Learn how to make DIY succulent planters using faux succulents from Amazon, and a variety of jars, mini pots and other thrifted containers.

Everyone loves succulents, and for good reason. They are cute, easy to take care of and come in all kinds of different shapes, sizes, and colors.
What's even better than a real, live succulent? Beautiful faux succulents! They're even easier to take care of!
Today, we are going to make DIY succulent planters using faux succulents and containers from the thrift store!
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Why You'll Love This Craft
- Succulents are often plump and waxy in real life, so these faux versions look surprisingly lifelike.
- This is a perfect way to use jars, containers, pots, or any small containers you have at home. And if you don't have a collection at home already, head to any thrift store and you'll find dozens of fun (and cheap) options.
- If you use opaque containers or pots, you might not even need any type of filler inside. But if you have a semi or fully transparent container, you can use whatever type of filler you have.
Craft Supplies Needed
- Faux Succulents - Buy them on Amazon, or from craft stores, big box stores, or even dollar stores.
- Jars, Mini Clay Pots, Containers - We bought a selection at a local thrift store.
- Filler - You can use rocks, pebbles, sand, shredded paper, or dirt etc.
How to Make DIY Succulent Planters
Step 1: Add filler of choice to a container and add in a faux succulent.
This first one uses white sand.
Step 2: Push the plant into the sand, stem first.
It is not glued or secured in any way.
If you want to protect against spills, you could add a clear layer of Mod Podge to the top of the sand.
Step 3. Next, we used small rocks (agates here) as filler.
You can use pebbles of any kind.
Step 4. Slide the succulent, stem-first, into the rocks.
Step 5. This succulent planter has shredded kraft paper as the filler.
Crumple the paper into a tight ball and place it in the bottom of a mini clay pot.
Pro Tip: If you are using a planter like this mini terra cotta pot that has a drainage hole in the bottom, you may want to plug it with hot glue or a layer of paper or tinfoil before putting the filler in if it's something small like pebbles or sand.
Step 6. Add in the faux succulent.
If you want to help secure the succulent, you could hot glue the undersides of the leaves to the inside edges of the clay pot.
Step 7. We used shredded straw or raffia as filler for this planter.
Crumple it up and press it into the bottom of a container.
Step 8. Add a succulent on top.
Hot glue the undersides of the leaves to the container if you want to secure it.
Step 9. In this DIY succulent planter, we used shredded kraft paper and three different faux succulent plants.
Step 10. This gives it variety and visual interest.
Step 11. You can also create succulent planters using large containers and many succulents combined together.
The blue pot has sand as the filler.
Step 12. The translucent green container has agates as filler but rocks or pebbles work equally well.
Part of the beauty of these faux succulents (besides never needing to be watered or tended to) is their versatility.
We didn't glue any of the succulents into the pot so we can change things up and reuse them at any time.
It makes it a little risky not to secure the plants into the containers; they can tip and spill if they are bumped or dropped.
But the benefit is that they can be repotted, rearranged, reconfigured, and reused in different projects as you please!
Common Questions
You can buy fake succulent plants on Amazon like I did, or look for them at craft stores, home decor stores, big box stores, or dollar stores.
I used a variety of thrifted containers for my faux succulent planters; this is win win for me because they're cute, eco-friendly, and cute! You can also use flower pots as well as recycled containers that you wrap in yarn or rope, or paint.
In this tutorial, we used a variety of fillers from sand to rocks, shredded paper, and straw or raffia. You can also use real dirt, marbles, buttons, seashells, beans or any other filler you can thank of!
Faux succulents are available in bulk which makes projects like these DIY succulent planters easy and cheap to make.
The sky is the limit as far as containers go - you can use mason jars, coffee mugs, small planters, or thrifted glassware like we did.
More Faux Plant Crafts You'll Love
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How to Make DIY Succulent Planters
Materials
- Faux Succulents
- Glass Jars, Clay Pots, Containers
- Filler of Choice
Instructions
- Add filler of choice to a container and add in a faux succulent.This first one uses white sand.
- Push the plant into the sand, stem first.It is not glued or secured in any way.If you want to protect against spills, you could add a clear layer of Mod Podge to the top of the sand.
- Next, we used small rocks (agates here) as filler.You can use pebbles of any kind.
- Slide the succulent, stem-first, into the rocks.
- This succulent planter has shredded kraft paper as the filler.Crumple the paper into a tight ball and place it in the bottom of a mini clay pot. Pro Tip: If you are using a planter like this mini terra cotta pot that has a drainage hole in the bottom, you may want to plug it with hot glue or a layer of paper or tinfoil before putting the filler in if it's something small like pebbles or sand.
- Add in the faux succulent.If you want to help secure the succulent, you could hot glue the undersides of the leaves to the inside edges of the clay pot.
- We used shredded straw or raffia as filler for this planter.Crumple it up and press it into the bottom of a container.
- Add a succulent on top.Hot glue the undersides of the leaves to the container if you want to secure it.
- In this DIY succulent planter, we used shredded kraft paper and three different faux succulent plants.
- This gives it variety and visual interest.
- You can also create succulent planters using large containers and many succulents combined together.The blue pot has sand as the filler.
- The translucent green container has agates as filler but rocks or pebbles work equally well.
Notes
- Look for fake succulents on Amazon, at craft stores, big box stores, home good stores, and dollar stores.
- Thrift stores and garage sales are the perfect place to pick up small cups and dishes to use as flower pots for your faux succulents. They're cheap and it's eco-friendly!
- The sky is the limit for filler types - try sand, dirt, pebbles, agates, small fossils, sharks teeth, marbles, beads, sea glass, seashells, or any other filler you can think of.
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