5 Easy Steps To Making A Living Succulent Wreath

As you know, I’m a succulent maniac. I have a lot of them planted in my garden and in pots. I jump at the opportunity to make anything using these interesting, durable and visually diverse plants. Alright already, it’s about time I make 1 of these wreaths!  Succulents are fun to look at and easy to maintain which makes them so fitting for this project.   So drumroll please, today I want to show you how I make a living succulent wreath, using plants, in 5 easy steps.

Here are the main ingredients I used to make my living masterpiece.

You’ll need:

–> A living wreath wire form (I used a 12″).  Make sure you get 1 you can plant in, not a flat form. I needed to attach a hanger but some already come with 1.

–> Preserved sheet moss.  

–>  A variety of succulents.  I used 16 of the 2″ pot size.

–>  Greening pins.  These are what holds the moss in place – you’ll see me using them in the video.

Here I am at my work table in the garage guiding you through this living succulent wreath project:

I made a festive grapevine wreath with succulent cuttings which I posted back in December.  I’ve also made 1 using a sphagnum moss wreath form which I don’t like as much as these wire wreath forms.  These wire forms come in a variety of sizes, shapes, including square and heart, as well as a variety of planting depths and widths.  The 1 I used was a bit on the tight side so I used 2″ succulents.  The 1″ size would have been fine too.

Here are the steps to take:

1- Line the wire wreath form with the moss.  Tip:  wet the moss to make it more pliable.  Don’t worry if the moss doesn’t look neat & even because it doesn’t grow in nature that way.  Just make sure the bottom & sides of the form are lined & that you have enough moss to fold over & cover the root balls of the plants.

2 – Lay the plants out around the wreath form to determine what pattern is pleasing to you.  Tip: use succulents which all stay rather low & tight (more in a rosette) rather than ones that grow taller with a stem.  That way your wreath will keep a much better form over time.

3- Compact the root ball of the plants by lightly pressing them in your hands to get them in the form.  Tip: if you water your succulents before doing this it’s much easier.  I had to do this because the planting well of the form I used was relatively small.  Don’t worry because succulents are tough & can handle a gentle massage!  Your may not need to do this if your form has a larger planting space.  Either way, you’re bound to make a big mess like I did.

4- After all your succulents are in (I needed to add 1 more at the end – you see it in the video) then fold the moss that’s hanging over the edges back over the soil of the root balls.  Tip:  greening pins make it very easy, just fold & pin, to secure the moss.  Make sure you push the pins all the way down into the soil so the moss holds tightly in place.  You may need to go back over  & patch some pieces of moss over any exposed areas of soil as you want it completely covered with moss.

5- Although I have the wreath hanging in this pic, I immediately laid it down my back patio.  This Is The Biggest Tip: make sure your wreath lays flat for at least 1 month, preferably 2, as the roots settle in.  You don’t want to hang it on your door or wall & have it completely fall apart.  Also, keep it out of any direct hot sun.

I adjusted the succulents a bit to angle them the way I wanted them to grow.  This also makes for a bit more interest rather them having them all lined up and growing in a perfect circle.  I don’t water the wreath for about a week (remember, I watered the succulents before planting them in the form) and after that time, give it a good drink.

By the way, this living succulent wreath project took me about 45 minutes so it’s a quick one.  I do a lot with succulents and am always looking for some creative way to use them.  How about you – do you have succulent mania too?  If so, we’re definitely not alone on this one!

Happy gardening,

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:

7 Hanging Succulents To Love

How Much Sun Do Succulents Need?

How Often Should You Water Succulents? 

Succulent and Cactus Soil Mix for Pots

How to Transplant Succulents into Pots

Aloe Vera 101: A Round Up of Aloe Vera Plant Care Guides

This post may contain affiliate links, you can read our policies here.

• About the Author
• Latest Posts

Nell Foster

Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.

www.joyusgarden.com/about/

• 14 Table Plants: Easy Houseplants For Home & Office
• Easy Indoor Floor Plants: 10 Low Effort Large Houseplants 
• 19 Easy Care Houseplants: Low Maintenance Indoor Plants