Spring is in the air!

Greetings...

It was a busy busy weekend for us, no time for thrifting because we are planting outside and getting the yard all prepared for Spring! 

I did break down, however, and finally make something that i've been ogling for quite some time. First of all, I love succulents. I do. I have ones nestled in some of my more chipped or lidless teapots and they make the shelf above our sink rather cheery. When we moved, we inherited a rather large wooden table for our formal dining room. I love it, but it was looking rather plain and quite frankly I was pouting because I couldn't find anything that I absolutely loved to put in the center. 

Enter the trusty pinterest. I fell in love with things like this: 

source: mothology

(eeeeek...$59!)

and pretty much everything on this website:

source: tips on how to care for them

So, inspired I set off to collect what I needed. Obviously since this is a thrifty blog i'm not looking to spend loads of money. I figured a little splurge wouldn't hurt since this is going to be a year round centerpiece and not something I change out or get rid o after a few months. I already had a container in mind. Many moons ago I stumbled across a vintage wooden toolbox and I snatched it up. For years I used it and it's little tray insert as a jewelry collector on my desk but recently I retired it and it's been begging for a new home

Step 1: Gather allll the materials (and I do mean all of them) I kept having to run out to grab things I forgot. The only thing missing in this picture is the dirt and the scissors I forgot. I took apart the toolbox and stored the tray (just in case)

Next I lined the inside of the bottom of the box with simple plastic bags. This allows any water that breaks through to collect here rather than against the wood

I found a round, 14" coconut fiber liner at Lowes. L just started working for Lowes so i'm spending more and more time wandering the aisles =). I cut it to fit the size of the tool box, cutting down the sides just a little each time before testing it and cutting more if need be. You can always cut MORE...you can't add any back on though. 

Tuck your liner inside the box and fill with your choice of dirt. I used Sphagnum moss/Peat moss mix. It retains water a little better and gives it a good solid base. Choose your focal piece, or a larger plant to go in the center of the entire thing. Mine was the aloe plant I picked up. 

After that it's just placement, which is totally up to you! I took the bigger ones first and then worked my way around. The mix I used is rather spongy feeling, so I basically just moved it aside and dropped the suckers in, then I added a little bit more mix at a time until it was covered and I could press down firmly. After they were all planted, I added in a little more just for appearance. 

I debated but ultimately in the end I chose to put the handle back on. I threaded it through the middle of the aloe plant. It's removable, of course, so if I decide later it needs to go I can always redo it. For now, I love the finished look it gives it. 

Here you have it! A centerpiece that will last season after season. I am so in love with it. I keep a spray bottle of water nearby to water and give them a light spray every few days. 

All in all, I think I paid under $20 for the entire project. Here's the breakdown:

Vintage wooden toolbox: Free, thrifted and already had it

Succulents: $2.48/each so about $10. I also had some cuttings from my own already

Coco Liner: $1.48

Sphagnum moss/Peat moss mix: $4 for one bag. I still have over half of it leftover too, so good for other projects

Not too shabby. 

Cheers, 

Jo