20 Weird House Plants You Didn’t Know You Needed

One of the easiest ways to turn your house into a home is to add plants. Greenery brings beauty, character, texture, and good energy into every space. Even if you don't have the greenest of thumbs, taking care of real flowers and plants brings a certain amount of meditation into your everyday routine as you take care of them and watch them thrive. We're always looking for an excuse to paint a pot, DIY a planter, or get some potted plants for the front porch, so here are beautiful ideas for how to bring more plants into your home.

Macrame Hanging Basket Hangers

Brighten your space with some macrame planters like these ones. Hang near the window in the living room or by the kitchen window. (via Brit + Co)

Pegboard Headboard

We adore unique headboards. And when you live in a small space, you’ll appreciate a headboard that not only holds bedtime essentials – a book and an alarm clock – but also a little potted plant. (via Sugar and Cloth)

Window Ledge

One of the main reasons indoor plants die is because they’re not getting enough light. DIY this little ledge to fit in your kitchen window and set up your collection of herbs and succulents. (via A Beautiful Mess)

Air Plant Wall Art

Air plants are pretty cool, but air plants tucked into colorful string art is even cooler. (via Brit + Co)

Clothing Rack Vertical Garden

Forget the bar cart and go all out with a plant cart that's perfect for your faux hanging plants outdoors. If you have extra surface area without much going on, try adding layers of plants for a lively mini jungle. (via Brit + Co)

Handmade Paper Succulent Container Garden ($28)

Can't manage to keep a plant alive? We won't judge, but we will suggest this very cool paper succulent as a replacement.

DIY Marble Pots

Okay, you may not be able to splurge on fancy pottery, but if you can spruce up a standard ceramic pot with a swirl of nail polish to create a marbled effect. (via Brit + Co)

Ferris Wheel Plant Stand ($26)

When you live in a small apartment or a studio, you don't want to lose any counter space. This whimsical plant stand will display succulents while taking up a fraction of the room.

DIY Sand Art Terrarium

Don’t want to put a hole in the ceiling? You can always hang these terrariums off the side of a bookcase or cabinet for a casual hanging look. (via Brit + Co)

Fill the Space

A variety of plants perched on a sill can be a sneaky way to get some privacy in a window where you don’t want to hang a curtain. (via Brit + Co)

Fruit-Basket Succulent Holder

You only need a few materials to adorn this fruit basket that lets you repurpose an item you may not use often. (via Brit + Co)

Nick Makrides of The Scran Line has been thrilling Instagram and YouTube with his vibrant baked creations, and he’s now revealing the recipes in his new cookbook, Sugar Rebels ($20). He breaks down step-by-step instructions for constructing some seriously over-the-top sweets: The cupcakes are layered in various gradients; the cakes are multi-tiered; and everything comes with the type of signature flair only Makrides can conjure.

Makrides pulls inspiration from pop culture and trends, music, and the LGBTQIA community. “Pop divas like Gaga, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj are a constant source of inspiration for me,” writes Makrides in the introduction to the chapter “Rebel Pride.” “I love the way their music makes me feel empowered and confident. It’s also taught me how to deal with life’s ups and downs in a healthy way. I try to reflect that feeling in my desserts.” His neon-colored confections are often rainbow-splattered and proud of it.

One of the joys of Sugar Rebels is that every creation seems larger than life. Do you eat it or marvel? Whether it’s the Voodoo Halloween cake decked out in a realistic golden skull or the Forbidden Donut emoji-esque macaroon, Makrides’ creations don’t seem like they should be real — but they are. Take, for example, the Cactus Garden Cake, a layered chocolate cake with a ganache drizzle and several different kinds of frosting topped off with cartoon-like blossoming cacti. They are not your everyday millennial succulents, but they’re sure to make your heart happy.

Cactus Garden Cake

(Serves 30)

Here’s an example of a cake trend that I ignored and came back to once it was over, with my own twist and take on it. When I was coming up with this cake design, I didn’t want the cacti to look real. I wanted them to look bright, colorful and almost like they were inspired by a cartoon alien planet.

Recipe Notes: This cake is a serious undertaking for any baker, so Brit + Co decided to break the recipe into pieces for your ease of use. Click the links within the ingredients list to automatically jump to the recipe within the page to avoid scrolling. If you need additional photo step-by-step instruction, check out this handy cake-decorating guide which walks through how to add a crumb layer, bench scrape the frosting smoothly, and decoratively drizzle the white chocolate on top.

