DIY Succulent Planter

So I have had an obsession with potted plants. Namely cacti and succulents because they are really hard to kill. Or at least I've heard. Time will definitely tell with this one. Anyway this is totally not my own original idea. I watch a lady on youtube named Christine Kobzeff. She is like this total zen, vegan lady. I love her channel, mainly because she lives very differently from how I live and I like learning about it. She also has like 10 million plants. Of these, she has succulents. Therefore, creating my inspiration.


I love the look of white ceramic. Bad news, white ceramic pots tend to become expensive very quickly. So off to the DI I went. I found this nice red pot with the shape I wanted. I think it was only a dollar. I then went to Wal-Mart and bought some primer and spray paint. I used a white gloss spray paint for the top coat.


This pot came with no drainage holes. This is very important for pots to have. So while my husband was at work, I used his drill and what I thought were drill bits made for pots. I was able to make it through the pots. Although it turns out, those drill bits were actually for wood and not ceramic. Woops. Looks like a nice birthday present of bits is coming Jeremy's way. So moral of the story, make sure you are using masonry drill bits when taking on ceramic.


Anyway, once I was done drilling the holes, I spray painted and waited a day for it to dry. I then took a piece of paper towel and put it on the bottom of the pot. This will act as a barrier for any soil that tries to escape. You could also use a piece of screen. The first layer I put down as about and inch of aquarium gravel. This will aid with quick drainage. Then I put down my cactus soil. Don't use regular potting soil because it doesn't dry quickly enough. Desert plants, fast drying soil. 


Then I planted my adorable succulents. I ordered mine off Etsy. The seller is RanchoGraciasNursery or something like that. If you just type in succulents there will be tons to choose from. Many sellers sell in bulk for wedding favors. You can get a group of 15 for a discounted deal. I didn't need that many so I just bought mine separately. I then added a top dressing. It's aquarium gravel from Wal-Mart, but it looks oh so nice. It gives it that final put together touch (personal opinion.)


I plan on creating more gardens in the summer when I can get the succulents locally.