Apologies to anyone expecting Weekly Crafty on Tuesday — it’s been showing up on Thursdays the last couple of weeks. My hands are still recovering from staple-pulling, a round of wallpaper removal, and a bit more painting (we tackled the stair risers today so we can hopefully install the runner this weekend and have that post ready on Monday). Because I needed something fun and easy this week, I went with a big hand-painted planter filled with succulents and colorful cacti.
I like sharing houseplant updates now and then — additions, favorites, and the occasional casualty — and this project began when I found glass/ceramic paint on clearance at JoAnn for $1.97. I hadn’t used specially formulated glass or ceramic paint before, so trying it felt exciting. At first I considered painting mugs, a vase, or some candlesticks, but then I spotted an inspiring planter online and decided a painted bowl for succulents would be perfect.
There were two reasons I chose a planter. First, Clara had shown interest in the colorful cacti at Home Depot and I wanted to get a couple for her so we could care for them together. Second, I discovered an underused shallow serving bowl at home whose shape matched the inspiration planter. It was large — about 17″ wide — so I thought it would make a lovely kitchen-table centerpiece once painted and planted.
Clara and I made a Home Depot run and got a little carried away. We ended up with ten plants: five colorful cacti and five smaller succulents to fill gaps. The plants cost around $30 in total, but Clara was thrilled, so it felt worth it. The cashier recommended mixing sand into the potting mix for cacti and mentioned they sell cactus sand, so we picked up a bag as insurance for our new plants.
For the painting step I didn’t want to cover the whole bowl. Instead I opted for a white exterior with a bright teal band around the inner lip — a small pop of color that would peek out above the soil and complement the colorful cacti. The paint application was straightforward: I wiped the area with alcohol, let it dry, and used a small craft brush to apply an even coat. The paint dried slowly, so any mistakes wiped away cleanly with a paper towel before it set. The paint was non-toxic, so doing the project with Clara would have been safe, although she preferred to wait for the dirty part.
Because the bowl was only microwave- and dishwasher-safe — not oven-safe — I let the paint air-cure rather than baking it. After a few days the paint lost its tackiness and seemed stable enough to continue curing in use, so we moved on to planting.
Clara loved the dirt part. We mixed cactus sand into the potting soil as advised, then she poured and dug while I positioned the plants. Because the cacti were spiky we worked carefully, but she had a blast helping. We arranged the colorful cacti together and used the smaller succulents to fill gaps and add texture.
Now every night at dinner Clara and I talk about our favorite plants, which all have names, and check that none are struggling. So far they’re doing well. The whole project took only about thirty minutes to gather supplies, twenty minutes to paint the lip, and about fifteen minutes to pot the plants with Clara — quick, inexpensive, and satisfying. I hope the planter becomes a long-lasting centerpiece that brightens our kitchen.
I liked the result so much that I’m considering making more as holiday gifts — small painted pots with a single cactus would be an affordable and charming present. Stripes, dots, and dipped bottoms are all possibilities for variety.
Are you painting ceramic or glass items at home? Planting something to bring life indoors as the seasons change? I’d love to hear about your projects and any cactus care tips you can share — I’m determined not to kill these little guys.
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