Using Antique Oil Lamps to Propagate Plant Cuttings

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As I was going through stuff at my mom's house to take to auction, I discovered several antique oil lamps stashed in a cabinet. I loved the look of them, but knew that the style didn't lend itself to the other decor in our house. Also, I don't really have the room to be adding a bunch of decorative items for display just in themselves.

I can (and will) always make room for more plants, though, so I decided to remove the tops of the oil lamps and use them to propagate some plant cuttings in. Making the cuttings is really easy. You just have to locate the little brown "warty" looking bumps and make sure you have one or two of them on the piece of stem that you cut off the plant. I tend to propagate a lot of pothos and philondendron because the root very easily in water!

Once you make the cut, remove any extra leaves from the stem that will end up in water as the cutting roots. I also leave the cutting out on the counter to harden off a bit...this helps it to not get mushy in the water.

I ended up adding cuttings to the oil lamps that I'd already rooted. I always have them around the house because they take so little care. This is also a great option for anyone who's just a beginner with plants. I have some that I've had in the same jar for probably 12 years or more! Every once in a while I add water or change it out if it gets icky. Plant cuttings are great to gift too. Look for fun vases or jars at the thrift store that you can add some plant cuttings to...instant gift for your plant loving friends! 

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Once I had the tops off the oil lamps, I just made sure that they were clean of anything that would hurt the plants. One of mine still had fuel in it! I filled them with clean, filtered water and then dropped the plant cuttings in.

I arranged the oil lamps on a wooden lazy susan that had been a gift from my grandma. I was really into playing Scrabble way back when and she found the lazy susan at a church rummage sale and thought it would be perfect for "gaming". I love how clean and organic they all look grouped together on the wood, sitting on my mirrored accent table. They would also look really pretty arranged on a window sill with light pouring through them.

I hope I've encouraged you to look at decor you may already have stashed away in a new way. Sometimes it's hard to always use things for their intended purposes, especially when you love vintage. This is a way to still honor the past, but with a fresh and modern twist!