Turn An Old Chair Into The Cutest Succulent Planter
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Do you have an old metal garden chair that's uncomfortable or borderline unsafe? Despite being the vintage garden find collectors never skip when shopping at an estate sale, prolonged exposure to the elements can cause rust buildup that often damages cast iron or vintage metal chair joints and corners, making it too risky for seating. There's no reason to take the beautiful scrollwork pieces to your local junkyard when it's surprisingly easy to repurpose them into the cutest living succulent planters. One crafty TikToker, @succulentkim, transformed an old chair by spray painting it, generously filling the seat with moss, adding a layer of dirt, and filling the entire thing with a variety of colorful plants.
Starting with the right type of chair is critical to the success of this project. Even though succulents are drought-tolerant plants that don't need much water, avoid wooden chairs that will deteriorate with exposure to sun, rain, moss, and dirt. Instead, start with chairs made of cast iron or other materials that provide lasting outdoor furniture durability. Choose chairs with a slotted seat to provide adequate drainage below your succulents. Although some light rust may add visual charm, scrape off large chunks with a wire brush to avoid injury. If you plan to spray paint your chair before planting, it's also a good idea to sand rusty spots until they're smooth to get the best finish. Opt for Rust-Oleum Stops Rust Spray Paint from Amazon or similar products that are designed to hold up outdoors.
Use sphagnum moss and assorted succulent to cover your vintage chair
Once your chair is prepared, the first step in creating the succulent seat is to fill it with a dense layer of moss. If you have access to plenty of established moss like @succulentkim, you can carefully dig it up before transferring it to the seat. Purchasing sphagnum moss at your nursery is another option. Either way, if you need to encourage moss to fill in prior to adding your succulents, it may be a good idea to partially line the seat with coconut coir material before adding a thin layer of compost and dirt on top. This extra step can help your moss get reestablished and prevent it from falling through the slots of your seat.
@succulentkim Recycle old items like a chair and plant it up! #succulents #keepingbusy #stayathome #diyproject #thingstodo #succulentkim
The final step is adding your succulents. Succulents love being planted in long-fiber mosses that absorb lots of water before quickly drying out, which prevents them from rotting. When it comes to artfully arranging succulents, use a mixture of colors and types to create a bold look or a single variety for a chic and elevated effect. They'll prefer to be slightly moist during the planting process. After removing most of the soil around the roots, make a small indentation into the mossy layer. Then, insert the entire root ball, carefully tucking the moss around it to secure it into place. You can add additional moss as needed to fill in the seat of your new succulent planter chair. Allow it to fully dry out between waterings. Depending on their hardiness level, you may also need to bring your chair indoors during the cooler months.