8 Living Room Plant Hacks That’ll Make You Less Sad That Summer Is Ending

OK, don’t get us wrong: We love a soft, plaid throw blanket, a freshly-made pumpkin-something, and other fall must-haves. But we also can’t help but miss summer in a big way when the temperatures and leaves begin to drop. We long for the green plants and blossoming flowers that graced our landscaping all season. 

Never fear: Even though summer might be coming to a close, there’s no reason you can’t continue to enjoy thriving plants inside your home. If you’re a plant enthusiast, you likely already know which varieties are best for your indoor spaces. With some DIY magic and a hack here and there, you can treat your houseplants as decorative objects, ones that look especially cozy in a living room. 

Here are ways to turn your walls, table surfaces, and those empty spaces alongside your couch into a summer-worthy paradise—no matter the time of year.

You adore your plants, so you should make them the stars of the show in your living room, right? Put them up on a pedestal—or in this case, a super-chic wall shelf—with this creative IKEA hack. Cat of Ctrl + Curate took an IKEA display box and made it over into a soothing white and green wall shelf ideal for displaying small succulents. 

Designer Sarah Sherman Samuel leveled up a pair of standard plant stands with gleaming copper spray paint and decorative rope detailing. Ordinary no more, these on-trend plant stands look flawless when placed next to a sofa.  

You can hack small pots you have lying around with some DIY charm. Using balsa wood strips, embroidery thread, and spray paint, Teri of The Lovely Drawer created the most adorable little “thrones” for her houseplants. They look particularly delightful when displayed on a coffee table.

This hack is unbelievably easy, and we love that it can be scored in the Dollar Spot area at Target. Rachel of DIY in PDX thought outside the box when she discovered $5 metal wastebaskets at Target. Placed upside-down or right-side up, they’re surprisingly perfect for showing off plants. Rachel didn’t change the hue of these wastebaskets, but you can always spray paint yours to give them a personal touch.   

If you’ve dreamed of having a beautiful vertical garden in your living room, here’s how you can make it a reality on the cheap and easy! Designer Chris Carroll went to a big-box retailer and purchased two ladder shelves to display side-by-side. He livened up the shelves with a variety of plants and pretty decorative objects. And voila! A vertical garden achieved in no time at all and nestled into a small space. 

For this hack, Rachel of The Ordinary Lovely used an IKEA step stool to make a truly delightful plant stand. She painted it in a pretty shade of blue, waxed it to make it water-repellant, and as a finishing touch, added patterned tiles to the top. Stylish and practical! 

Kara of A Kailo Chic Life picked up a trio of IKEA baskets from IKEA, and instead of presenting them in a traditional way, brilliantly hung them up on a wall and placed greenery in them. Kara turned to faux plants for this craft, but if you prefer the real deal, she recommends lining the baskets with waterproof pond liner or landscape fabric.

Medina of Grillo Designs magically transformed an IKEA stool into a planter shelf, and she says it was oh-so-easy to make. Hang one or several of them on your wall, and watch those summertime vibes come alive in your living room.