Ingredients:

Directions for Cake Assembly:

1. Allow the cakes to cool to room temperature in the tins, then chill them in the fridge overnight, still in their tins (you can wrap the tins in plastic wrap if you like). Chilling your cakes overnight makes them easier to trim and decorate, so I always bake my cakes the day before I decorate them. You can bake the cakes up to a week in advance and freeze them by tightly wrapping them in plastic wrap. To thaw the cakes, take them out the night before decorating.

Crumb-coat the cake using the raspberry frosting. To prepare the striped frosting, add the peach and white frosting to two separate piping bags.

3. Pipe a ring of peach frosting around the bottom of your cake, then a ring of white frosting above that. Repeat until you get to the top of the cake. Add some more peach frosting to the top. Use a small offset spatula to spread it out, aiming to get it flat. It doesn’t have to be perfect, because we’re going to come back to it.

4. Use a cake scraper to carefully scrape the frosting around the cake. Scrape any excess frosting off the cake scraper each time you go around the cake to ensure the different layers of colored frosting stay nice and neat. Continue scraping until the cake is smooth on the sides, then gently smooth out the top with the scraper.

5. Fill a piping bag with the teal ganache and drizzle it around the top of the cake, letting it drip down the side.

6. Finish by carefully adding the chilled cacti decorations to the top.

Chocolate Cake

(Makes 1 batch)

Directions:

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 275°F or a conventional oven to 320°F. Spray three 8-inch cake tins with oil spray, and line the bottoms with baking paper. Set aside.

3. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix with a hand mixer until well combined.

4. Next, add the softened butter and mix on low speed until the batter reaches a crumbly, sand-like texture.

5. Add the eggs and milk and mix again on low speed until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Scrape down the side of the bowl and mix for another 20 seconds. It’s at this point that you can add any additional flavorings or food-gel colorings to the batter.

6. Divide the cake mixture between the three tins. I find that using an ice-cream scoop makes it easy to distribute the batter evenly, ensuring that all three cakes bake at the same rate.

7. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. If the toothpick is coated with wet batter, continue baking, for 10 minutes at a time, until fully baked.

8. Then, assemble and decorate your cake!

Raspberry Frosting

(Makes 1 batch)

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Add the raspberry jam, raspberry flavoring (if using) and the pink food gel to the buttercream and mix with a hand mixer until well combined. This is the frosting you’ll use to fill and crumb-coat the cake.

Striped Frosting

(Makes 1 batch pink frosting, 1 batch white frosting)

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Divide the frosting between two bowls.

2. To make the peach frosting, color one bowl with the orange and pink food gel and mix until well combined.

3. Leave the other bowl white.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

(Makes 1 batch)

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Add 1 1/2 ounces sifted unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder when you add the vanilla extract. My cake recipes often call for more than one batch of frosting. Depending on the size of your mixing bowl, you may need to split the frosting into two batches when flavoring and coloring it.

2. Begin by filling a large saucepan 1/4 of the way with water. Let it come to a gentle boil over a medium-high heat.

3. Separate your egg whites from your yolks in a large, very clean, glass or metal mixing bowl. We only need the egg whites for this recipe, so you can store the yolks in an airtight container in the fridge to use for something else. (My go-to recipe for using up egg yolks is custard. Yum!) Add your sugar to the egg whites and use a hand whisk to mix them together.

4. Place your bowl on top of the pan of boiling water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. This is called the double-boiler method and is a very gentle way of cooking or melting something.

5. Gently whisk your egg white and sugar mixture for about 3–4 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Check that it’s dissolved by running it through two fingers. If you can’t feel the sugar granules, then it’s time to take it off the heat. If you can, then continue whisking for another 2–3 minutes and keep testing until you can no longer feel any granules.

6. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed for about 4–5 minutes. The mixture will become thick and glossy and will begin to cool.

7. Gradually add the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, while the mixer is on high speed. At first, your egg whites will deflate and look like the butter is causing them to split, but don’t panic! It will come back together. It takes a couple of minutes for the butter and meringue to become best friends.

8. Once you have added all the butter, add the vanilla extract and mix first on low speed to combine, then on high speed for 5 minutes.

9. You’ll know it’s done when the frosting has come together, has turned pale in color (if you’re making vanilla) and is nice and fluffy.

