Today we’re welcoming Hallmark Designer Colin W. to the blog. When he’s not creating for Hallmark’s Trends team, he’s coming up with fun ideas to share with others. We loved his DIY wooden succulents so much, we asked him to make them alongside some other Hallmark artists.

Let’s face it. Not everyone out there has a green thumb. In fact, there are plenty of us who fear we could kill a plastic plant if given enough time. But you don’t have to be able to maintain a greenhouse or lush garden to bring a bit of brightness and fun into your life. Inspired by a recent window display I had created, Melissa P. and I teamed up to teach some Hallmarkers how to make a unique and colorful succulent garden with just a few materials.

We gave each of our friends an assortment of supplies to work with: paints, yarn, empty cans, rocks, tissue paper, and even pom-poms. We then handed them some wood we had laser cut into fun shapes resembling succulent plants and told them to go to town. The fun of this kind of project is that you don’t have to make your succulent look like any plant you’ve ever seen. In fact, the more unique and creative you can make it, the better. It was rad to see all the solutions people came up with. From the plant, to the pot, to the decorations they filled the pot with; the ideas our friends came up with were so much fun. The best part is that you can match the colors to your own interior — or someone else’s, if you wanted to give a fun gift to a friend.

Creating these crazy looking plants wasn’t just a fun and creative exercise, it was also low stress, cheap, and incredibly relaxing. It’s a great way to spend a rainy afternoon with your kids or a night with some friends. And the succulent is a great way to spruce up your home or office, or even add a bit of fun to a party or get together. I think they’d make a pretty awesome centerpiece for a dinner party. And the best part? You never have to water them. Ever. So for those of you who have given up on trying to keep plants around, this is definitely for you.

Materials Needed:

• Laser cut wood in the shape of succulents (balsa wood or cardboard will also work)
• Acrylic Paint
• Paint brushes
• Yarn and pom-poms
• Tissue Paper
• Hot glue gun to adhere the yarn to the can
• Clean Cans
• Small rocks from a hardware or pet store
• Imagination

Want more craft ideas from our artists? Check out our DIY section!

Photographer: Pat Bush

— Colin W.