My windowsill just doubled in size thanks to this $40 no-drill extender – now I can display more houseplants than ever

I've been collecting houseplants for a few years now and every time I acquire a new one my friends and family ask 'do you have room for it?' The answer I'm reluctant to admit is no, I really don't. But my love for filling my home with luscious foliage endures, which is why I'm in desperate need of a way to maximize my space. There's one product I'm excited to have spotted this week that will instantly fix my issue: a windowsill extender for plants.

That's right, a tool to double the size of your windowsill, offering more space to display indoor plants. All you have to do is attach it, and you instantly have more surface to work with. Plus, it will benefit the health of your plants, making it possible to position them much closer to window light than on the floor or across the room on a shelf or table.

There's no wonder it has a 4.4-star rating, with customers raving that these 'fabulous, gorgeous shelves' are ideal 'for a lot of small plants.' So, if your indoor garden is also overflowing, this Amazon windowsill extender for plants is sure to be game-changing (it will even leave you with room to make more plant purchases).

An indoor garden life-saver

Taking on the hobby of houseplant collecting will soon lead you to running out of floor and surface space. You'll have the best tall indoor plants in every corner and the best small indoor plants filling gaps on bookshelves and coffee tables.

But what happens when there is no more room?

For me, it's been a case of turning to vertical garden ideas, for example, with houseplants you can mount. However, this doesn't suit every type of indoor plant I need to find a space for. Plus, many houseplants perform best when placed near a window to soak up natural light.

This is where the Amazon windowsill extender for plants comes in. It's such a simple design, but unlike anything I've stumbled across in my indoor gardening journey so far.

With more windowsill surface space, you can double up in rows of houseplants or even just have the chance to place plants by the window if you have narrow ledges to begin with.

Why shoppers love this windowsill extender

The concept of the windowsill extender for plants already has me sold, but the reviews of this particular one from Amazon prove it's a product worth investing in.

'This significantly expanded my space to have more plants and now they aren’t sitting directly on my windowsill,' says one happy customer.

'It holds my plants securely, and the sunlight streaming through the window keeps them thriving,' another adds, finding it beneficial for plant growth as well as being space-saving.

Just like indoor plant shelf ideas, this windowsill extender for plants offers a unique way to elevate your plant displays, which shoppers say makes for attractive décor.

'The design is sleek and sturdy, fitting perfectly in my window frame without taking up too much space,' one reviewer writes.

Not only does it provide more room for plants, it also places them further away from the window for easier use of blinds – a problem I also have with my plant-filled windowsills: 'I placed 5 small plants to the front of the shelf and was able to lower blinds behind them,' one shopper explains.

As for installation, shoppers haven't had trouble getting it set up: 'Assembly was straightforward, and the materials feel high-quality,' one shopper writes. There's no drilling or tools required; you just hook it in place and adjust the mechanism to create a secure fit.

Something to note, however, is that the extender doesn't work for all window sill types. This is explained in the product description: 'Fits many windows – but must meet 3 sizing rules.'

There's a metal bracket that needs to slot into the window edge, and the maximum dimensions for wall-to-shelf space are 7.75 inches and 5.5 inches (see image two in the listing).

While this is a downside, the extender is widely adaptable and made to fit most standard windowsills. Just make sure to measure and check it will work for your space before purchasing.

The price is also worth noting, as $39.99 might seem a little pricey compared to cheaper plastic window plant shelves (like this one from Amazon). However, the sturdiness of this extender seems to justify the price for buyers, keeping plants and plant pots safe from falling off and breaking:

'Honestly, this window plant shelf is way better than the cheap plastic window plant shelves I tried before. They'd always fall or bend if I put more than one little plant on them. This shelf is actually strong,' one reviewer writes.

The product description notes it can hold up to 30 pounds of weight, perfect for a couple of medium houseplants or lots of small houseplants and terrariums.

Another bonus of the lack of drilling needed to install this extender is that it's renter-friendly and damage-free. Paired with the below space-saving solutions for indoor plants, you'll be left with double the amount of room that you had in the first place – the perfect excuse to go plant shopping for some houseplants that grow vertically.