10. If you find your frosting is too aerated, then mix at the lowest speed for about 10 minutes and it will become perfectly smooth again.

Teal Ganache Drizzle

(Makes 1 batch)

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Combine the white chocolate and cream in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 20 seconds at a time, mixing between each interval until smooth. Add a drop of teal food gel and mix until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.

2. Alternatively, you can make the ganache using the double-boiler method. Fill a large saucepan 1/3 of the way with water and bring to the boil. Place the bowl containing the chocolate and cream on top and gently mix until the two ingredients are completely melted and smooth.

3. To soften the ganache to drizzling consistency, microwave on high, for 5 seconds at a time, mixing well in between each interval. Dip a spoon into the ganache and, if it drizzles down and doesn’t look transparent, it’s ready to use on the cake.

Cactus Decorations

(Makes all cacti needed for decoration)

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Check out the image to guide you in creating the cacti. Begin by lining two baking trays with baking paper. Set aside.

2. Set about 3 tablespoons of the American buttercream frosting aside. This is your plain white frosting.

3. Color 1/4 of the remaining frosting teal, and another 1/4 of the frosting lime-green. Divide the remaining frosting between three mixing bowls and color them pink, peach, and purple following the coloring formulations in the ingredients list.

4. For the large and small bulb cacti, use your hands to mold a small log out of one of the Rice Krispies Treats. Aim to get one end of the log a little flatter than the other. Fit the end of a piping bag with a Wilton #32 tip and fill it with the lime-green frosting. Add a small bulb of lime-green frosting to the bottom of the Rice Krispies log and stick it to a baking tray. Pipe lines around the log, starting at the bottom and working your way to the top. Continue until the cactus is completely frosted.

5. Fit the end of a piping bag with a small round tip and fill it with the white frosting. Pipe random little dots all over your cactus. To make the smaller cactus, repeat the same process with a Rice Krispies ball about the size of a plum.

6. For the purple spikey cactus, fit the end of a piping bag with a small leaf tip and fill it with the purple frosting. Begin by piping a circle of leaves onto the baking paper, about 2 inches in diameter, then fill that in with more leaves. As you pull away from the bottom, try and pull the piping bag straight up to give the leaves some height. If you feel it needs more volume, pipe some extra smaller leaves on top.

7. For the pickle cactus, pipe some tall pickle shapes about 2 inches in height with the lime-green frosting. Do it slowly so that you don’t risk them toppling over. Pipe a little bulb of pink frosting on top using a small round tip.

8. For the spikey bulb cactus, fit a piping bag with a Wilton 8B tip and fill it with the teal frosting. Pipe some frilly looking bulbs onto the baking paper, then pipe some little peach flowers on top using a small, closed-star tip and the peach buttercream. To finish, pipe little white buttercream spikes all over the cactus. (These are just some of the cacti I have made, but I’d encourage you guys to hop online and look at the thousands of cacti designs. Be inspired and experiment with your own designs and color combinations.)

9. Once you’ve finished making your cacti, pop them in the fridge for at least 2 hours to chill.

American Buttercream Frosting

(Makes 1 batch)

Ingredients:

Directions:

1.Add 2 3/4 ounces sifted unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder with the icing sugar.

2. Add your softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can also use a hand mixer for this recipe, but if you do use a hand mixer, make sure your bowl is large. Mix the butter on low speed to begin with, then switch to the highest speed and mix for 5 minutes until the butter is fluffy and turns pale in color.

3. Stop your mixer and scrape down the side of the bowl using a spatula. Add the icing sugar and vanilla extract and mix again on low speed. LOW SPEED, PEOPLE! The last thing you need is to end up in a sugar dust storm!

4. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, it’s safe to turn your mixer up to high speed. Continue beating on high speed for about 5–6 minutes, or until the butter turns pale in color and becomes fluffy again. If you want to soften your buttercream and make it a little smoother, add the milk and continue mixing for another couple of minutes on medium speed. At this stage, you can also add any food flavorings or food-gel colorings.

RELATED: This Sugar-tastic Cake Decorating Class Will Turn Your Dessert Game *Way* Up

(Recipe excerpted with permission from Sugar Rebels by Nick Makrides, published by Hardie Grant April 2019.)

