My latest garden DIY craft uses repurposed palm fronds as containers for succulent plants.
I love the way the containers look and I’m very satisfied with how easy they are to make.
You can also check your indoor mall for palm fronds; many grow palm trees indoors.
In Southern California, the windy season blows many palm fronds to the ground and all I have to do is drive around and pick up my future “container” materials from the street!
The rest of the materials are inexpensive, so give this project a try.
You have nothing to lose!
As seen on the Home & Family Show on Hallmark Channel.
MATERIALS FOR PALM FROND SUCCULENT CONTAINERS
- Palm fronds- any shape you like from “boat-like” to flat
- sphagnum moss
- plastic chicken wire
- metal wire
- outdoor grade crafting paint in your favorite color
- polyurethane sealer-glossy
- twine
- copper or steel wool pot scrubber
- succulent cuttings
I created my palm frond succulent container arrangements for the Home & Family Show using succulents from Proven Winners brand, Savvy Succulents.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Clean the inside and outside of your palm frond with a copper pot scrubber- works just as well as sandpaper!
2. Wipe off dust
3. Apply 2 coats of outdoor grade paint to outside and seal with polyurethane.
4. Wet the moss until moist but not saturated with water.
5. Cut a piece of plastic chicken wire the length of the inside of the palm frond ‘pocket’ and wide enough to fold over and fill with moss.
Make sure it is small enough to fit inside the pocket or flat area.
6. Close the “chicken wire and moss” burrito with thin gauge wire.
7. Take succulent cuttings from your garden or from plants bought at the garden center. Remove all the soil around roots.
8. Stick the succulent cuttings into the sphagnum moss and use a pencil to help create an opening in the moss.
9. Wrap twine or metal wire around the palm frond and moss to secure it and the cuttings to the palm frond.
10. Place palm frond container arrangement indoors in a bright room, but not in direct sun, or outdoors in covered patio.
SHIRLEY BOVSHOW’S POND FROND SUCCULENT CONTAINERS
Shirley Bovshow, garden lifestyle expert for Home & Family Show on Hallmark Channel with her succulent container arrangement.
Palm frond painted red and used as a succulent container.
Close up of Savvy Succulent plant combination
Shirley Bovshow’s repurposed palm frond succulent container arrangement painted white and resting on driftwood.
Bronze-colored palm frond succulent container arrangement with deep pocket for plants.
Do you have any questions about making the palm frond succulent containers?
Use glue to attach succulents to moss. It will later knit into the moss.
Use natural colored wire to attach moss to wood. you won’t see it if it is same color as moss!
Thanks for the wonderful video. That's a great idea to use a palm tree frond for creating a beautiful arrangement.
I'm working on attaching succulents to a piece of driftwood. Any ideas on attaching the succulent in sphagnum moss to the wood while keeping an organic look? My goal is to hide wires as much as possible while keeping the succulent/moss anchored in place.
Hi Becky,
I use a brush for the inside and then wipe down with damp cloth. Works perfectly to clean the palm fronds. Thanks for asking.
Shirley
What do you clean them with to make sure there are no bugs in or on them.
Hi Wendy,
That’s too bad that you didn’t use the fronds. You can wash them and let them dry before painting. Good luck next time!
Great idea! I was going to make a Thanksgiving container but two fronds I picked up had tiny bugs so decided not to use them.
Hi Cathea-
You may want to check at your indoor mall. Many malls throughout the country grow palm trees indoors.
Otherwise, check out this online source:
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/palm.html
Thanks for letting me know. I better start selling these puppies!
SHirley
I was just at an event where arrangements like these were selling for hundreds of dollars! Thanks, Shirley, for always bringing beauty into our homes, on a budget!
Hello, Where may I buy a palm frond? I live in WA and we don't have the advantage of picking one up on our travels 🙂
thanks
Cathea