Succulent Gift & Project Ideas

DIY projects and fun gifts that feature succulents.

Looking for my online gift-and-decor store? Go to Succulent Chic!

MAKE YOUR OWN Succulent Bouquets

12 Succulent Bouquets to Inspire You

12 Succulent Bouquets to Inspire You ~ When wired onto faux stems, succulent rosettes—despite having no roots, soil or water—make long-lasting floral bouquets. Echeverias, graptosedums, crassulas and kalanchoes lend themselves beautifully to bouquets because of their colorful leaves and floral shapes. They’re easy to attach to stems, need no water (because they live off moisture in their leaves), look…

Succulent bouquet with echeverias

Make a Bouquet of Succulents

When I need a hostess gift, thank-you present, or an arrangement for a special friend, I make a bouquet of succulents.   I start by selecting a coffee mug or glass container (usually a jar, thrift-store vase, or clear bottle), the size of which determines the size of the arrangement. Then I head into the garden with…

Use Colored Sand for Succulent Bouquets

I like to display bouquets of succulent rosettes in clear glass containers filled with layers of sand. Practical as well as pretty, the sand lends color and interest, and serves as to anchor the stems so top-heavy rosettes don’t tumble out. Succulent sand bouquets make quick and original hostess gifts. Moreover, recipients can remove rosettes from…

Make a Succulent Mug Gift Bouquet

Make a succulent mug gift bouquet the next time you need a little something for a friend or hostess. This transcends the traditional flower-stand bouquet and has utility long afterwards. 

Fun Succulent Projects

Garden hat decorated with succulents by Laura Balaoro for Better Homes & Gardens (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

How to Make a Succulent-Decorated Hat and More

Here’s how to make a succulent-decorated hat and other projects, with design ideas from attendees at succulent events I’ve been to. Wearing succulents at succulent-themed events is a great ice-breaker. Everyone wants a photo of you. The easiest way to attach cuttings to a hat brim, visor, hair ornament or bracelet is with the moss-and-glue method…

DIY Succulent Driftwood Designs

DIY Succulent Driftwood Designs When you make succulent driftwood designs, the plants resemble undersea flora, and the wood hints at something you’d see washed up on the beach. The two combine to make a special, almost fantasy-like composition that works well as a patio centerpiece or special gift for a friend. Driftwood pieces (from Sea…

How to Create a Cactus Curio Box

Cacti are succulents with simple shapes, and none illustrate the plants’ elegantly elemental geometry as well as spherical varieties. To showcase the beauty of these often-ignored succulents, I went with an open wood box with a dozen partitions, each just right for cacti in 2.5-inch pots. My goal was to elevate textural, glowing orbs to the status of jewelry or artwork.

Succulent Desk Buddies, DIY

“Desk buddies” are succulents that look good on your desk and require almost no care. They’re cute and classy, and visitors invariably ask about them. All you have to do is dribble water on them twice a month (which also keeps them dusted). I chose haworthias for my desk buddies because they do great in…

Windowsill succulents with glass topdressing (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Succulent Windowsill Pots DIY

In my Succulent Windowsill Pots DIY here and on YouTube, you’ll find out how to make a simple, colorful succulent windowsill garden. Whenever you glance out your window at work or home, you’ll see and enjoy your living gems.

Debra Lee Baldwin on Craftsy

Stunning Succulent Arrangements Class

Stunning Succulent Arrangements An Online Class by Succulent Expert Debra Lee Baldwin My succulent design class, Stunning Succulent Arrangements, brings you the highest quality online learning at an extremely reasonable price. I’m proud that its success has been outstanding in the US and beyond. My partner in this endeavor, Craftsy (aka Bluprint) spent upwards of $15,000 to…

where to get plants and cuttings

Buy and Shop for Succulents Online

Buy & Shop for Succulents Online My recommended, go-to sources for succulents online Looking for my online gift-and-decor store? Go to Succulent Chic!  Succulent Growers I recommend Wondering where to shop for the best succulents online? Start with these top growers. There’s quite a bit of overlap, which is fine; all provide quality. For outstanding…

Videos

Mini Succulent Landscape in a Fire Pit (7:40)

See step-by-step how to create a mini mountain scene using a repurposed fire pit, miniature buildings, succulents that resemble much larger plants, crushed rock, a mirror for a lake, and upright pieces of flagstone.

Plant a Succulent Gift Basket with Echeverias(3:28)

Plant a basket with lovely echeverias to enhance an outdoor sitting area, as a tabletop centerpiece, or to give to a succulent-loving friend. These blue and purple rosette succulents are especially beautiful when massed, and as such, serve as a living, low-water, low-maintenance bouquet.

How to Make Cacti Resemble Cupcakes (3:07)

You've seen cupcakes that look like cactus? Well, here are cacti that look like cupcakes! Why not showcase both at a gathering of succulent friends? Little domino cacti (echinopsis) make perfect party favors. Each is nestled in a waterproof silicone cupcake liner and has a faceted "cherry" on top. Tan sand suggests cake.