Tree Stump Succulent Planter and Fairy Swing DIY

Aren’t succulents just the best? A while back, we planted a whole bunch of Gasterias in our wine-glass coconut planters, and they’ve been making babies like crazy. Before things got completely out of hand, we needed to make a plan. There wasn’t enough space in those coconut shells for all the little ones. It was time for them to spread their wings leaves and find a new home in this tree stump succulent planter.

Awesome right!!? It took us about 3 hours to make the planter and that fairy swing in the background.

Not bad for a morning’s work. Now the succulents have room to grow, and we could add another whimsical planter to our garden. Okay, before we get to the tutorial, why not follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. That way you’ll never miss a post and don’t forget to subscribe!

What you need to make a tree stump succulent planter

• A Tree stump 😉
• Drill and wood drill bits
• Hole saw
• Chisel

If you don’t have a chisel, any sharp, pointy metal thing will work; ax, screwdriver, paint scraper; spade …. 😀 If you’re going to add a fairy swing, you’ll also need a flexible branch to create an arch to hang the swing. I cut a branch from our weeping mulberry, but willow branches or vines are also a good choice.

The tree stump has been lying in our garden for months, and she’s aged beautifully and proved she can withstand the elements too. Make sure to use a stump that’s big enough to turn into a planter.

How to turn the tree stump into a planter

Since I wanted to add a little fairy swing the first thing I did was drill two holes in the stump for the arch. You can skip this step if you want to make the planter.

To make the planting holes we used a hole saw to cut into the stump and then drilled a whole bunch of holes quite close together inside. It just makes it easier to chip away at the wood with a chisel afterward. When making the holes, leave at least a 2″ gap between the hole and the outer diameter of the tree stump.

I’ll admit, making the holes wasn’t easy. Our stump came from a Pepper tree (Schinus molle), which is hard. Really hard. So if you don’t want to spend an hour drilling, chipping, and drilling and chipping, use a stump from one of the softwood trees instead. The planter may not last for years, but it will still be worth it. That’s the great thing about using a tree stump. As the wood decays, it feeds the succulents with all those rich, beautiful nutrients. Once the hole is big enough we can plant our succulents.

How to plant succulents in a tree stump

One of the biggest reasons why succulents die is bad drainage. They hate it when their feet roots lie in water. So for healthy plants, well-drained soil is a must. To create drainage holes, drill from the outside of the stump inwards, up at an angle, into the planting hole you made earlier.

Not only does it prevent root rot it also helps the stump last longer. To plant the succulents place a few small stones in the bottom of the hole, before adding the soil and plants.

Rightyo, that’s the planter done. She’s ready to move into the garden unless you want to spend a few more minutes and make this super easy fairy swing. Come on, I know you want to 😉

What you need to make the easy fairy swing

For the fairy swing, you need some ice cream sticks, wood glue, twine and a pair of sharp scissors.

Cut the ice cream sticks into three equal lengths. You can make it any length you want to, as long as the bits are roughly the same size.

Place your three cut sticks side-by-side and measure the width across. Cut another ice cream stick to size and glue it down. Stain or paint if you like. Once the glue dries, drill four small holes, as shown below.

Cut four pieces of string to hang the fairy swing, two long and two short. Tie a slip knot on one end of the longer pieces and a double knot on one end of the shorter bits.

Here’s a handy tip, if your string is of the “fraying kind” put a little bit of sticky tape on the end to keep those scraggly bits in check.

Sorry about the dirty nails; I just finished planting the succulents when I made the swing 😉

Play in the Dirt. Because life is too short to have clean fingernails. Click to Tweet

Thread the unknotted end of the shorter string into one of the holes, then through the slip knot in the longer string and down into the opposite hole.

Adjust and make another double knot to secure. Cut any excess bit of string and hang the fairy swing on the arch to complete the look.

Easy right?

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can always make this fairy porch swing instead, or if your stump is large enough, you can turn it into a fairy playground 😉 But I think the fairies will enjoy taking a break here, and maybe they’ll sprinkle a little growing dust on those newly planted succulents too.

I’d love to know what you think of the tree stump succulent planter.

Is it something you would put in your garden? And would you add a fairy swing too? Or maybe something else, like this miniature water fountain or a recycled fairy bridge? Let me know in the comments, I would love to hear about it. BTW, if you don’t have a tree stump to play with, you can always make this eco-friendly branch mug planter instead.

And if you like the idea don’t forget to pin it for later.

BTW, if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: If you click the links below, we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry, it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us fund our ever-growing succulent collection.

And as always, here’s wishing you a beautiful, crafty week filled with love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.