycling project featuring a vintage frame and Wally Eco planters with us. Read on to see how she achieved this stunning look by converting an antique frame into a shadowboxed plant wall! 

____________________ 

Inspiration

I’ve always loved nature paintings, and I thought a “frame” of nature would be really beautiful and interesting.

Supplies

• Large picture frame
• Thompson WaterSeal
• 1 sheet of ¼” plywood
• Framing nails
• Wood glue
• Scrap 1x1 wood for framing
• Wally Eco planters & plants (Used here: 10 White Eco planters)

Aligned vertically. 

Process

The first thing was finding a big enough picture frame that fit with the antique vision that I was going for: it took me two months to finally find one on a resale Facebook group. My friend Will Sweeney (@atmanbuilt) then added to the frame. It took him a total of 6 hours to completely build. He modified the frame first for strength by adding picture frame brackets in the corners. The inner frame width was adjusted so the inside width and length was wider in order to fit the Wally Eco planters side by side. He built an inset shadowbox frame that was 1” deep with ¼” plywood backing so that the containers wouldn’t sit so far out from the side profile. Once the shadowbox was built and attached, everything was sealed with Thompson WaterSeal for waterproofing. This hangs on the wall with a French cleat with a cardboard backing so it won’t ruin the wall when moved.

Choosing Plants

I love the variety and colors of Pothos plants. They are super easy to care for, and can live in areas with varying amounts of light. I always know when they need to be watered by the way the leaves start to droop. This wall has 3 different types of Pothos: Devil’s Ivy, Marble Queen, and Neon. I also added two containers of English Ivy for a different texture.

Previous placement of the frame. 

Placing the Project

When I lived in an apartment, the frame was outside on the patio. But now, living in a house, my intent was for this to be inside. It had been hung in my room next to my bed but is now up in my living room. 

Why Use Wally Eco Planters?

I love the sustainable factor of these containers, and they’re simple for a beautiful plant to sit in. On this wall, I can move the plants around easily with the Wally Eco brackets in a permanent position. It’s so easy for me to redesign with a different color or textured pattern. 

Final Thoughts

I am so, so happy! I wanted to do this for so long, and because of finally being able to locate the perfect size frame, versatile containers, and a creative builder, it came together better than I expected. I have a second frame that I will actually hang horizontal. They add the perfect pop of color and interest to the room.

________________

Thanks to Cassie for sharing her project with us!

Find her on Instagram: @cassadazzle