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DIY Succulent Terrarium

CRAFTS

***Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone being affected by Sandy today.  And a huge huge thank you to all those who are rescue workers, police and firemen, and those working long hours away from their families to be a help to those in need.  Be safe & warm y’all!*** 

Let’s just be honest.  I didn’t really know if I would be actually participating in this edition of the Pinterest Challenge.  I thought maybe, just maybe, this baby would push his freakishly strong foot through my skin, thus putting me in the hospital.  I’m not kidding.  He’s that strong.  And I do believe he’s gonna be born with weirdly long toenails.

So I have a confession…I started this project last night at 12:06am.  That’s right.  And it took me about five minutes to finish.  It would have taken me less but I had to take the photos.  I think this all goes to show that even last-minute-procrastinators like myself can still knock something off their to-do-list….or their Pinterest Try-This Boards…if they put the pedal to the metal and just knock it out. 

Now that I’m done with my confessional, here’s what I’ve been eyeing for the last 6 months… 

Those are magazine and catalog clippings that I taped to my giant white board in my office.  And right there in the center is a huge succulent terrarium..

Yup.  Total bandwagoner.  That’s me.  Just throw me a tuba and let me jump on board.  I love me some succulents. 

In fact, when I went to start pinning some ideas on how to actually make this plan happen, I realized that this is very ‘pinteresty’.  Everyone and their foreign relatives are planting succulents and blogging about it or selling em on etsy. 

     

Besides the awesome ones I’ve pinned, I’ve seen ones by Making It Lovely, Young House Love, Thrifty Decor Chick, The Plumed Nest, The Clean Slate and A Simple Kind of Life….all different and all really inspiring.   

Now comes the part where you have to hear about how I decided that indeed-I-would-be-pinterest-challenging-a-succa….

enter the sales rack. 

Doesn’t it always start there?  So I was walking in Lowe’s….Will and I went there this afternoon because his special treat for the day was to see all the life-sized Santas and play with all the Christmas stuff.  It’s our version of Disney World.  And low and behold, I saw the little sales rack that boasted a sign “50% off”….and it was chock full of succulents. 

Since I have been stalking this particular rack, I knew that it was a sign that indeed, I would still be pregnant and capable in the evening and that God wanted me to plant something.  I take most sales signs as a message from God.  So I threw a bunch into the cart and we headed home.  I figured I would probably have something at home from my hoarding stash that would work for the rest of the needed supplies. 

I found the perfect glass jar just sitting neglected under our laundry room’s utility sink. 

We used to throw Will’s cloth diapers in there before we got a wet bag.  Now it does nothing…except feel lonliness. 

I also went through my stash of rocks (yes I do have a drawer full of stones and rocks and other pebble type items) and pulled out a few collections that I thought would work for this particular project.   And yes, I washed the brown ones…they smelled funny to me.  Of course, everything smells funny to me right now (being pregnant does that to me).  And yes, it is weird to think of me sniffing a rock.

Anyhoo.  I put my biggest rocks in first….

followed by the smaller pebbles….I like to put them around the edges and then fill in the center to make sure it is even….

then a couple inches of soil.  (I hear it’s a good idea to use Cactus soil and/or charcoal for drainage purposes…but like I said, pregnant…one week away)…

Then came time for my little baby succulents.  I got all seven for under $11 total.  So that makes this an $11 project because I used everything else from my stash.

   

I stuck with the ones that varied in height and were in the same color palette. 

Then I started in the middle – planting the tallest first – then moved around the center planting a short one, then a medium tall one, then another short one, then medium….repeat till done.

On the very top, I put some black stones.  I just liked the way they looked.  No real reason. 

Isn’t it pretty?!

So consider me officially seranading the succulents.  And yes, I plan on putting them up in my master bedroom where I can see them every day while I nurse and recover and ooh and aww over the newest member of our family.

And if you are in the mood to see some non-slackers tackle some big things….you must check out the Pinterest Challenge co-hosts projects….

They went big and went home.  Best of both worlds. 

So have you guys jumped on the succulent bandwagon yet?  Anyone making terrariums as we speak?  Anyone else feel like their uterus is being clawed from the inside?  Or perhaps you just wanna tell me how God speaks to you through amazing sales prices too….because if that ain’t a heavenly sign, I don’t know what is 🙂

Just as a reminder, Pinterest doesn’t know about this challenge (or endorse, sponsor, etc.)…they just simply supply the place for the awesome to gather. 

Also, I’d love to see your projects if you played along too so here are the instructions if you are a linky-party newbie…

  • click on the blue “Add Your Link” button at the bottom of this post – it has a blue frog head on it add a link to your PC project blog post in the url field (please do not link to your home page) for “name” write a short descriptive name for your project (e.g. “Halloween Felt Craft”)
  • pretty pretty please remember to link in the body of your post to the Pinterest item and the original source of the photo on Pinterest as well as back to me and this editions hosts above – it’s just a big ole fashioned linky love fest!  Love you forever & thanks.
  • If you’d rather just link over to your project in the comment section, feel free to do that – or even add a link to a free photo sharing site like Flickr with your pics if you don’t have a blog (remember to set the gallery to public so we can all see it).

Now let’s get to the party!


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  1. Ahh – you took the idea right out of my head! A co-worker brought one in to work which he made and ever since then I’ve been dying to make my own. Yours looks fabulous, thanks for the inspiration!

