• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Start Here
  • Shop Favorites
  • About
    • Welcome To My Repurposed Life Home of Repurposed Furniture
    • More About Gail
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Information
  • Gallery
    • Repurposed Furniture
  • Repurposed Items
    • Building Supplies
    • Miscellaneous Household Items
    • Picture Frame/Chalk Board
  • DIY
    • Home Reno
    • outdoor living
    • Painting
    • Shop Talk
    • Tips for Around the House
    • Build It
      • Furniture
      • Home Decor
      • Storage
    • Crafts
      • Dollar Store
      • Easy
      • Holidays Seasonal
  • Furniture
    • Chair
    • Desk
    • Dresser/Chest
    • Headboard | Bed Parts | Cribs
    • Kids Furniture
    • Table
    • Kids Furniture
My Repurposed Life® Rescue Re-imagine Repeat
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Project Index
  • Furniture
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Crafts » Succulent Planters | rotted tree trunk pieces

    Succulent Planters | rotted tree trunk pieces

    Published by Gail | Published March 22, 2016 | Updated July 3, 2022
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    Make unique succulent planters out of old and rotted tree trunks. Tree stumps and wood slices that are rotten are perfect for planting succulents. #MyRepurposedLife #succulents #planter #diy #tree #trunk #stump via @repurposedlifeMake unique succulent planters out of old and rotted tree trunks. Tree stumps and wood slices that are rotten are perfect for planting succulents. #MyRepurposedLife #succulents #planter #diy #tree #trunk #stump via @repurposedlifeMake unique succulent planters out of old and rotted tree trunks. Tree stumps and wood slices that are rotten are perfect for planting succulents. #MyRepurposedLife #succulents #planter #diy #tree #trunk #stump via @repurposedlife

    I’m so excited to share some easy succulent planters with you today! I could hardly wait till today to show you what I did with some more leftover pieces of my dead tree.

    wood slice rolling plant standLast week I shared the wood slice rolling plant stand with you.

    cutting rotted tree stumpWhat I didn’t show you were the rotted pieces of wood cut from the same tree while putting up the picket fence.

    birdcage planterI bought some succulents at The Home Depot to plant in this dumpster find birdcage planter. But after digging it out of the garage, I decided I didn’t really like it—well, I sent a picture to Jamie (daughter) and she said it looked a little “busy”.

    Gather Rotted Tree Stump Pieces

    rotten tree trunk piecesI’ve been saving a couple of these rotten pieces all winter long, not knowing what I was going to do with them.

    How to make succulent planters out of rotten tree stumps

    tree trunk succulent planters MyRepurposedLife.com But suddenly I had a light bulb moment when I got the succulents situated on the potting bench. The question was . . . how do I hold the dirt in the rotted tree trunk pieces?

    Secure screening to hold soil in succulent planters

    cut hardware clothI was thinking chicken wire, but when I went to my stash to get it, I saw this hardware cloth and thought it was a better choice because the openings are smaller.

    staple hardware cloth onto tree trunkI used my staple gun to attach the hardware cloth to the rotted tree trunk.

    trim hardware cloth with tin snipsThen, I used the tin snips to trim the excess hardware cloth.

    hammer the tips of the hardware clothA hammer helped to tap down the tips of the hardware cloth.

    plastic pot linerHow to keep the dirt from falling through the hardware cloth? I tried to use the plastic pot liner that the succulents came in, but it was not deep enough for this large rotted tree trunk piece.

    Line succulent planter with plastic

    plastic bag linerUsing what I have on hand is important, so I used a piece of a potting soil bag to line the tree trunk piece. After placing the bag and soil, I used my scissors to trim away the excess plastic.

    large succulent planterI chose the large succulent for the middle of this planter. Do you know what this plant is called?

    Add moss to cover soil

    fill in the succulent planter with sheet moss

    I filled in the top of the dirt with sheet moss. This is where I really fell in love with the planter!

    large rotted tree trunk succulent planterSmaller succulents were used to fill in the gaps.

    fun succulent planters tree trunks MyRepurposedLife.comI seriously LOVE how this rustic succulent planter turned out.

    hardware clothThe smaller rotted wood slice succulent planter was made the same way, using hardware cloth stapled, and a piece of potting soil bag.

    small wood slice succulent planterI filled in the voids with sheet moss.

    Related Content: Nautical Farmhouse Succulent Planter

    small rustic succulent planter rotted wood tree trunk MyRepurposedLife.com

    Do you love these as much as I do?

    How about one more? I had a lot of succulents to use up . . .

    birdbath succulent planter MyRepurposedLife.comI made this diy birdbath years ago—and I thought it was ready for a little change. Simply adding some soil to the birdbath, and placing small plastic pot that holds the succulent made this an easy makeover. The succulent was a little top heavy, so it needed to be potted. Adding more soil and sheet moss to make it all come together makes it a happy little camper.

    So, there you have it! Three really easy diy succulent planters to help decorate my patio (when the weather warms) Which is YOUR favorite?

