DIY: Living Succulent Wreath

 A few years ago whilest perusing wedding magazines I discovered just how beautiful succulents are and knew I wanted to add them into my decor in some way, shape, or form. On our jaunts to northern California I saw these little beauties everywhere but, that's not exactly the case here in NC. On a particularly beautiful day when I just couldn't spend any more time inside I decided to tackle a project that was hanging on my DIY to-do list, a succulent wreath.

{Succulent Wreath Supplies}

Here's what you'll need:

-a wire wreath form. I got my 12" one from a craft store for about $4

-sphagnum moss -- 1 bag. Again, a craft store find. I took a coupon and got a bag for about $3

-floral wire or fishing line 

-floral pins, bobby pins, or paperclips

-as many succulents as your heart desires. I found the best selection at Home Depot locally. If you are lucky enough to live where they grow naturally, you can clip off the top, let the bottom scab over for a few days, then use in your wreath. (This lucky blogger did that and her wreath looks amazing.)

Step 1:

Soak your moss for a few minutes until fully wet & prepare your supplies. I chose plants that had a few stems in each pot to maximize my dollars so I had to remove the succulents from their pots and divide them.

Step 2:

Stuff the wreath tightly with moss from back to front. This part is messy, I suggest doing it outside with gloves. Once you make it round once, use your floral wire to wrap the frame just to make sure the moss holds. Add another layer of moss from the front this time and wrap with wire again to hold. You can make it as full as you want. I used 1 bag of moss for this.

{1st wrap}

{2nd wrap}

{Filling in the gaps}

{Voila! The finished wreath base. I think it's kind of pretty just as it is!}

 Step 3: 

Now it's the fun part. Unfortunately by this point my hands were a mess and lets face it, Pete lacks thumbs to take a photo so you'll just have to learn by reading the old fashioned way. Start to lay out your succulents in the pattern you want to create. I started with the largest "flower" shape and worked my way out. Once your happy with the plan, take a pointy object (dried up ink pen, tip of some dull scissors, etc.) and make a hole in the moss. Some of my plants had larger root systems so I had to use my fingers to spread the moss and create a bigger spot for the plant to be placed. (Don't worry, the moss wont fall apart, this is why we wrapped it with wire.) If your succulent doesn't seem secure this is the time to pin it. Be careful not to stick the plant, just pin around the stem. I pinned all my plants since my wreath will be on my front door and will move a lot. Continue to place & plant succulents as you see fit. Remember that this is a living wreath so you'll need to leave a little room for the plants to grow. When you feel that you're done, let it dry in the sun for a bit so the moss isn't too drippy. The next step is my favorite, revel in your DIY creation. 

She's a real beaut don't you think?

{DIY Succulent Wreath}

{The final product!}

I chose not to completely fill my wreath with succulents for several reasons. The plants can be costly when you have to purchase them (I spent around $20), I liked the look and texture the plants & moss created when there was some negative space, and I wanted to have room to add if I came across a super-cool-plant at another date. All in all I was very happy with the result. With the supplies that I had around the house I ended up spending about an hour of time and about $30. Succulents are part of the cactus family so they don't need a ton of water, in fact, if you over water them they wont be happy! They love sun and like a spritz of water ever couple of weeks. Enjoy!