Make a Whimsical Watercolor-Inspired Succulent Garden

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We have a huge collection of succulents growing happily in our garden, but I’ve never had much luck with them inside.  There’s not enough light for these fleshy, sun-worshipping plants to thrive. So, I compromised and made myself this whimsical, watercolor-inspired, succulent garden.

Isn’t it just wonderfully tranquil and quirky?

The succulents and cacti look so light and airy and only took a few minutes to put together.

And don’t even get me started on the beautiful light-filled reflections they cast. These little beauties will add a playful splash of color and artistic charm to your shelves, desks, or windowsills. Plus, they’re perfect for plant lovers, gift-giving, or anyone who loves easy, creative décor.

In this tutorial, I’ll show how easy it is to make your very own watercolor-inspired succulent garden. But before we get there, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!

What you need

Key to this little garden are the watercolor cacti and succulent images. You can either print your own on tissue paper or buy them pre-printed on paper napkins. I chose the latter.  You’ll also need:

• Clear Gel nail polish
• UV light
• Silicone mat/plastic bag
• Scissors
• Sharp craft knife
• Small pots, bottles, or corks

How to make an easy watercolor succulent garden

Open the paper napkin and roughly cut out the watercolor succulent (or cactus) image. Don’t cut too close to the image. You want to leave some white space around the image and a longer piece at the bottom. We’ll use the extra bit to “plant” the image later.

Every watercolor image will be different, so work with what you have. My tree houseleek (Aeonium) had a leaf pointing straight down, so I didn’t bother adding an extra bit. Remove the back, unprinted layers. 

Place the watercolor succulent on a silicone mat. If you don’t have a silicone mat, you can use a plastic bag instead. Apply a thin coat of clear gel polish over the entire image. 

Cure the gel-coated watercolor under a UV light.

Repeat 2 or 3 times, curing after each application. You want to build up a nice thick layer of polish.

Carefully peel the succulent from the silicone mat and flip it over.

Apply 2 or 3 coats of the gel polish on the back, curing between each application.

You should end up with a wonderfully translucent, hard watercolor succulent.

Remove the white space around the succulent with a sharp pair of scissors or a craft knife.

Don’t cut that extra planting bit at the bottom.

Planting the watercolor succulents

To plant the succulents, you’ll need a small pot, bottle, or cork. If you’re using a bottle or pot, just fill it with sand and pop the succulents inside. I used a combination of bottles with corks and corks on their own to plant mine.

Use a sharp craft knife to make a slit in the cork. Slip the bottom of the succulent inside.

And that’s all there is to it.

Easy, right?

They look beautiful grouped together in a watercolor-inspired succulent garden….

…or on their own.

They’re small enough to fit into any décor space and make charming gifts too.

I’d love to know what you think of the whimsical succulent garden. Is it something you would try, and where or how would you plant yours? 

If you like the idea of making a whimsical succulent garden, don’t forget to pin the tutorial for later.

Sharing is caring.

Oh, and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us make more amazing crafts to share with you ;-)

And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, then maybe these beauties will appeal.

And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.