There is something especially beautiful about decorating an outdoor space with flowers gathered straight from the garden. For our new outdoor dining area, I wanted to create something that would showcase the flowers without taking up valuable table space.
Using a simple wood frame, small mason jars, glass vases and flowers from my cutting garden, I created this DIY hanging flower wall. I added vintage lace curtains behind the flowers and a delicate botanical stencil across the wood for a little extra character. What started as a simple idea became one of my favourite features in the garden.
Best of all, the vases can be filled with whatever is blooming throughout the seasons, making this a flower wall that can change right along with the garden.
Supplies You’ll Need
Some of the supplies you’ll need will depend on the size of the hanging flower wall you want to create. You could also skip the freestanding frame entirely and hang your vases from an existing arbor, unused doorway or window opening, or even a sturdy curtain rod.
Because every space will be different, I’m not providing exact lumber quantities in the supply list below. If you would like the exact measurements we used for our frame, please send me a message.
- 2×6 and 2×4 lumber
- Nails – 3 inch
- Screws – 4 inch
- Wood stain
- Eye hooks
- Twine
- Glass vases or mason jars
- Botanical stencil
- Stencil brush
- White acrylic paint
- Fresh flowers
- Water
- Flower preservative (optional)
- Vintage lace curtains (optional)
Step 1: Build the Wooden Frame
Determine how wide and tall you would like your frame to be.
Begin by cutting two header pieces from 2×6 lumber. If you like, cut a half-circle at each end to add a little detail and interest. Be sure to sand all cut edges to eliminate splinters and rough areas.
You may be wondering why we need two header pieces. This will be a recurring step throughout the frame because we are essentially creating a sandwich: two pieces of 2×6 lumber with a smaller 2×4 between them.
This creates a recessed area where the eye hooks and twine used to hang the flower vases can be partially concealed, giving the finished flower wall a cleaner appearance.
Next, cut the four vertical pieces and two base pieces from 2×6 lumber.
Cut corresponding pieces of 2×4 lumber to match.
Lay the first layer of 2×6 pieces on the floor and nail them together with 3 inch nails to create the basic frame.
Add the 2×4 pieces on top, inset approximately one inch from the edges, and secure them to the 2×6 pieces.
Place the remaining 2×6 pieces on top and secure them to the 2×4 layer.
To create the supporting feet, use a round lid or similar object to trace a half-circle onto the end of a 2×6. Cut along the line and sand the edges smooth.
Make two of these base pieces, one for each side, and attach them securely with 4 inch screws to the upright structure.
Finish the frame with a wood stain of your choice. For our project, we used Dark Walnut by Varathane.
Wipe away any excess stain and allow the frame to dry completely. We let ours dry for at least 24 hours.
Step 2: Determine Spacing, Add Hooks and Twine
Gather all of the vases you plan to use. Choose vases with a recessed area or defined neck that will allow the twine to sit securely without slipping off.
Decide how many vases you would like to hang and evenly space the eye hooks along the recessed 2×4 portion of the header. Working with an odd number of vases makes this particularly easy because you can begin at the centre of the frame and work outward.
Tie twine very securely around the neck of each vase. Leave long tails so the vases can be suspended at varying heights across the frame.
Thread the ends of the twine through the eye hooks and tie them securely.
Before adding the vases, water and flowers, gently test each vase to make sure it is securely supported.
Step 3: Add the Botanical Stencil
Using a delicate botanical stencil, add a few pretty vines or flowers to the wooden frame with white acrylic paint.
Secure the stencil to the wood with painter’s tape. Dab a stencil brush lightly into the paint and remove most of the excess paint before applying it to the wood.
I didn’t want the design to look freshly painted or too perfect. Instead, I applied the paint lightly so the botanical pattern would have a soft, faded appearance, almost as though it had been there for years.
Carefully remove the stencil. Voilà the frame has a little more character!
If you are interested in this stencil it came in a pack of 12 vine stencils which were all pretty. Just click here for the link.
**As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualified purchases at no extra cost to you.
Step 5: Fill the Vases With Garden Flowers
Now for the best part…the flowers!
Tie the vases to the twine and make sure they are tied securely so they don’t fall.
Fill each vase with fresh water and add flower preservative if you have some.
Then head out to the garden and gather whatever is blooming. I used flowers from my cutting garden, including zinnias and dahlias, and created a small, loose bouquet for each vase.
Don’t worry about making every arrangement identical. I think part of the charm comes from allowing each little bouquet to be slightly different.
Once all of the vases are filled, stand back and enjoy your beautiful hanging flower wall!
Step 4: Add a Vintage Lace Curtains
If, like me, you happen to have an unsightly stucco wire fence behind your beautiful new flower wall, vintage lace curtains make a surprisingly pretty solution!
I wanted to disguise the fence without creating a heavy, solid backdrop that would compete with the flowers. The lace softened everything behind the vases while still allowing light to filter through. If you are interested in these curtains, here is a shopping link.
I hung the curtains from a length of twine and tied each end of the twine to the header. You could also install small screws or hooks on the back of the header and attach the twine there.
What began as a practical way to hide something unattractive ended up becoming one of my favourite details of the entire project.
How to Style a Hanging Flower Wall
I kept the styling of our hanging flower wall fairly simple because I wanted the flowers to be the star. Varying the heights of the glass vases creates movement across the frame, while the vintage lace provides a soft neutral background. Using flowers in different colours, shapes and sizes gives the display the loose, gathered-from-the-garden feeling I love.
If you wanted to style it further you could add baskets or planters of flowers at the base. Adding twinkle lights behind the vases of flowers or the curtain would add magic at night.
Ideas for Changing It With the Seasons
One of my favourite things about this project is that the flower wall can change right along with the garden. Simply use whatever is blooming or whatever natural materials you have available throughout the year.
Spring: tulips, irises, peonies, flowering branches and early roses
Summer: roses, cosmos, lavender, sunflowers, rudbeckia, sweet peas, zinnias and dahlias
Fall: hydrangeas, sunflowers, rudbeckia, ornamental grasses, rose hips, dried flowers and colourful branches
Winter: evergreen clippings, rose hips, dried hydrangeas, holly and other winter greenery
In closing
I love projects that are simple to create but make an outdoor space feel completely different, and this hanging flower wall did exactly that. Filled with flowers gathered from the garden, it adds colour and softness without taking up space on the table.
I especially love that it will never look quite the same twice. As the garden changes, I can fill the little vases with whatever happens to be blooming from sweet peas and zinnias in summer to dahlias, hydrangeas and autumn foliage later in the season.
Sometimes the simplest projects become the details that make a space feel truly special.
This flower wall was created as part of our new outdoor dining area overlooking Okanagan Lake. You can see the complete transformation and how I styled the space by clicking here.
If you like this post, you may like these posts…
Recently, I shared a garden tour and along with that photos of what all the areas looked like before we developed them. It was a lot of fun to look back on how far we have progressed. Click here for the full post.
A very popular post is how to create meaningful garden rooms. If this is of interest, just click here.
Thank you
As always, thank you so much for being here and supporting my blog. I appreciate each and every one of you.
I’d love to hear from you! If there are any projects or decorating ideas you’d like to see me share in the future, please leave me a comment below.