TV shows have the unique ability to capture the cultural pulse of their time, and sitcoms might just be the greatest example. They're packed with relevant humor and characters that are supposed to be relatable, so they quickly become staples in homes across the country.

However, as we continue to evolve as a society, so do our standards, and plenty of shows you might've watched as a kid or teen now just seem dated or even downright offensive in hindsight. Here are some classic sitcoms that, while once iconic, haven't aged well.

Scroll to see all the sitcoms that actually aged really badly...

CBS

1. How I Met Your Mother

It's natural to have flawed characters in TV series, but one How I Met Your Mother character in particular, Barney Stinson, is especially problematic. Portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris, Barney is known for being manipulative and casually misogynistic.

For instance, he has a "playbook" of pick-up lines, regularly lies to women just to sleep with them, and perpetuates toxic masculinity. Barney's behavior might've been able to snag some laughs back in the day, but his disrespectful actions wouldn't be so well-received by audiences in 2025.

Warner Bros. Television

2. Two and a Half Men

Two and a Half Men continues to air on TV and stream across platforms, but that doesn't mean its premise isn't controversial.

Charlie Sheen plays Charlie Harper, a man who routinely treats women as objects for his own pleasure and perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes. Not to mention, Charlie's behavior is showcased in front of his young nephew, Jake, who becomes privy to situations that are way too mature for a kid.

Sure, there is humor in the tension between Charlie and his brother, Alan. Nonetheless, the line between comedy and inappropriate content is definitely blurred.

ABC

3. Ugly Betty

Both the title and plot of Ugly Betty probably wouldn't hold up if it were released today. The show revolves around Betty Suarez, played by America Ferrera, who is a smart, ambitious, and kind-hearted young woman. However, since she wears glasses, has braces, and doesn't follow fashion trends, she's deemed "ugly" and deals with constant ridicule after landing a job at a fashion magazine.

It's undeniable that Ugly Betty is packed with both funny and heartfelt moments. Nonetheless, the way the show treats Betty's looks and reinforces harmful beauty standards feels super outdated in our more body-positive and inclusive era.

20th Century Fox Television

4. That 70's Show

When you think of That 70's Show, you might picture the classic bell-bottom-wearing friend group sitting around, surrounded by clouds of smoke. Compared to how the character Fes, played by Wilmer Valderrama, was treated, the underage drug use seems relatively tame.

As the "foreign exchange student," Fes is not only given a name that reduces him to being an outsider, but a lot of the humor surrounding his character also just relies on racist stereotypes. That 70's Show might've intended to be lighthearted, but it's tough to imagine a modern sitcom leaning on so many old tropes.

CBS

5. Everybody Loves Raymond

Despite being a funny character, Ray Barone, played by Ray Romano, reinforces problematic gender roles in Everybody Loves Raymond.

He comes off as a passive husband who typically sides with his mother over his wife, leaving his wife to shoulder much of the emotional labor and household chores. This old-fashioned family dynamic feels especially inappropriate today when modern sitcoms are trying to challenge these old stereotypes.

CBS

6. The Big Bang Theory

The initial appeal of The Big Bang Theory centered around nerd culture being quirky and odd, but today, this kind of "otherness" just isn't considered funny anymore.

Each character also has their own specific issues, with Raj's selective mutism being played for laughs, Penny embodying the "dumb blonde" stereotype, and Sheldon's behavior that's exaggerated for comedic effect. In 2025, this sitcom seems repetitive and shallow since it leans too heavily on stereotypes.

Touchstone Television

7. Home Improvement

When it comes to Home Improvement, this show pushed a traditional narrative where men are defined by their roles as the breadwinners and having handyman skills; meanwhile, a woman's value is tied to her appearance and household duties.

Tim Taylor, played by Tim Allen, is a one-dimensional character whose storyline almost totally revolves around his role as the host of "Tool Time," a fictional TV show. Not to mention, there's the "Tool Time girl," a woman whose sole purpose is to stand and look attractive while introducing Tim and his co-host. The lack of depth and outdated gender tropes make Home Improvement a tough watch today.

CBS

8. According to Jim

On a similar note, the show According to Jim features a father, played by Jim Belushi, who embodies traditional gender roles. His behavior doesn't fit the mold of the typical sitcom dad, though, since Jim is always lying to his wife and sister, interrupting others, and acting just plain rude.

In hindsight, Jim's character perpetuates misogyny and being overly macho, something that probably wouldn't fly if made today.

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