07/07/21 • Crochet • Advanced Beginner

Plant Cozies and Hangers | 31 Free Patterns

Houseplants are all the range! Make your plants even more colorful with these cozies designed for your plant pots, and if you run out of space hang them up with these fun hangers! There are designs to crochet, knit and craft in other ways. Therefore, you’re sure to find (at least) one pattern that works for you. Plant cozies work up quickly and add pizzazz to your space.

Table of Contents

The Benefits of Plants

The more time people have spent at home recently, the more many have realized how healing it is to have plants in the home. Whether you grow herbs and other edibles or flowers and decorative greenery, adding plants to the home really helps improve the quality of life. Benefits of houseplants include:

Reduced anxiety
Improved breathing / better air quality in the home
Better immunity, creating overall increased wellness
Improved self-esteem when taking care of another living thing
Better concentration and focus

Knitting and crochet also have many benefits including some of the same offered from houseplants. They reduce anxiety, increase concentration, and boost self-esteem. Therefore when you craft plant cozies, you boost the benefits of your houseplants.

Plant Cozies

Dress up your plant cozies with fun patterns and stripes, or just add some color to the outside of the plants. Most plant cozies are designed to go around the pot in which the plant sits. Of course, plants come in many different pots. Therefore, you’ll want to work with different sizes to suit your different houseplants. Remember that increasing or decreasing your knitting needle or crochet hook size is an easy way to make a pattern bigger or smaller. Likewise with changing yarn weights.

Knit Fair Isle Plant Cozy Free Knitting Pattern

Plant Hangers

Plant hangers free up your counters and allow you to have more plants! They can also help keep children and pets from bothering plants. Some plants are toxic to pets, making it especially important to hang them out of the way. Therefore, you might want plant hangers as an alternative to plant cozies. In addition to some beautiful crochet plant hangers, we’ve also included a bunch of macrame plant hangers here. Macrame is a great technique for hanging plants. If you don’t know this craft, it’s relatively easy to learn. The patterns will guide you along the way.

Macrame Color Block Plant Hanger Free Pattern

More Plant-Related Patterns

Plant cozies and plant hangers aren’t your only options when it comes to plants. Complete your plant-related passion with these perfect projects!

Hanging Crochet Planter Pods Free Crochet Pattern

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a plant cozy and a plant hanger?

A plant cozy sits around the outside of a pot… it’s decorative, hiding the plain plastic nursery pot while adding a handmade, textural look. A plant hanger suspends the pot from above… using macrame-style knotted cords, crochet netting, or knitted fabric to create a hanging vessel for the plant. Both are beautiful home decor items that add a warm, artisan touch to any space. Plant cozies are generally quicker to make than hangers since they’re just cylinders around a pot.

Will water damage a crocheted or knitted plant cozy?

It can! A cozy placed directly under a pot with drainage holes can get wet and stay wet… which causes mildew and can stain or damage yarn over time. The easy fix: use a saucer or drainage tray between the pot and the cozy, or use the cozy as a purely decorative outer sleeve for a pot that doesn’t drain from the bottom. Alternatively, use a cozy for plants in pots without drainage holes (like succulents in sealed pots). Cotton yarn holds up better to occasional moisture than wool, though both need to dry out between waterings.

What yarn works best for plant cozies and hangers?

Cotton and cotton twine are the most popular and practical! Cotton doesn’t deteriorate with moisture the way wool does, it’s sturdy enough to hold the weight of a pot, and it has that natural, earthy aesthetic that looks so good with plants. Macrame cord (a twisted cotton twine) is specifically popular for hangers because it’s very strong. Jute twine is another natural option with a rustic, earthy look. For indoor decorative cozies where moisture isn’t a concern, any yarn you love works fine… wool, acrylic, linen, whatever matches your decor.

How do I know what size to make a plant cozy?

Measure your pot! You need the circumference of the pot at its widest point, and the height from the base to where you want the cozy to end. For a snug cozy, work to the exact circumference. For a relaxed fit, add an inch or two. Most cozy patterns are worked in the round and sized relative to common pot sizes… if your pot is a standard nursery size (4″, 6″, 8″ diameter), there will almost certainly be a pattern that fits it directly. For unusual pot sizes, a simple ribbed cozy is very easy to size up or down by adjusting stitch count.

Are plant hangers safe for heavy pots?

It depends on the construction and the yarn! For lightweight pots and small plants, crochet or knit hangers in worsted weight yarn are fine. For heavier pots or larger plants, use sturdy macrame cord or doubled cotton twine rather than regular yarn… it’s much stronger and specifically designed for weight-bearing applications. Always hang from a proper ceiling hook rated for the weight. Test by loading the hanger and checking for stretch before trusting it with a cherished plant. Safety first… pots falling are bad for everyone involved, including the plant!

Categories: Free Patterns