    Here's another easy succulent planter--a clearance priced wicker Easter basket.

    See more garden ideas here.

    Related Content: 120 Cheap, Easy, DIY Garden Ideas

    gail

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet

    Related Content:

    • DIY Planter Ideas For All Skill Levels
      DIY Planter Ideas For All Skill Levels
    • Gutter Planter for Pergola or Arbor
      Gutter Planter for Pergola or Arbor
    • Wood Slice Rolling Plant Stand
      Wood Slice Rolling Plant Stand
    • Vintage Toolbox Planter
      Vintage Toolbox Planter
    • Reclaimed Stair Stringer Tiered Plant Stand
      Reclaimed Stair Stringer Tiered Plant Stand
    • Reclaimed wood projects | Fence | Pallets
      Reclaimed wood projects | Fence | Pallets

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      See comments Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Naomi Shelton

      October 23, 2022 at 7:16 pm

      I love these hollow tree trunk succulent planters, Gail! Now if only I had a hollow tree trunk to chop up. An idea to keep in mind, anyway. Thanks for sharing the idea and the tutorial.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        October 24, 2022 at 7:06 pm

        Naomi,

        Keep an eye out in your neighborhood for someone chopping down an old tree. 🙂

        Thanks for your kind words and your comment! It's much appreciated.

        gail

    2. susan ross hill

      October 10, 2021 at 9:22 am

      What a great great great gift idea. LOVE it! Very easy, cheap and unique!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        October 12, 2021 at 9:18 pm

        Thank you Susan.

        It was a fun and easy project.

        gail

    3. Ellen

      November 19, 2018 at 10:26 am

      Hello Gail,
      New to your page, but I love it and cannot wait to put some of your projects to use here, I knew you by your first name, I lived across the field from your Nana, and I must say, you look great,

      Ellen

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        November 19, 2018 at 10:59 am

        Ellen!

        How did you find my page? It's great to hear from you!!! I'm so happy to inspire new friends AND old friends! You can call me Norma! 🙂

        Wow, that was a LOT of years ago!

    4. Janis Phillips

      May 07, 2018 at 9:56 am

      I used this information to plant flowers in 3 hollow logs I have at home. Thank you for sharing this!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        May 07, 2018 at 9:42 pm

        Awesome! I have been doing some more planting myself! I'll be sharing those ideas soon.

        Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment Janis!

        gail

    5. Bernie Kumali-Rodrufues

      November 08, 2016 at 7:10 pm

      Thank you for sharing. Those log planters make great edges to raised garden beds. Gives the garden an extra boost of color, a whole lot of fancy and pop, and fun to be outside period!!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        November 09, 2016 at 9:00 am

        Great ideas! Thanks for stopping by to check out my succulent planters made from rotted tree trunks!

        gail

    6. Nancy

      July 31, 2016 at 9:26 am

      I have done this for years. I love the look of natural planters. The only thing I do different is instead of hardware cloth on the bottom I use window screen.It keeps the dirt in and let's excess water drain out. It works perfectly.

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        July 31, 2016 at 11:20 am

        Thanks for your input Nancy!!! I've never had access to old wood like this before. Not sure when I will again.

        gail

    7. Kanchana

      July 24, 2016 at 9:47 pm

      Fun idea. I have done a similar project. Have a lot of trees in my yard. We lose a couple every once on a while. Never done the smaller one. It looks great

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        July 24, 2016 at 10:53 pm

        Thanks for stopping by Kanchana and taking the time to leave a comment on my succulent planters. I was just checking them out today--and gave them a little bit of water. The large one has two really tall blooms on it. I think it's happy on my patio.

        gail

    8. Kathleen ORLANDO

      June 11, 2016 at 6:48 pm

      OMG I AM LOVING IT...WE JUST CUT OUR TREE DOWN AND I HAVE SO MANY PIECES OF WOOD TO USE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR IDEAS can't wait to get started.

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        June 12, 2016 at 9:59 am

        I'm so happy to inspire you to do these projects! 🙂 I just watered mine this morning and they are growing so well, they seem to be very happy in their home.

