Gardening Garden Design Garden Projects How to Make Upside Down Planters for a Kitchen Herb Garden Give your hanging plants a fun twist with this easy DIY project. By Sydney Price Sydney Price Sydney Price got her start in journalism while in college, writing food and fashion content for her university's magazine and campus newspaper. She also interned at Modern Luxury, freelanced for Blue Frog Dynamic Marketing, and served as the copy chief at Urban Plains. After graduating, she became the editorial assistant for Better Homes & Gardens, writing about food, holidays, gardening, and home. After two years, she transitioned to copywriting at ITA Group where she wrote digital and print copy for B2B employee engagement programs. Her clients included technology, finance, and fashion industries. Sydney moved on to be the contract copywriter for Arbonne, helping create content for social media, emails, and event announcements. She is now the copywriter at AuditBoard, a risk management platform based in California.Sydney Price holds a bachelor of arts degree in magazine journalism with a minor in biology. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 4, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Project Overview Working Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Skill Level: Beginner Maximize your indoor planting space by turning to some often-overlooked retail: the ceiling. These innovative hanging planters literally turn things upside down, allowing herbs or other plants to dangle out the bottom of their pots instead of sticking out the top. A small piece of air conditioner filter ensures that no dirt falls on your countertops. You'll still water the plants from the top of the pot and the moisture will travel down to the roots. What You'll Need Equipment / Tools 2 1/2-inch hole saw Utility knife with new blade Scissors Ruler Drill 1/4-inch drill bit Materials 6-inch plastic pot 1/8-inch nylon rope Window air conditioner filter Herb plant Instructions Wade Scherrer Cut Hole in Planter Because your planter will hang upside down, you'll plant your herb through the bottom of the pot instead of the top. To fit it through, cut a 2-1/2-inch hole in the bottom of the pot using a hole saw. Use protective eyewear while cutting plastic. PHOTO: Wade Scherrer PHOTO: Wade Scherrer PHOTO: Wade Scherrer Cut Out Filter Using the bottom of the pot as a guide, use a utility knife to cut a circle from the air conditioner filter of the same size. Fold the foam piece into a cone and, using scissors, cut the tip of the cone to make a hole in the center of the circle. Then, cut a radius in the filter circle. Your piece should look like a donut with a line going through one side. Related: How to Make a Lattice Plant Hanger Wade Scherrer Drill Holes for Rope Drill two 1/4-inch hanging holes on opposite sides of the pot. Place them 3/4 inch down from the top edge of the pot. You may want to drill over a piece of scrap wood to steady the pot while you work. Thread Rope for Hanging Thread one end of the rope through a hole from exterior to interior and tie a knot inside the pot to secure it. Repeat with the other side. You can use one continuous piece of rope or two single pieces depending on how you want to hang the pot. Temporarily hang the empty pot somewhere you can easily access it to work on planting. PHOTO: Wade Scherrer PHOTO: Wade Scherrer PHOTO: Wade Scherrer Plant Herb and Hang Remove your herb plant from its nursery pot and gently brush away enough soil from around its roots so that it fits through your container. Insert the root end of the plant in the hole you cut in the bottom of the planter. From the top opening of the pot, put the foam filter around the stems of the plant and press it into the bottom of the pot to prevent soil from spilling out. Fill the rest of the pot with soil, leaving an inch or two of space at the top for watering. Wade Scherrer Hang Up Pot and Water Hang your pot in the desired location. Water your plant from the top end of the pot. Add more water whenever the soil at the top feels dry.