DIY Succulent Centerpiece

For the holiday season, we created some festive succulent centerpieces, and decided to document the process.

Our video and article below demonstrate one of the many ways you can create a succulent centerpiece, great for any time of the year!

Start with any pot, bowl, dish or other planter. It can be ceramic, plastic, wood, or other material, but in order to use it with succulents you must ensure it has sufficient drainage. If your container does not have at least one drain hole at the bottom, you should drill one.

Creating a drain hole: For most pots, you'll need a power drill with a masonry bit, a roll of tape, potting soil, safety goggles, and your choice of succulents. 

Cut off a piece of tape, and center it on the bottom of the container. The tape will protect certain materials from shattering, and also makes the procedure safer by minimizing shards and dust. Using the power drill, carefully drill a small hole in the middle of the bottom of the container. Be sure to wear your safety goggles.

When your container is ready, fill it about 2/3 full with soil. You'll need to use a well draining potting soil. At our nursery, we like to use coir, which is ground coconut husk.

Many different succulents will work for a centerpiece. One combination we like features Aeonium 'Sunburst' with some Echeveria subalpina and Kalanchoe 'Kiwi'. For our video, we ultimately decided to go with an Echeveria fimbriata and Miniature Jade arrangement. We chose these succulents because we really liked the red of the Echeveria with the green at the heart, and the Miniature Jade is a beautiful emerald green with red stems that contrast very nicely. We also picked this particular Jade because it is decumbent, so it will hang over the edges of the planter.

After choosing your succulents, plant around the outside edges of the container. As you place the plants fill dirt in around each plug or root form to help settle them into the pot.

When you're finished planting, water thoroughly to settle the soil in around the plants and clean the container and foliage. 

Finally, place the finished centerpiece on a saucer or plate to catch draining water. This is just one of the endless possibilities for Do-It-Yourself succulent centerpieces. Have fun creating your own!