Framed (Artificial) Succulent Arrangement

This instructable is for a framed succulent arrangement but it uses artificial succulents so you dont have to water it!

There are a few differernt ways to make this. I will be showing you how to make this using method #1

Methods:

#1) Use "succulent frame" aka premade square that has chicken wire on it and glue a regular frame on top for added design and to make the frame thicker

#2) just use succulent frame

#3) create your own succulent frame

I ordered both the succulent frame and the succulents from a website called Consumer Crafts. I didn't do research on how much blank succulent frames normally cost but their succulents are WAY CHEAPER than what I have seen in stores. If you find other stuff on Consumer Crafts that you like and want to make this you mind as well order it. you would have to pay shipping but you would save A LOT of money on the succulents.

its also a matter of how long you can wait to make this instructable!

you can keep your finished product for your own walls or give them to a friend as a gift! (or make two and do both hehe)

Enjoy!

E

Step 1: Gather Supplies

You need

-a succulent frame

-regular frame that is thicker than the succulent frame but that hides the succulent frame so when you put the regular frame on top of the succulent frame, you only see the wire

-hot glue gun and glue sticks

-lots of succulents. the exact number depends on how big your frame is and the sizes of each succulent

Needed Supplies not pictured:

-moss (sold in bags at Michaels. I recommend brown moss since succulents are green)

-spray adhesive (I have a bottle of elmers spray adhesive)

Maybe Necessary supplies not pictured:

-screwdriver (to take hardware off the regular frame if it gets in your way of gluing it to the succulent frame evenly)

Optional supplies:

-another type of glue to glue the frame to the succulent frame. I only had hot glue at the time I was making the frame but you can also use E6000 or epoxy etc (there would just be a different drying time than hot glue)

-sharpie in color that would show up on the back of your regular frame (I used a silver sharpie to mark back of regular frame. this is discussed in next step)

-framing hardware to put on back of finished product to hang on walls (you could also put on easel if its wide enough or just lean against wall)

Step 2: Glue Frames Together

-Carefully take off the frame backing and take out the glass

-flip frame over

-take off any hardware that is in your way from gluing the frames together (screwdriver. not pictured)

-lay succulent frame over the regular frame opening. Move the succulent frame around until it is not going over any edge of the regular frame and only wire shows in the middle of the regular frame

-use sharpie on regular frame to outline where the succulent frame lays. This will make the gluing easier

-use hot glue gun to draw thick glue lines just inside the lines you drew and place the succulent frame down on them immediately. Press firmly down.

-Let dry completely

Step 3: Start "Planting" the Succulents!

I used a "bend and glue" method for "planting" the succulents. That means that I didn't cut any succulents to be shorter, I just figured out what height I wanted them to end up being and then bent the end of the succulent so that when it was hooked under the wire mesh, it was that height. I then used hot glue where the succulent touched mesh and moss to secure the succulents.

steps:

-stick first succulent you want to "plant" down into the wire in order to gauge how much you need to bend the end of the succulent

-bend end of succulent

-stick succulent into mesh by hooking the "bend" under the mesh

-put hot glue where the succulent meets the mesh and hold in place. In this project you will be holding the succulents up rather than pushing them down (if you pushed them down, the succulent "bend" that has glue on it would come out of contact with the mesh aka not get glued to the mesh.

-when you either get a few more succulents in the frame or if a few succulents are having trouble standing up, spray glue some moss onto the mesh surrounding the succulent. I would cut chunks of moss off the big moss blob that came in the bag and spray the glue on the chunk then place the chunk of moss around the succulent.

-continue "planting" succulents and placing moss until you are happy with the succulent arrangement

-when you're done "planting" succulents, hold up your frame and take a mental note of where there were gaps that you could see mesh (where there was no moss) and adhere some moss in those places.

-When you're done checking for and filling gaps, you are done with this step!

Step 4: TAAAADAHHHHH!

If you have been working along while reading this instructable.. CONGRATS! you are finished!

The next step would be getting framing hardware to attach to the back of your piece (I think michaels can do that for you for $5 fee) and admiring it!

Oh you can also not correct people when they comment on the succulents implying they think they are real... hehehe :)

hope you enjoyed this instructable! please vote for it if you did!

Best,

Elana