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Decorate with Green: Make a Wood Succulent Planter Centerpiece

by on Mar 20, 2017

As someone with a brown thumb, the only plants I can keep alive are succulents and cacti. Luckily, there are so many beautiful succulents to choose from, and they range from small to large and are very easy to maintain, making them the perfect plants for DIY projects. This simple wood succulent centerpiece allows you to bring the plants indoors in a way that will beautifully display plants on your table.

As long as your plants receive adequate light indoors, they are sure to thrive – that’s the beauty of succulents. With occasional watering, the plants may eventually outgrow the container, but they can easily be moved and replaced as needed. Note, you’ll need a drill and special drill bit for this project, but otherwise, this is very inexpensive. In fact, I picked up a piece of wood from the fencing section for less than a dollar! It’s a great piece for indoors and outdoors, and you can customize it with colors and plants. Just make sure that if you do not follow these measurements, you keep the number proportionate so everything is spaced evenly.

DIY Wood Succulent Centerpiece

MATERIALS:

  • Wood, approx. 3 inches wide*
  • Wood glue
  • Sandpaper
  • Wood stain or paint with brush
  • Ruler
  • Drill
  • 1 1/2 inch Forstner Drill Bit
  • Masking tape/painters tape
  • Cactus soil
  • Mini succulents

*While higher quality wood is more expensive, it will be easier to cut and drill into with a more polished overall look

Step

Cut the wood into three equal sized pieces, approximately 12 inches long. Note, if you do not own a saw, many home improvement stores can cut the wood to your desired size.

Step

Sand the wood thoroughly until all edges are smooth

DIY Wood Succulent Centerpiece

Step

Use wood glue to sandwich the pieces on top of each other and clamp together or top with a heavy object overnight until the glue dries. Only use glue in the middle to ensure it does not seep out the sides.

DIY Wood Succulent Centerpiece

Step

Once the glue has dried, unclamp. You should have one piece now. Use a ruler to measure where three holes will go for succulents. If using a 12-inch piece, mark every four inches in the middle of the wood. These marks will indicate where to cut.

Step

Attach the drill bit. Compare next to your piece of wood how far down you’d like to drill – this ensures you don’t drill too deep. In this case, you want at least 1/2 inch left at the bottom. Mark this point on the bit using tape.

DIY Wood Succulent Centerpiece

Step

With the middle of the bit on your mark, drill a hole in the wood until it reaches the line you’ve made with tape. Repeat at each mark, and you should have three equal sized holes spaced equally apart.

DIY Wood Succulent Centerpiece

Step

Sand around the holes if rough. Use brushes or cloth to apply a paint or stain to the wood and seal to ensure the paint lasts through watering. I chose to color block it with two bright colors and used tape to block off the bottom. 

DIY Wood Succulent Centerpiece

Step

After the stain has dried, fill each hole with a very small amount of soil. Add the mini succulents (depending on size, you may be able to add more than one) but be aware that they may grow over time and outgrow the space. Press the soil and brush off excess around the wood. 

Place in the middle of your table as a centerpiece, or even use as a planter outdoors. Be sure that the succulents receive enough sunlight and water about once per week.

If they begin to outgrow the centerpiece, simply move them to a large container and replace the centerpiece with new baby succulents.

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