DIY Succulent Jar Planters

 

If you haven't already, read my post on how to care for succulents first!
The first type of cactus to ever catch my eye was the colorful Moon Cactus.

They look like alien flowers! You can find them easily in the garden sections of Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, or most plant nurseries. (If you are here for the DIY only and don't want a mini science lesson you can skip this next paragraph)

What most people don't know is Moon Cactus, or gymnocalycium mihanovichii friedrichii, is actually composed of two different plants. The top part of the plant that you see in bright shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, and sometimes, purple, gets its bright color because it lacks chlorophyll. You might remember from science class that chlorophyll is what makes a plant green. Since they lack chlorophyll, the top portion of the plant is unable to produce the chemicals it needs for photosynthesis and cannot survive on its own. In order to survive, it has to be grafted onto another cactus. So the green "stem" part on the bottom is basically the real MVP that allows us to have these adorable little cacti.

Supplies:

• Moon cactus of your preference 
• Cactus soil
• Sand (you can buy tiny bags of sand at Lowe's for cheap!)
• Gravel or tiny rocks (also sold in tiny bags at Lowe's AND some dollar stores) aquarium rocks are ok too!
• Glass jars
• Paper cord ribbon or twine

I bought my plants, sand, and soil at Lowe's. Everything else I got at Dollar Tree. Side-note... I grew up with only Dollar General where everything is most certainly not the price of $1. But at Dollar TREE, EVERYTHING IS A DOLLAR. Madness. Anyways, moving on.

• First fill your jar about one to two inches with any kind of sand. I chose fine, because it looks prettier to me. 
• Next, you have the choice to either do another layer of gravel, or you can mix your soil and gravel. I chose to mix. 
• Depending on what size jar you used, you may or may not need to add some soil before putting your plant in. I chose tiny jars, because everything is cuter when it's tiny. 
•  Take your plants out of their plastic cups at this point. Go ahead and knock off any excess dirt leaving only what clings to the roots. 
• Nestle your plant into the jar and get it positioned how you like. 
• After this, start to pour in your soil, or soil and gravel mixture, around each side of the plant and knock the dirt down to the bottom so that there are no gaps. Keep pushing the soil down until its completely packed or else your plant will shift when you water it. 
• After it's filled, dust off any excess soil on the plant or around the jar. Moon cactus are prickly, but they don't have sharp needles that will stick in your hand.
• Take the paper cord ribbon or twine of your choice and cut it to a length to where it will wrap around your jar three times. Wrap the ribbon or twine around twice then tie into a bow and cut off any excess length. And you're done! Seriously so easy.

 For more details on how to care for these plants, read my post linked at the top. It is really important that you not over-water these since there is no drainage hole in the jars.

These are so easy and inexpensive to make. They are great for cute pops of color in your home or on your desk and they make great gifts. I made some for mother's day and they were a hit. It's like giving someone flowers only they won't die after a week. I also think it's really neat that you can see all of the roots spiraled around the soil.

Let me know in the comments if you loved this post and would like to see more DIYs or plant posts, or if you died of boredom and despair. Thanks for reading!