DIY Geometric Succulent Planters with Scrap Plywood
I’ve been propagating succulents for a while now, and I usually use recycled yogurt cups to get them started. But my little succulents are growing up and it’s about time to upgrade their home. So today I’m going to show you how I built a couple DIY succulent planters with some scrap plywood I had stashed in my garage!
A Little Woodworking Inspiration…
Like some of the other projects I’ve posted, this article is merely meant to inspire you and light that creative fire. I will do my best to explain the steps, but there is plenty of room for creativity in this project so don’t be afraid to try different things, because I’m not a master woodworker by any means. I just have some power tools, wood glue, and a good imagination!
Tools & Materials
A couple pieces of 10″ x 24″ plywood (1/2″ thick)
A 3″ hole saw attachment for your drill
A jig saw
A palm sander (or mouse sander)
A 1/4″ drill bit
A light wood stain and a dark wood stain (I used walnut and golden pecan)
Masking Tape
A can of Flex Seal
Trace & Cut Out the Pieces of the Succulent Planters
The first thing I did was trace out my cuts with a ruler. Essentially, my plan was to cut out twelve octagons and use six for each of the 2 planters I’d build.
With all the pieces traced out, I used my 3″ hole saw on my drill to cut holes in the center of each of the octagons I traced out.
Important:
I left 2 of the octagons without holes so they could serve as the bottom of each planter when all the pieces are glued together.
Next, I used my jigsaw and cut out all the pieces I had previously traced out around the holes. I thought it’d be easiest to cut them out as squares first and then take the corners off afterwards to yield the finished shape.
After the squares were all cut, it was pretty easy to take the corners off each piece individually, and you can see the results below.
Making a Fitted Dish for the Bottom of the Succulent Planters
Since I’d be watering my succulents occasionally, I knew I’d need holes in the bottom of the planter for drainage, which also meant I’d need a dish for them to sit in so they wouldn’t make a mess.
So for this, I traced out my hole-less octagons and then essentially drew a 1″ thick border around the tracing. I then used a drill bit to put holes in each of the inner corners so I’d be able to get my jigsaw blade in there.
Then, I used my jigsaw to cut out the inside as seen in the picture below.
Finally, I cut out the outside tracings and then used them as a guide to trace and cut out two more larger octagons (without the inside cut out) to use as the bottom of the dish.
Sand, Sand, Sand the Succulent Planters…
With all the pieces cut out, it was finally time to get them all sanded. Sanding can be a tedious task, but taking the time to do it can make all the difference in the world when it comes to the quality of your finished product, regardless of what you’re working on.
I used my mouse sander but you can use a palm sander, random orbital sander, belt sander, or even sand paper and some old-fashioned elbow grease.
I sanded each piece individually and made sure to get the top and bottom faces, as well as the edges and corners, giving them a slightly rounded and smooth look. I used 180 grit sand paper but you can use a lower and then higher grit in multiple passes if you feel ambitious. In my opinion, the single pass with 180 grit worked great though.
In the picture below, the stack on the left is un-sanded and the stack on the right is sanded. The difference is drastic!
Staining the Succulent Planters
Initially, I was going to stain all the pieces the same color but I thought that might be a little boring. So, I ultimately decided to stain the pieces two different colors and alternate them to give the planters a little more character.
I went with a darker walnut stain and a lighter golden pecan so there’d be plenty of contrast. After a couple coats, the stain really began to pop and the wood grain looked beautiful!
Time For the Glue Up!
Gluing any project together is always a little nerve-racking because once the glue sets, it’s pretty hard to fix any mistakes. But sometimes you just gotta go for it!
After stacking all my pieces together and deciding what I liked best, I got to gluing.
I put a single bead of wood glue around the bottom of each piece and stacked them so the corners were slightly offset. Again, this was just a design choice that I thought would look cool. As long as the inner holes were all lined up, it would work out just fine.
Then, I applied three clamps to each stack, wiped off the excess glue with Q-tips, and left them alone for about 24 hours to dry. (My cat, Nuggets, helped me out with the glue up.)
I also used the same method to glue the 2 larger pieces together that would make up each bottom dish.
Waterproofing the Succulent Planters
With all the glue dry and my succulent planters nearly complete, the final step before transplanting my succulents was to waterproof the inside.
I drilled three holes into the bottom of each planter with my 1/4″ drill bit so water could adequately drain, and then I covered the top of each planter with masking tape.
There are several sealants you can use to waterproof the inside of your planter. I decided to go with Flex Seal because it’s cheap and easy to use. Flex Seal is essentially spray-on rubber. I gave the inside of my planter and the bottom dish an even coat of Flex Seal and then let it dry overnight.
Planting the Succulents!
With the hard work done, it was time to transplant my succulents and see how these planters turned out! I made my own succulent potting mix using equal parts peat moss, construction sand, and potting soil. For a more in depth look at how to make your own potting mix, check out my article, HOW TO PROPAGATE SUCCULENTS.
Finally, I just transplanted my succulents into their new homes, gave them a good watering, and then stood back to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I was really excited with how these planters turned out and I had a blast making them!
Conclusion
These two planters are actually for sale in our online shop if you’re interested in purchasing them! They are completely custom and it was my pleasure to share the entire process with you.
Check out these succulent planters in our shop!
But better than buying them, is the satisfaction in building your own projects. So give it a try and see how it goes! Hopefully this article served as some inspiration for you, and if you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear them, so make sure to reach out below!
Happy Woodworking!
Cody
Thistle Downs Farm