Apologies to anyone expecting Weekly Crafty posts on Tuesdays — they’ve shifted to Thursdays for the past couple of weeks. My hands are still recovering from staple pulling, a round of wallpaper peeling, and more painting (we’re tackling the stair risers today so we can install the runner this weekend and share that post on Monday). Since I wanted something fun and easy for this week’s small project, I landed on a bright, hand-painted planter filled with succulents and colorful cacti.
I like sharing house plants we’re adding, loving, or struggling to keep alive (we’ve covered a few in past posts), and this project began when I found glass and ceramic paint on clearance for $1.97. I hadn’t used specifically formulated glass or ceramic paint before, so trying it felt a little thrilling — like finding unexpected cash in a coat pocket or catching a favorite show on TV.
At first I considered painting mugs, a vase, or candlesticks, but inspiration struck when I saw a colorful hand-painted planter online and decided that’s what I wanted to make. There were two reasons: Clara had shown interest in the colorful cacti at the hardware store, and I had a large shallow serving bowl (about 17″ wide) that rarely saw use. Its shape was perfect for a centerpiece planter, and painting the rim would freshen it up and give it a second life.
Clara and I headed to Home Depot and got a little carried away admiring the options. We picked ten plants in total: five colorful cacti and five smaller succulents to fill in the gaps. The total for plants came to about $30, so I felt invested in making this planter succeed — plus Clara was thrilled. If you have cactus care tips, please share — I’d love to keep these guys healthy.
The cashier recommended mixing some sand into the potting mix for cactus and suggested they sell special cactus sand if I didn’t already have some. After thanking her, we added a bag to our haul. When you’ve invested $30 in plants, a few extra dollars for the right soil feels like good insurance.
Back home, I decided to paint just the inner lip of the bowl with teal ceramic paint so the rim would peek out beneath the plants. I liked the idea of keeping most of the bowl white and giving it a bright accent — a little pop of color around the succulents without covering the whole piece.
Painting was straightforward. I wiped the area with alcohol, let it dry, and applied an even coat with a small craft brush. The paint dried slowly, which actually helped: if I blotted a blob with a paper towel, it left a clean edge. The paint was non-toxic, so it would have been safe for Clara to join in, but she preferred waiting until it was time to touch the soil.
Because the bowl is labeled microwave- and dishwasher-safe but not oven-safe, I let the paint air-dry instead of baking it. After a few days the rim was no longer tacky and seemed cured enough to proceed, so Clara and I began the much-anticipated potting process.
Potting spiky plants requires care, but Clara had a blast scooping and dumping cups of cactus sand and digging little holes. She loved getting her hands dirty and naming each plant as we nestled them into place. Watching her excitement made the whole project worth it.
Now, every night at dinner Clara and I talk about our favorite plants and check that nothing is declining. So far, they’re doing well. The planter now sits on our kitchen table as a cheerful centerpiece that brightens the room and gives us a small shared responsibility.
This project only took a short time: about thirty minutes to gather supplies, twenty minutes for painting, and around fifteen minutes to pot everything with Clara. I love the combination of a bright painted rim and low-maintenance succulents, and I’m already thinking about making several more as holiday gifts — small painted pots with a single cactus or succulent could be an affordable, handmade present.
If you’re painting ceramic or glass or planting small arrangements to bring life into your home as the colder months approach, I’d love to hear what you’re making. Homemade holiday gift ideas are on my mind, and while I’m tempted to DIY everything this year, I’m also wary of last-minute stress. Either way, these little planters are a joyful, simple way to add color and life to a kitchen table.
Psst — feeling crafty? Check out nearly 50 other craft projects in our archives for more inspiration.
