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How to make an indoor wire vertical garden

A completed vertical garden made from wire, placed in a white and teal themed room

Overview

Bring the outdoors indoors with this awesome wire plant stand. It's a great way to brighten up any space or keep fresh vegies and herbs within easy reach when you're cooking.

Steps

  1. 1

    Measure the pot plants

    Take the measurements of the pot plants you want to put in your wire plant stand. These are what you'll use when cutting the mesh to size. The measurements we've used to build this pot stand have been based on a 150mm terracotta pot.
    A flowerpot on a table
  2. 2

    Put two mesh sheets aside

    The four reinforced sheets of mesh we used are standard sized, 1800mm x 1000mm, and can be purchased at Bunnings. Set two of the sheets aside as these will be used for the front and back of the stand. The other two pieces will be cut into sections and welded to the first two sheets to form the centre of the stand.

    A Bunnings team member with two metal frames
  3. 3

    Measure and mark

    Lay your other two pieces of mesh down lengthways. Take the measurements of your pots and transfer to the mesh sheets by marking on the vertical rods, which in our case was 150mm in from the top. 

    A square rule and a marker being used to mark a welding point on a wire mesh
  4. 4

    Cut mesh to make middle sections

    Use bolt cutters to cut where you've marked on the mesh until you have one 1800mm long section. This will be the first of six middle sections.

    Boltcutters being used to trim a wire mesh length to size
  5. 5

    Cut off the excess metal

    To make another section, use the bolt cutters to cut the excess metal for a straight edge, making sure you don't break the pre-existing welds. Then repeat steps 3–5 on the rest of the mesh, so that you end up with six sections. These will be welded to the front and back panels to create the body of the stand.

    Heavy duty wire cutters used to trim excess wire from the ends of a frame
  6. 6

    Preparing to weld

    To start the welding process, place a non-flammable material, for example, cement sheeting, onto the workbench. Then lay down one of the 1800mm x 1000mm mesh panels lengthways on your work surface. Make sure the shorter 137mm rods are facing upwards because these will be your welding points. It also gives you the correct spacing for the middle sections that you'll be welding on.


    A Bunnings team member lining up two sheets of wire mesh for welding
  7. 7

    Clamp a middle section to the edge of a panel

    Working from the outside edge, line up the 1800mm edge of your sections with the 1800mm edge of your mesh panel and clamp into position, making sure the sections point upwards. 

    A Bunnings team member using clamps to keep two sheets of wire mesh close together for welding
  8. 8

    Straighten with welding magnets

    Once you've clamped the first section into place, use the magnetic welding clamps to make sure the sections sit at 90 degrees while you're welding.

    A magnetic welding clamp being fixed to a wire mesh frame
  9. 9

    Warm the welding rod

    Remember, safety equipment is vital when welding. Wear a leather apron, welding gloves, a welding mask, long-sleeve top and have a fire extinguisher nearby.

    Before you start welding, warm up the welding rod on a metal offcut. This will make the job flow better while you weld. 

    A wire mesh frame being heated up in preparation for welding
  10. 10

    Start welding

    Weld the joints of the first rod to the mesh panel at the intersections. 

    Closeup of welding together a wire mesh frame
  11. 11

    Weld on other middle sections

    When you've finished welding the first middle section, line-up and weld the other sections to the mesh following steps 7–10. You should end up with a panel that resembles a bed of nails with the middle sections pointing up.

    Wire mesh spokes pointing upward from a sheet of wire mesh in preparation for the welding of a second wire mesh on top
  12. 12

    Lift the second mesh panel into place

    Place the second mesh panel on top of the first panel, lining the intersections up with the vertical sections. This time make sure the shorter rods are facing down. 

    A third sheet of wire mesh laid out over two sheets welded together to make a series of cubes
  13. 13

    Weld on the second panel

    Weld the first panel's sections to the second panel's intersections to complete the framework.

    Welding one sheet of wire mesh to the spokes of another sheet of wire mesh below
  14. 14

    Clean the welds

    Use a wire brush or a slag hammer to clean and remove any slag from your welds.

    A wire brush being used to clear away slag from a weld in a wire mesh frame
  15. 15

    Prime and paint the stand

    While you can leave the pot plant stand outside to get a rusty look, you could also take indoors and give it a coat of paint. First paint the stand with primer and let it dry. Then, use black spray paint to cover the stand and complete the look. Once it's dry move it into position inside, put the pots in place and fill them with your favourite indoor plants and herbs.

    A completed indoor wire vertical garden
Health & Safety

Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.

When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.