Succulent Lantern

5 Materials
I love working with succulents and putting them in unusual containers. I purchased the lantern last year as decor for my porch, usually with a candle in it or sometimes a plant. I knew this would be permanent but I decided to go for it
I had succulents growing at home that had babies I could use and I bought a few new succulents at the greenhouse. First, I pulled all the smaller succulents away from the larger succulent.
I used florist netting, a moss mat, both I bought at a craft store. The next step was wrapping the netting around the lantern to figure the size I should cut.


I cut it leaving an extra inch or two in case I estimated short.
I cut a separate piece for the top of the lantern. To measure the matting lay the netting over it and hold in place and cut the same size.Slightly bend in the shape of the lanternLeaving one side open I was able to fill with potting soil. Cactus potting soil is the best choice but I was out of it and used potting soil instead.


It will be crucial to not over water the succulents, something I consider


low maintenance, right?
I cut little pieces of the netting near the door to the lantern and wrapped


them around the door to keep the netting in place.


Now is the fun part, at least I think it's the fun part. You can


be creative here and place the succulents in a pattern you


choose. I decided to go random but try to keep it balanced.


Use a sharp knife or scissors to poke through the matting. Hold the


opening open slightly while you insert the succulent. I found poking a


pen into the matting made I nice size hole to easily insert larger succulents
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  • Alyson Alyson on Feb 11, 2020

    This is adorable, but I don't understand where/how the soil is used AT ALL...


    Can you please explain where the soil goes? I read this, "Slightly bend in the shape of the lanternLeaving one side open I was able to fill with potting soil." but I don't understand what it means. Are you bending the metal frame of the lantern? Is that what you mean by "bend in the shape?" Does the lantern still have its glass sides in? (It must not, or else the plants wouldn't touch the soil, but it looks like the hand is pressed up against something in the photo.) What holds the soil in the lantern, and what do you bend? Isn't the whole thing already "open?"


    Guess that's six questions.... Sorry for the excess, but I really want to try this!


  • Jeanette Jeanette on Feb 11, 2020

    Like this idea. BTW, what is the background plant with the huge leaves next to the bench?

  • Tul55189450 Tul55189450 on Mar 28, 2022

    Love this idea but don’t you need soil for them. I was going to do something like this also in a cement vase type container that has openings. But thought that I would have to fill it with soil first? But now I’m????

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