        gail

    9. Judy Wilson

      May 17, 2016 at 3:21 pm

      Another great idea Gail, love it! If I were lucky enough to find such a log and had a chain saw to cut it and were going to leave it outdoors, I might use weed barrier cloth to keep the soil in and still allow for drainage. I have used that method or a piece of window screen for covering the small hole at the bottom of my flower pots to keep some of the soil from running out when I water them. Speaking of plants; I have another tip for anyone that has really large planters, I'm talking the 2-3' high, 2' wide pots. Those things hold a lot of soil, they get too heavy and expensive to fill completely with a good potting soil. What I have done for several years is cover the hole with window screen, dump a bunch of styrofoam peanuts in till it's filled about halfway or so there's about 12" depth left for the soil. (I would take styrofoam peanuts home from work every time the shipping/receiving department opened a package and left them to be thrown out - no way! not on my watch) Jiggle the pot so they settle a bit and push them down to pack them in better. They are light as a feather so it can be a challenge keeping them in place initially, especially if it's windy! Cut another piece of window screen the diameter of the pot for the space above the peanuts. Weed barrier cloth is too flimsy for this part. Place it over the peanuts, make sure the soil is really moist before you start putting the soil in, couple quarts at a time spreading it around and keep pressing it down. The peanuts will continue to compress somewhat with the weight of the soil. Once it seems pretty solid, alternate a few inches of soil, then water, soil, water until it's where you want it. Then give it a good soak until the water is running out the bottom. The water will compress it more so you may need to add more soil after it really settles. I usually let it sit for a day to dry out a bit before putting my annuals in. Sometimes I find I have too much soil once I have to make room for the plants I've taken from their nursery pots. This has worked very well for me for 10+ years on every pot I have regardless of size. One more tip if you plant directly into any kind metal planters/containers. The last time I bought a flat screen TV, it was wrapped in a sheet of flexible foam material. I saved that and started lining my metal pots with a few layers of it. Every time I buy something packed in that stuff, I have to save it! Most plants can't take the heat but doing this seems to insulate the roots from the hot metal on those really hot days. I'm not a professional by any means and maybe a professional will disagree but it works for me!

      Whew! Hope there's room to post all this. This is my first time ever, posting any kind of comment.

      Judy

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        May 17, 2016 at 6:02 pm

        Judy,

        I think you're making up for lost time. 🙂 Thank you so much for all the great tips! I truly appreciate it, and future readers will also!

        Don't be a stranger, k?

        gail

      • Karen

        June 01, 2016 at 4:13 pm

        Awesome tips! Thank you!

    10. Amy Trout

      May 01, 2016 at 7:44 am

      What would you dip them in or paint on them to prevent critters in the wood?

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        May 01, 2016 at 1:47 pm

        Amy,

        I'm not sure about an organic option, but a general pesticide would work. I suppose you could also use a heat treatment such as your oven or a heat gun.

        gail

    11. Mindi

      March 29, 2016 at 6:31 pm

      Wow these are so awesome!! Pinned, so cleaver Gail!! Love love!

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        March 29, 2016 at 8:01 pm

        thank you Mindi, I really LOVE how they turned out. I appreciate you pinning.

        gail

    12. Pam

      March 26, 2016 at 3:45 pm

      I love this idea. I love all the way that cut logs are being used these days.

      Reply
    13. Cindy Dobroski

      March 24, 2016 at 9:59 am

      Love these, and just made some a few weeks ago. After I brought them inside, I noticed little piles of sawdust forming next to each piece. Carpenter ants! So just be sure to check your logs carefully!

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        March 24, 2016 at 6:16 pm

        I too have noticed a few small ants, so yes-everyone should check their logs, and possibly even treat them before planting. 🙂

        Thanks for your advice Cindy!

        gail

    14. stephanie

      March 23, 2016 at 10:58 pm

      Oh I LOVE those Gail. Such a cool repurpose. Glad that light bulb went off 🙂

      Reply
    15. Catherine

      March 23, 2016 at 1:49 pm

      Omgosh Gail--I totally LUV this!
      Yep, I see me doing a couple of these myself now!
      Catherine

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        March 23, 2016 at 8:22 pm

        thanks Catherine! 🙂 I really am so thrilled with how they turned out.

    16. Dawn

      March 23, 2016 at 1:25 am

      I love those, beautiful!

      Reply
    17. Helen Holley

      March 23, 2016 at 1:08 am

      Great Idea!!
      Thanks for sharing,
      Helen

      Reply
    18. girlfromwva

      March 22, 2016 at 11:58 am

      that is a cool idea! thanks for showing us how to do it!

      Reply
    19. chris aka monkey

      March 22, 2016 at 11:56 am

      oh my word gail i love this, so i will be walking in the neighbors woods looking for rotted tree parts lmao, they already think i am crazy this will add fuel to the fire thanks for sharing xx

      Reply
    20. Hahn Smith

      March 22, 2016 at 10:51 am

      sphagnum moss lining

      Reply
    21. Maricella

      March 22, 2016 at 10:39 am

      Very pretty, all of them. Nature with Nature, a winning combo! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    22. Patty

      March 22, 2016 at 10:10 am

      I love succulents and planting them in the pieces of tree stump rings like that just really sets them off beautifully.
      Thanks for sharing with us Gail.

      Reply
    23. Kim

      March 22, 2016 at 9:21 am

      Very, very pretty and great idea!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

    More about me →

    Join Our Mailing List

    ​

      Click the topics you're interested in below:

      Subscribing above means you agree to our Privacy Policy​

      Footer

      ↑ back to top

      SEEN ON

      Might I Suggest

      • Start Here
      • Furniture Makeovers

      Newsletter

      • Sign Up! for emails and updates

      About

      • Gail's Favorites on Amazon
      • About

      As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

      Copyright © 2023 My Repurposed Life · Privacy Policy · Disclosure