DIY home projects

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My sister-in-law gave me some hardy sedum succulent plants a few years ago and these little babies are multiplying so fast it's incredible!  I've taken some of them and replanted them in other spots of the yard, but I wanted to do something more fun with them and this turtle planter was perfect!  Depending on where you live will depend on what type of succulents you will want to live.  I live in Wisconsin, so the hardy sedum are perfect for me.

What you will need:

hanging basket planter and coco liner
potting soil
chicken wire or metal screen
landscape fabric
wire
artificial moss
4 small terra cotta pots
4 washers
hardy sedum succulents

Start by cutting a piece of landscape fabric just a bit bigger than your basket frame. Then place your coco filler into your basket frame and fill it up with your potting soil.  Next you will take that landscape fabric piece you cut and attach it to your basket frame with some pieces of wire.  After that is secure, cut a piece of your mesh and again, use wire to attach that over the landscape fabric.  This metal screen will hold the landscape fabric and all the dirt in place inside the turtle body.




Next you will need to attach your little pots (turtle feet) to your basket frame.  In order to keep the pot attached nicely to the pot you will need to thred the wire around the mesh screen and then into the hole of the pot.  Once you have the wire inside your pot, wrap one end around a washer and then twist the wire until it is nice and secure.



To make the turtle's head, I just used a strip of the metal and sort of bent it into a head and neck shape and then used wires to attach it to the body and to keep it in it's shape. 



For his head, I also glued on some landscape fabric and then hot glued some artificial moss to his head.

Then gather together a bunch of small stems of your succulents.  I had so many so I just went around and pinch off a bunch of stems.  Then I took a screwdriver to make a hole through the coco filler and into the dirt so I could push the stem right into place.  Continue working your way around your turtle until you have it filled up or you've used up all of your succulent pieces. 




Once you have all your plants in, give it a good watering so that these new stems will start to grow roots.  After just a few months my plants have already taken off and he looks more full.  I just love him!

do it yourself