  2. It’s so funny because I saw you pinning all of those pretty succulants and I was secretly hoping that would be your pinterest challenge! It’s funny because after Sherry did hers I went and bought some and SURPRISE they made a guest appearance in my pinterest challenge (not the star but I squeezed them in there haha) http://homemadeocean.com/2012/10/the-that-is-so-much-better-bookcase/

    Can’t wait for that baby to come 🙂 that is the ultimate DIY project!!!

  3. OMG, our projects are nearly identical! Haha, too funny. I think I even used some of the same plants and everything, though I did add a little creature to mine! Pretty sure my terrarium is going to die under my care (uh, again), but I’m determined to enjoy what life it has left.

    http://annebronkema.wordpress.com/2012/10/30/succulent-terrarium-pinterest-challenge-in-which-a-tiny-plastic-object-scares-the-living-daylights-out-of-me/

    Praying for you and baby! I’m simultaneously excited/anxious for you. And I don’t even know you. Sheesh. 🙂

  4. I love me a quickie 😉 I have one succulent that I’ve miraculously kept alive in a milk glass bowl by my kitchen window, but I’d love to put a big jar somewhere else in the house!

  6. Thanks for the link love! I’m a big fan of your blog and just happened to be reading my blog feed when I saw this post. I was so excited I may have peed a little. Although since I’ve had Lucy that also happens when I laugh too hard or cough… Anyway thanks again for the link back! 🙂

    Jessica
    A Simple Kind of Life

  7. Thanks so much for hosting this event- it’s always a fun one to participate in! I love those succulent planters- I totally wish I could have one in our house, but our cats are so hard on living plants- it’s like their mission in life is to eat anything green and they go to great lengths to seek out and destroy them. Even plastic ones don’t always survive. It’s very sad. And weird.

  9. I love the way your succulents turned out! What a great and low maintenance way to put some life into your space… especially after such a big event like having a baby! Smaller project, big impact. I also went for doable this time around: http://writetasty.blogspot.com/2012/10/pinterest-challenge-fall-felt-decor.html. Love it but I was still hoping to crank out a super-project over the past week haha. Does baby have a nursery or will the nursery come later? Maybe I just missed that info somewhere.

  10. I thought succulents were supposed to be indestructible, but I have somehow managed to kill all 3 that I have purchased. Sad, because a cute terrarium like yours would be so nice to have!

  11. I love what you came up with. I’ve been thinking about making a terrarium lately, too. Maybe this fall/winter is the perfect time 🙂

  12. Oh man! Look what you’ve done: alerted me to a sale and now I’ll be FORCED to go find some cheapo succulents to make my own pinterest-inspired goodness. Because *EVEN I* can’t kill succulents. (That’s not true. I’ve been known to starve them of all life-giving necessities almost immediately.)

    Congrats on the new little one-on-the-way! I would’ve thought buying the plants would make it almost a certainty that you’d have that baby before you could complete the project. Isn’t that how babies work?

  13. Those turned out great! I bought a pre-made one at Lowes. Did you know you have to water those?? I thought succulents were the perfect house plant for me, until the little petals started turning brown & falling off! Oh well…I’ll read the tag next time!

    Thanks for the challenge! So excited to link up for the first time!

  14. Now I want to make one! Even though the word ‘succulent’ is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I’m due a week after you and the last thing I need is a new project, but you make it seem so easy! 🙂

  16. That’s fantastic! I will make one of these…just have to go buy some supplies. I haven’t gotten around to my pinterest challenge project yet (a monogram holly wreath) but might have to add this in too. Hoping to go out and buy my supplies tonight! Who knows though, may have to wait until the Winter Pinterest Challenge on this one with everything that’s going on at my house today.

  17. I’ve had an (unhealthy maybe?) obsession with succulents since I spotted them for the very first time in IKEA years ago. I mean…they’re pretty and a plant that doesn’t die no matter how much I accidentally neglect it! Love the idea of turning them into more of a centerpiece.

    And good luck with all things baby #2!

  18. Such a cute idea. Wishing you better luck with your succulents than I had. Somehow I managed to kill mine within a week. I’m guessing I over-watered them.

  19. This might be creepy but I’m almost drooling at the anticipation of getting home from work, curling up in bed, and gorging myself on all of these awesome crafts! Thanks for hosting!

  20. I love a good succulent and yours turned out so pretty – plus has inspired me. I’m glad I’m not the only who 1. Takes their kid to Lowe’s to view the giant Santas and Christmas Displays like it’s Disnyland and 2. Views a sale sign as an actual sign from God…I mean if its that much on sale it’s meant to be right?

  22. I am from the Florida panhandlers but recently moved to Australia with my Aussie husband and, wouldn’t you know it, the other day I noticed a huge succulent bush in my back yard! We ain’t got Home Depot or lots of spray paint options, but our succulents do grow on trees!

  28. Very cool. I’ve been rescuing my succulents from summer planters and frost and putting them in milk glass in my kitchen. I need to find a safe place away from the kittens and near a window for them though…

  34. Is there a way they can get water regularly? Because if so…then yes, as long as they get sunshine and water, they should be good to go!
    xo – kb

  35. Just saw a little spike on my analytics from this post. Terrarium posts are long living! Thanks for the link-up even though it was long ago. 🙂

    Best Regards,
    Brittany
    (The Clean Slate)

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