Would you love to have plants but don't want a lot of work? If so these Tea Cup Succulent Planters are perfect. This project is easy and affordable. (And so stinkin' cute, right?) Great for offices, dorms, bedrooms, and kitchen windows, I dare you to make just one.
Message to My Moms: Spoiler Alert. This is your Mother's Day Gift. 🙂
Tea Cup Succulent Planters
This is such a fun and affordable DIY project. And so easy, anyone can do it. Get the kids involved, too. First step, find the tea cups you want to use. We took a stroll through a local vintage flea market to find these three cup and saucer sets.
You can also use extra cups and mugs that you have around the house, or rummage through those yard sales you usually drive by. You never know what you will find.
More cheap planter ideas: painted metal cans, an old bowl, rustic wooden box, vintage cooking pans, little tea pots, antique gravy boats, plastic bottles, old bricks. Use your imagination!
The best part? This isn't one of those plants that you plant and then it dies because your green thumb skipped town. Succulents are known for their beauty and hardiness, and don't need much from you to do their thing. They naturally are grown in dry, arid conditions and are designed by nature to retain water.
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Step-by-Step instructions to make Tea Cup Succulent Planters:
1. Wash and dry the cup and saucer. Using a good adhesive, attach the cup to the saucer securely and let dry.
2. Spoon small pebbles into the bottom of each tea cup. A half-inch layer is enough.
3. Fill the cup ⅔ full with a cactus or succulent soil blend.
I used hot glue. Why? That's what I had. It isn't the longest lasting bond and can easily be broken. But the way I look at it, these are not going to be handled a lot by the cup handle, or tossed around like Frisbees. They will mostly just sit pretty on a sunny window sill or ledge. All I needed was a bond good enough to keep the cup from sliding around.
The reason for the pebbles is to keep the roots of the succulent from sitting in water. (More about watering succulents later.) Pick a great draining soil. That's what I opted for a cactus blend.
4. Using your finger, create a planting hole in the cup of soil.
5. Remove the succulent from the container it came in. Use your hands to remove the bottom third (or more) of the root ball and dirt.
6. Gently place the succulent into the hole you created in the tea cup.
Some important points...don't pack the soil when you are creating a hole for the plant. You want the soil to be light and loose to give the succulent's root system a chance to grow.
Do not put the plant straight from the container it came in straight in the soil. Usually, the roots are overgrown, dry, and will do best if you gently pull the bottom part of the dirt away.
7. Spoon more dirt around the edges and to the top of the tea cup. Gently press the soil down around the base of the plant, but do not pack the dirt.
8. If desired, add more of the pebbles as a decorative touch to the top of the soil.
9. Water the plant. A good rule of thumb? If you have an 8 ounce tea cup, water with about half that amount of water.
When you are filling in around the succulent plant, do not pack the soil. Just a light bit of pressure to get the soil to hold in the cup is fine. Adding the pebbles is not only pretty, but it helps keep the dirt in place and the soil moist.
More Information about Succulents
Now that you have your Tea Cup Succulents all planted and pretty, let's talk about taking care of them. That part is super easy, too.
The most important things: light and water. For the most part, succulents like these need bright light for at least 4 hours during the day. There are some variations on types and varieties, but a nice sunny spot on the window sill or porch is perfect. (Just bring them in when it gets cold.)
Watering is a little more touchy. As a matter of fact, a little too touchy. Why? Most people over water their succulents. These little beauties need very little water. Only water them when the soil is COMPLETELY dry. This might be once a week, or even once every two weeks.
When it is time to water, don't water log the plants. If the roots of the succulents sit in water, they will not have a happy and healthy life. For these Tea Cup Succulent Planters, a couple of ounces per watering will do.
My advice? Put them in a sunny window, and water once every week or two.
If you over water, the succulent planters will not thrive. This is very important, especially since they are planted in a tea cup with no holes. Only water or mist them enough for the soil to absorb. Never let water sit in the planter.
Learn more about the plant varieties we picked for our succulent planters below.
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Succulent Variety: Echeveria Starlite
The echeveria starlite is one of the most popular types of succulents. They are so pretty and the color of the edges really makes them stand out in any planter. We love the maroon color on ours. (And we matched it with this tea cup because of that color.) In their natural habitat they grow in rocky areas at high altitudes. The echeveria must be protected from frost.
Succulent Variety: Golden Sedum
The golden sedum is one of the easiest succulents to care for. It literally needs nothing but sun and an occasional drop of water. It will actually spread when planted in the ground. You can also easily create a new planting from an existing plant. As you can see it also has lovely edges in shades of red and orange.
Succulent Variety: Sedeveria Hybrid
Sedeveria hybrids are varied, but over all they are considered a "soft succulent" and should be grown much like aloe. Which is great, because all aloe needs is a sunny window and water every now and then. This succulent will need to be protected from frost.
7 benefits of growing succulents in your home:
- Succulents purify the air you breathe.
- Succulents produce oxygen.
- Succulents improve the humidity in your home.
- Succulents can grow just about anywhere, regardless of the size of your space.
- Succulents are beautiful and create a sense of peace in the home or office.
- Succulents are easy to care for.
- Succulents make excellent gifts.
Are you inspired to plant succulents for your home or as gifts for your loved ones? (We are headed back to the vintage store to find more classic cups to make more.)
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