Learn how to make this succulent planter from repurposed china, just in time for Mother’s Day gift giving!
Are you ready for Mother’s Day? Are you maybe looking for a quick and easy handmade Mother’s Day gift idea that mom will absolutely positively love? Then, I’ve got the perfect DIY idea for you! Hello, Kenarry: Ideas for the Home friends! I’m Pam from The Birch Cottage and I’m back again this month to share another easy DIY project with you.
Actually, this month’s DIY project just might be the easiest project in the history of do-it-yourself projects. And I promise you that absolutely anyone can make this succulent planter from repurposed china. Anyone!
Where to Find China
Several months ago, I ran across this gray and white china at one of my favorite thrift stores. I just knew they’d be perfect for something, but wasn’t sure what at the time. Then, this past month my daughter and I participated in Home Depot’s Do-It-Herself workshop where we made a vertical succulent garden. Thus, the idea for using repurposed china to make a succulent planter was born.
Fortunately, you can find china to repurpose at thrift stores, yard sales, estate sales, antique shops or maybe even grandma’s attic or china cabinet. I bet she’s got an odd piece or two that she won’t mind parting with, especially when she finds out you’re going to give the dish new life as a succulent planter!
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Succulent Planter Instructions
There are just a few supplies you’ll need before you can make this succulent planter {aka the world’s easiest DIY project ever}.
- Succulent – You can purchase at your local nursery, superstore or home improvement store
- China Cup – Shop your local thrift store, yard sales, grandma’s attic….
- Potting Soil – Be sure to use potting soil that is intended for use with succulents. If you’re store doesn’t carry it, you can also use soil that’s intended for use with violets, if that helps.
- Small Pebbles
- Water
I feel almost silly writing these instructions as they are quite simple, thus, the reason anyone can make this repurposed china succulent planter.
- Start with a clean china cup or dish.
- Put a small amount of pebbles in the bottom of the china cup.
- Add a small amount of potting soil, so the cup is about 2/3 full.
- Remove your succulent from its container and spread the roots slightly.
- Place the succulent in the china cup and add additional soil. Press on the soil to slightly pack it in the dish and add more soil as needed.
- Water your newly planted succulent, but only so the soil is damp.
See, that was easy, right? How about, that was beyond easy?! Seriously though, mom’s love succulent plants and pretty china dishes, mix the two together and you’ve got a fantastic gift for Mother’s Day that mom is guaranteed to love!
My daughter and I really enjoyed the Home Depot succulent workshop. I bought a few extra succulents so I could make these repurposed china succulent planters and I really love the way they turned out. I’m especially fond of the repurposed cream pitcher china succulent planter.
So, what are you waiting for? Run out to your local thrift store, buy some adorable china dishes, stop by your favorite home garden store and purchase some succulents and potting soil, then gather up the kiddos and let them get their hands a little dirty and make these repurposed china succulent planters that mom is guaranteed to love – and just in time for Mother’s Day gift giving!
How to Care for Succulents
I love gardening, but I’m not a gardening expert and if you ask two gardeners how to care for succulents, you’re likely to get two different answers. I think this article from Southern Living does a great job of explaining how to care for your succulent plants. The main thing you’ll want to keep in mind is that succulents don’t require a lot of water. The general rule is that you water the plant until water begins to run out of the drain holes, then you don’t water the succulent again until the soil is dry.
There are two things I didn’t do in this project that I should have done for the best growing conditions. One, I should have drilled drain holes in the bottom of my china cups. Then I simply could have set the china cup on a matching saucer so the water would have somewhere to collect when it drains. I found this really detailed tutorial on how to drill drainage holes on Gardening on a Dime‘s site. Secondly, I would have covered the top of the soil with small pebbles or pretty stones. Putting stones on the top of the plant also helps with keeping the soil properly watered. There’s also a third thing you should probably know about succulents, they like bright light. Not necessarily sitting in the sun kind of bright like. They’ll do just fine anywhere they can get direct or indirect bright sunlight.
I’ve really enjoyed sharing the world’s easiest DIY project with you this month and I look forward to sharing more projects with you in the coming months! Happy Mother’s Day!
Til text time…
For more DIY project ideas and family friendly recipes that will save you time in the kitchen, be sure to stop by The Birch Cottage blog for more inspiration like these:
Crochet Textured Stitch Dishcloth
Printable Vintage Fruit Tree Cards and Illustrations
You can even find loads of DIY inspiration from The Birch Cottage right here on Kenarry: Ideas for the Home, like this:
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Pam is the creative behind The Birch Cottage, a lifestyle blog with an emphasis on family-friendly DIY projects, recipes, tutorials and family. An accounting clerk by day and a self-proclaimed Pinterest addict by night, you are sure to find creative ideas and meal inspirations at The Birch Cottage.
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A wonderful article on re-purposing china. The cream pitcher is beautiful .
I’ve used old coffee cups and cereal bowls several times. Recently, I was given a gift of a small succulent in a tea light candle holder. It looks really nice.
Drilling drainage holes and using saucers or shallow bowls makes watering much easier.
Thanks for the “thumbs up” on our post on how to drill those drainage holes.
Thanks Dave! Your instructions for draining holds in china will be be very helpful to our Kenarry readers.