My latest craft inspiration/obsession is the ‘spilled flowerpot #succulents’. People are taking large flowerpots and planting mini succulents, then taking a tiny flowerpot and half burying it next to the plants to give the illusion that they have spilled out from the pot. It is flooding Pinterest and all social media, and I have taken the bait. We already know that I am a plant lady and a sultana of succulents so of course I needed to make one of my own. I love this idea because it generates another way to be creative with the pots as well as the plants. Normally I am decorating the plant pots, but this idea lets the plants play into the craftiness as well and I love that.
A lot of people creating these projects are surrounding their #succulents with gravel/rocks but I wanted to take that a step further and create a little outdoor scene. I rummaged through the craft lair for some add-ons other than the rocks. I have tons of beads, pearls, mosaic stones/glass and even a mini set of lawn furniture (who knows why?!) so I was off to a good start. All I actually purchased for this project were the plants themselves and the larger terra cotta pot. I love buying terra cotta pots, especially if they are larger pots because it is so much cheaper than most other options and its super easy to paint, mosaic, stain etc. For this project I left the larger pot unfinished but I did paint my mini pot that would be doing the spill!
Once I had everything together I was ready to plant and play! I first planted my succulents (I bought 4 different types but you can do more or less) in a group and then added my mini painted pot underneath. I added green rocks, mosaic stones and seed beads to mimic grass or greenery. It was easier to put the larger stones down first and then fill in any negative space with the smaller beads. Next I made my pathway to the little sitting area with small brown gravel. If you are trying to make a uniform line it helps to get a thick piece of paper (or thin piece of cardboard) and push it slightly into the dirt where you want the line and fill in the gravel. Then just remove the paper. I then added the blue gravel for my “pool” and of course the classic white picket fence.
Next was the most fun part.. Decorating! Initially my mini furniture was just metal toned so I gave it a quick spray paint job and glued the cheese and wine tray on because, well, HOW CUTE IS THAT. Then I added some white rocks at the edge of the pool and the tiny little flamingoes (I cannot deal with their cuteness either guys). Next I added the welcome rock and that itty-bitty watering can, so now it is just dripping with cuteness which, of course was the goal. It is now proudly displayed on our patio table where it shall radiate cuteness for all the days to come!
This project is great because you can take it to a lot of different places creatively. You can just use decorative stones and gravel around your succulents or create a scene like I did. It could easily be a fairy garden, gnome garden, under the sea mermaid scene etc. Lots of fun roads you can go down! Be sure to put your finished piece somewhere where it gets sunlight for your succulents and be sure not to over water them. And please share your finished pieces with me @mixedmediamel
What you need:
· Succulents, preferably small and a couple different varieties
· Flowerpot/soil
· Mini flowerpot
· Pebbles, marbles, beads, rocks etc.
· Mini furniture, garden décor etc. (optional)
· Paint (optional)
What to do:
· Fill the larger flowerpot with soil
o Plant lady tip: put some stones in the bottom of the pot before you fill with dirt for better drainage
· Plan positioning for your “spilled succulents” and plant them accordingly
· Bury the mini pot halfway in the soil underneath your “spilled succulents”
· Decorate your scene with pebbles and other supplies
