DIY Succulent Mini Garden

Succulents are easy because: one, they don’t take much water and two, you can use clippings from other succulents. Just snip off pieces from an existing succulent and you can plant a new one! It doesn’t harm the mother plant and the clipping will root itself in its new home and continue to grow.

With a simple list of “ingredients” you can make yourself a lively succulent mini-garden, which also works for a great (and affordable) gift!

• container (a pot, tea pot, old baking dish, etc. I used an old oil pan that was lost, deep into the back corners of my parents’ garage)
• rocks/stones/pebbles for drainage and decoration (if your container has drainage, you will not need stones for drainage)
• soil/dirt
• succulent clippings (if you do not have a succulent garden of your own to clip from, ask a friend or neighbor if they mind you clip some succulents from their garden.)
• decorations (I used an old tea pot that was just collecting dust. Any old figurines or collectibles that are broken or chipped work perfectly for this project.)

Start by separating out your favorite stones that you may want to use for decoration in the assembly of your succulent mini-garden. Place the remaining stones at the bottom of your mini-garden container of choice. These drainage stones should fill up around 1/4 to 1/3 of the bottom of the container. 

*If your container already has drainage holes at the bottom of it, you will not need to place stones in the container for drainage. Just simply add more soil to fill that space.*

Now is the time to play! Place the succulents and decorations into the container to decide how you want to assemble your arrangement. Get creative! Have fun! This is when you can play with how you will hide (or flaunt) any imperfections your decorations may have. I recently dropped a mug, breaking it in half and you just may see it in my next mini-garden!

Once you have found your final arrangement, take note of how it looks. Maybe even snap a quick picture. Remove the succulents, leaving only the drainage rocks and decorations in the container. Place the soil in all the places where you want the stems of the succulent clippings to rest. Try to keep the soil away from areas where you will only have decorative stones or your other decorations. This will create a cleaner look. (If you are not using drainage stones but do have stones for decorations, try to create a thicker layer of your decorative stones on top of your soil to keep the clean look.)

Now… ASSEMBLE! Place your succulents back into their place, rooting them into the soil. Add any finishing touches, or top cover of stones/pebbles and waa-laa! You have it! Your own homemade succulent mini-garden! Give your succulents a quick drink of water and they are ready to find their favorite spot in your home.

These mini-gardens add the perfect touch of life to any indoor or outdoor space. They also make the perfect gift being affordable, attractive, lively, and ecological!

I encourage you to purchase less by using items that you already have around the house. A grandparent’s attic or garage may have some fun finds in it for this type of crafting. This is such a great way to repurpose old materials that would maybe just end up in a landfill. Also, most of the rocks I used for drainage were just collected off the side of the road or from walking trails. (Just be sure you are not collecting material from a protected space.) There is no sense in purchasing stones from a store that come in a plastic bag if you can find them easily around your home. Create a smile for yourself and for others, one little mini-garden at a time.

Feel free to post your succulent mini-garden creation below!