Crochet Plant Hanger for a 6 Inch Pot

This crochet plant hanger is sized for a standard 6 in (15 cm) pot and is built from three simple parts: a flat base circle, an open mesh basket and three chain straps that meet at a ring. It uses one material, cotton cord, and stitches no harder than single crochet and chain.

Cord, Hook and Hardware

A hanger carries real weight, so the material matters more here than in most decor. Choose a firm 3 mm cotton cord, braided if possible, which works up like a #5 bulky yarn but stretches far less than ordinary yarn. Soft acrylic and wool are poor choices because they keep stretching under load. The guide to the best yarn for crochet home decor has more on cord and how it behaves.

• 3 mm cotton cord, about 40 yd (37 m)
• J-10 (6 mm) crochet hook
• One welded metal or solid wooden ring, 2 in (5 cm) across
• 4 locking stitch markers
• Large-eye yarn needle and scissors
• A ceiling or wall hook rated for more than the weight you plan to hang

Gauge, Size and Abbreviations

Gauge: Rounds 1 to 5 of the base make a flat circle about 4 in (10 cm) across, which is roughly the size of the bottom of a 6 in pot. The finished rim has 45 stitches and measures about 19 in (48 cm) around, matching the top of the pot. From the ring to the base, the hanger is roughly 24 in (61 cm) long.

• MR = magic ring
• ch = chain
• sc = single crochet
• inc = 2 sc in the same st
• sl st = slip stitch
• sk = skip
• sp = space
• st/sts = stitch/stitches

Base Circle

Work in a continuous spiral without joining. Put a marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go. The base follows the usual flat-circle rule for single crochet: start with 6 and add 6 in every round.

1. Round 1: 6 sc in a MR (6 sc).
2. Round 2: Inc in each st (12 sc).
3. Round 3: *Sc in the next st, inc; rep from * around (18 sc).
4. Round 4: *Sc in the next 2 sts, inc; rep from * around (24 sc).
5. Round 5: *Sc in the next 3 sts, inc; rep from * around (30 sc).

Pull the ring closed firmly and check that the circle lies flat. The same base, made larger and with solid sides, is how a crochet storage basket begins.

Mesh Basket

The mesh is made of chain loops, which stretch to follow the taper of the pot. Keep working in a spiral.

1. Round 6: *Sc in the next st, ch 3, sk the next st; rep from * around (15 ch-3 sps).
2. Rounds 7 to 11: *Sc in the next ch-3 sp, ch 3; rep from * around (15 ch-3 sps in each round).
3. Round 12 (rim): 3 sc in each ch-3 sp around (45 sc). Sl st in the first sc of the round and fasten off.

That is six rounds of loops and one solid rim. Unstretched, the basket is about 4 in (10 cm) deep; with a pot inside, the loops open up and the rim rides higher, just under the lip of the pot.

Straps and Ring

Three straps share the load evenly and divide neatly into the rim: 45 stitches give three points 15 stitches apart. Count from the join and place markers in rim stitches 1, 16 and 31.

1. Join the cord with a sl st in a marked rim stitch.
2. Ch 50. The chain should measure about 20 in (51 cm); add or remove chains to adjust, and note the number.
3. Work 1 sc around the ring, inserting the hook through the center of the ring so the stitch wraps it.
4. Turn and sl st in each ch back down to the rim (50 sl sts). This second pass doubles the strap and takes most of the stretch out of it.
5. Sl st in the same marked rim stitch and fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15 cm) tail.
6. Repeat for the other two marked stitches, with the same number of chains, attaching each strap to the same ring without twisting it.

Weave every tail back through the rim or strap for at least 2 in (5 cm) and tug each strap hard to test it. Hold the hanger up by the ring: the base should hang level. If it tilts, one strap has a different chain count.

Weight, Hooks and Safe Hanging

There is no honest way to give one weight limit for a handmade hanger, because it depends on your cord, your tension and your fastenings. Treat this design as a hanger for a small houseplant in a lightweight plastic or thin ceramic pot, and remember that a freshly watered plant is noticeably heavier than a dry one.

• Use a pot without drainage holes, or slip a plastic nursery pot inside a solid cover pot, so water does not soak the cord.
• Lift the pot out to water it and let it drain before putting it back.
• Inspect the straps and the ring every few months. Cotton weakens with long exposure to damp and strong sun; replace the hanger if the cord looks frayed or thin.

For a spot against a wall, a sturdy bracket works well, and the hanger can share the wall with a crochet wall hanging.

Adjusting for Other Pots

Change the number of base rounds to fit the bottom of your pot; each round adds 6 stitches and about 0.8 in (2 cm) of width. The rim always has three times as many stitches as there are loops, so it still divides by three for the straps.

Larger pots are heavier, so use thicker cord and stronger hardware for the 8 in size. A glass jar can hang in the smallest size too; the crochet jar cozy shows how to fit a sleeve to a jar.