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Friday, March 23, 2012

Surprising succulent DIY

For over a year, my posts about plants for mid-century living have remained in the Popular Posts list. Among the ones I have recommended, succulents are probably the easiest to care for. However, several people have asked me what to do if they don't have enough of a green thumb to keep even the lowest maintenance plants alive.

I don't usually do DIY posts, but I thought I'd share a solution for those readers that won't break the bank. Crate and Barrel has a very realistic artificial aloe planter (12"L x 5"W x 8"H) for $44.95, but I put a few together that are only slightly smaller for around $5 each.

Crate and Barrel - $44.95

Here's what I used:
  • Planters of varying sizes in a matte white (I got mine from the 99 Cents Only store.)
  • Bag of decorative river pebbles (99 Cents Only store again)
  • White craft glue (like Elmer's)
  • Packing peanuts (A block of floral styrofoam would probably work better, but I had just received a package and had peanuts on hand that I could use free.)
  • Mini artificial succulents, approximately 2.5-4" in diameter (I got my  3-to-a-stem plants on sale at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft, although they can be purchased online. The best online source I've found is Quality Silk Plants, but they're a little more expensive.)
First, I put the packing peanuts in a bowl and added the craft glue, stirring till they were completely coated before pouring them to within about 1/2" of the rim of a planter with no drainage hole. (If your planter has a drainage hole, you can place tape over it or line the bottom of the planter with foil so no glue seeps out.)


Next, I did the same thing with the pebbles, making sure they were completely covered with glue. Then I poured them on top of the peanuts, arranging them till none of the peanuts showed. (The glue will dry clear.)


Finally, I coated the bottom leaves and the stem of the artificial succulent with glue and then inserted the stem through the pebbles into the styrofoam and let the glue dry thoroughly.

My DIY inexpensive succulent dishes
Interestingly enough, artificial plants and flowers are authentic to the mid-century period. Brightly colored plastic flowers were very common in the 1950s and 1960s, and I've noticed plastic, sometimes flocked,  making a comeback in the "permanent botanicals" trade, as many people today have become tired of the silk flowers that became so popular during the 1980s and 1990s.

I originally made these to sell when we had an antique mall booth and liked them so well that I made a set to go on the windowsills in my kitchen. I have live plants throughout my house, and these look so real that it's impossible to tell the difference.

15 comments:

  1. I'm not much into planters but I must say, you did a fantastic job with those succulent dishes.

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    1. Thanks, sir. But now that you mention it...you seem like a no-nonsense guy who's not into talking to his plants as he mists them...LOL

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    2. Lol! I must confess though that I talk to my typewriters as I blacken my fingers re-spooling ribbons. ( :

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  2. This probably won't be a post for everyone, since some people would rather bring a nest of vipers into their homes before they'd bring in a fake plant...and there are others who don't care if they have plants at all. But for those readers who want a touch of green without feeling guilty when they kill it...this post is for them. :)

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  3. actually artificials are the only ones that can maintain life at teh Casablanca. Lol I killed an ivy once... any idea how hard that is?! haha Its not that i cant make thigns grow im just never there enough to water and sunlight them. might have a few planters i'll have to try this on!

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    1. I can believe that you're too busy to deal with plants...and I've had houses with such poor lighting that growing plants was impossible. Some circumstances just demand a good fake...LOL

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  4. I love simply DIY projects like this, and these look great!

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    1. This is about as simple as it gets...but I really liked the results. It sure beats paying nearly $50 for something similar.

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  5. I like the look of this! I will have to give it a try in the future.

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    1. It's easy peasy...takes all of 15 or 20 minutes, start to finish.

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  6. Succulents are so easy and will grow on bare rock as long as it has crevices for the root to grab and then you just need to mist. Lava rock from pet stores for aquariums or from garden centres or a piece of driftwood, spray bottle from dollar store and bam good to go. I've had Chicks&Hens from the garden grow inside this way and they love a humid bathroom. Alocasia(african mask), Pothos and Nepthytis are some of my fav plants.

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    1. I find growing real plants very easy too...but I know people who swear they've killed things I can't get rid of with Roundup! :)

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  7. Very clever and look great!

    I've been collecting and selling the "real" plastic flowers of the early 60's or thereabouts for years - and the potted plastic philodendrons. Have some Ivy "growing" out of a vase that I can't tell from real and it is sometimes funny to hear a visitor ooh and ah over my greenery in one sunny window and their disbelief when they discover that they are plastic - all but one palm.

    Having grown up in a very mid-century modern passive solar home with a huge [12 foot] real rubber tree in the high-beamed ceiling living room and real ivy cascading from built in planters in the balcony, philodendrons in redwood planters etc., it seems I am denying my roots ...pun not intended. But I have the look without the mess and constant care - and these plants are all "real" vintage and usually sell for peanuts at an estate sale.

    I do have one real succulent - a rather large aloe vera - among my 5 real plants that just grows and grows despite lack of diligent care, but I have to keep it surrounded by cardboard to keep one of the cats away from it. She has already de-nuded one branch of that palm amidst the plastic philos.

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    1. I have two grandsons under three years of age who would destroy all my plants, live and artificial, if I didn't keep an eye on them constantly, so I understand. :)

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