Fun with Succulents

October 7, 2021

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Succulents never go out of style, which makes them a great choice for seasonal décor! Spruce up your space this fall with a few fun and easy DIY projects, like making your own Pumpkin Succulent, a festive Succulent Wreath or both!

DIY Pumpkin Succulent
What you’ll need:

• Pumpkin with a flat top (Cinderella pumpkins have a great shape for this project.)
• Spray adhesive
• Sphagnum moss
• Clear gel crafts glue
• Variety of small succulents (Both hens and chicks and sedums come in varieties that stay small and offer interesting colors and textures. Burro's tail succulents have trailing tendrils great for draping over the edge.)

How to make it:

1. Start by applying a spray adhesive to the top of your pumpkin. While the spray adhesive is still tacky, press dry moss onto the top of the pumpkin, creating a layer ½–1 inch thick.
2. Working from the center outward, group the three tallest succulents slightly to one side of center. Use a clear gel crafts glue to secure succulent cuttings to the moss. Keep adding more succulents around this first group, packing them tightly together.
3. Create your arrangement with taller succulents closer to the center of the pumpkin, and shorter ones angled outward.

Pumpkin Succulent Centerpiece Care

Treat the centerpiece just like any houseplant. Give it bright, indirect light by setting it near a window indoors or on a sheltered deck or balcony. Keep it away from heaters and vents that can cause major temperature shifts.

Protect from harsh sun, excessive heat, freezing temperatures and rain. Good air circulation is also essential.

Spritz the plants once a week to moisten the moss and hydrate any new roots that might have formed. Avoid letting water pool around the pumpkin's stem.

Prevent the pumpkin from rotting prematurely by placing it on top of a ¼-inch-thick piece of cardboard (this will help prevent moisture from collecting—it works for carved jack-o'-lanterns, too!).

To transition the succulents to a more permanent home once the pumpkin is past its prime, slice the top off the pumpkin and nestle the arrangement atop potting soil in a flowerpot. The pumpkin flesh will eventually rot away, and the succulents will root into the soil.

Pro Tip: Try topping other winter squash with succulents to display as a group on your front porch, table or mantelpiece! To complement an orange pumpkin, consider adding dark green, gray-green, white, striped and mottled squashes and gourds to the mix.

DIY Succulent Wreath
What you’ll need:

• 1 grapevine wreath (15-inch diameter)
• 5 succulent gardens (3-inch pots)
• 21-gauge wire
• Wire cutters
• Masking tape
• 1½-inch wide decorative ribbon
• Raffia

How to make it:

1. Examine your wreath and decide how you would like to hang it. Create a wire loop for hanging on the back side of your wreath.
2. Place your wreath on the table and decide where to place your succulent pots, leaving room for a bow if desired. Mark placement with a piece of tape.
3. Make wire pot holders by shaping the center point of the wire around the top of the clay pot below the lip and twisting tightly. Make enough for all of your succulents.
4. Wire your holders into the wreath where you have marked placement. Make sure the wires are secure, as they will be holding the weight of the pot and plants!
5. Before placing pots in wire holders weave your ribbon around the wreath and add a bow.
6. Place your succulent gardens in their wire holders, then tie raffia around the pots to hide your wire, if desired.

Succulent Wreath Care Tips:

Take care of your succulents as you would any potted succulent. Check out our Succulent Care Guide.

Pro Tip: You can change out your ribbon according to the season to keep your wreath festive! 

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