Craft

DIY Guayakí Can Hanging Planters

Art & photos by Taylor Zehren and Thor Retzlaff

‘Tis the season for crafting, home improvement, and gardening. Our most recent project: turning our empty Guayakí cans into an upcycled hanging planter!

SUPPLIES:

3 empty Guayakí cans
String
Exacto knife
Nail
7 extra can tabs
Scissors
Measuring tape
Succulents
Potting soil
A cool stick

DIRECTIONS:

Lay the cans sideways and cut out a panel where your plants will go. The nutrition label is a good guide to cut around.
Pop the tabs back into place. If you’re like us, you drank the Yerba Mate to fuel your crafting. Now you have to pop the tabs closed again so soil doesn’t come out.
This is the time to think through how your cans will hang, plan out your hanging system, and measure approximate string lengths that you will need. A sketch is encouraged.
Use the pointy end of a nail or screw to poke the holes that you will pass your string through. Try to poke them along the stronger ridges of the can to increase integrity. Also, poke through the middle of the panels you cut out. You will use those, and the extra can tabs to reinforce the holes and make sure knots don’t pull through.
Thread the string. Refer back to your sketch from Step 3 and thread the string through accordingly. We suggest something strong with an easy tip to thread, like a hemp twine. Remember to wrap around the tabs or go through the panel on one side of the hole to reinforce it. Leave yourself plenty of extra slack.
Hang up the cans. We live in Tahoe, California with tons of this awesome bright green moss on the trees, so I snagged a cool backyard stick. Have a fun adventure outside and find your own version! Attach your cans to said anchor and even out the lengths so everything is in line.
Plant your succulent. The fun part- getting your hands dirty! Fill in the can with potting soil as needed and plant your succulents.
Hang your masterpiece. Wrap some more string around the points that the cans are attached to, bring them together and tie an overhand knot as the masterpoint.