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Lovely platers!

2016-03-22

Lovely platers!


Micro planters are really popular right now, and for good reason.  First and foremost, they’re adorable!  They’re also quick and easy to make, take up little space, and add a nice touch of green at a time of the year when many of us are already thinking spring. Taking care of your planters is easy if you pick the right plants, too. I like smaller succulents, and those that are easy to propagate by breaking off leaves. They don’t require much soil or water, and they come in cool shapes and textures that keep your planters interesting!

 

Supplies:

  • Wood Carving Tool Set –You can also use a Hobby Knife Set, but the curved carving tools make this even easier
  • Corks*
  • Small plant or cutting
  • Potting mix
  • Beads for topdressing – I used both turquoise and blue seed beads


Directions:

Push the curved blade from your wood carving tool set into the top edge of your cork to begin. I started a little more than 1/8 inch from the edge, to give myself a little room for error, and pushed in all around my perimeter as a guide.



Working from the perimeter–always leaving that 1/8 inch edge–toward the middle, use your curved carving tool to scoop out the cork. Shallow cuts are best–with deeper cuts, you may end up levering your tool against the side and breaking the cork that you want to keep. If the sides of your cork are slanted like mine, remember to take that into account as you go.



Now for the fun–it’s time to get a little dirty! Take your planting soil and drop a little bit into your new cork planter. Hold your plant carefully in one hand at the level you want to plant it, and use your other hand to fill around the roots with more planting mix. I like to put a little soil in the bottom first, to the level of the bottom roots, and then start to fill in around it (shown above) so I don’t accidentally pull the plant too high or low.



To up the cuteness quotient–or tie them into a color scheme or theme–finish them off with seed beads, small pearls or some other sort of small-scale “pot dressing” to add even more color and fun!


 

They’re quick to make, and even more adorable in groups, so feel free to make a bunch!  Enjoy!

 

A note on care:  Succulents don’t like to sit in water, so make sure that you don’t overwater them and/or leave water pooling inside your cork planter.  The easiest way to take care of succulents in small pots like these is to give them a spritz (or a couple of drops) of water as needed.  I set mine in the sink when I water them, just to make sure that no water escapes out a space in the cork and makes a mess on my windowsill.

Source

 

 


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