• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • DIY Projects
    • Homemade Bath and Body
    • Sewing
    • Flower Crafts/Decor
    • Thrift Store/Vintage
  • Gardening
    • Flower Gardens
    • Container Gardening
    • Houseplants
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Landscaping
    • DIY Garden Art
  • Decorate
    • Room Makeovers
    • Spring Decor
    • Summer Decor
    • Fall Decor
    • Winter Decor
    • Home Decor Projects
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Dessert
    • Salad Recipes
    • Soups and Stews
    • Side Dish Recipes
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Healthy Recipes
  • Holidays
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
Hearth and Vine
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Hearth and Vine
  • DIY Projects
    • ...Flower/Gardening Crafts
    • ... Bath and Body
    • ...Sewing/Fabric Crafts
    • ...Thrift Store/Upcycle
  • Gardening
    • ...Flower Gardens
    • ...Container Gardening
    • ...Indoor Gardening
    • ...DIY Garden Art
  • Decorate
    • ...Home Decor Projects
    • ...Spring Decor
    • ...Summer Decor
    • ...Fall Decor
    • ...Winter Decor
    • ...Room Makeovers
  • Recipes
    • ...Appetizers and Snacks
    • ...Dinner Recipes
    • ...Side Dish Recipes
    • ...Salad Recipes
    • ...Dessert
    • ...Drinks
  • Holidays
    • ...Valentine's Day
    • ...Easter
    • ...Mother's Day
    • ...Halloween
    • ...Thanksgiving
    • ...Christmas
  • Subscribe
  • Instagram
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Indoor Gardening

    How to Make a Succulent Birdcage Planter

    May 31, 2017 by Patti Estep 10 Comments

    Jump to How-to Card
    Rustic blue-gray bird cage planter with succulents.
    Succulent birdcage planter and same with wooden skewer pressing in moss.

    Learn how easy it is to make a succulent birdcage planter. Give one as a gift to someone you love, or to enjoy it in your own home.

    Succulent birdcage planter

    I found this cute birdcage stand for my very good friend who recently celebrated her 50th birthday. She is a bird lover and an avid gardener, so when I saw it I thought it would make a wonderful succulent birdcage planter.

    These birdcage stands are mostly used for decoration. You can find them at home decor stores, an antique mall, or online. They have very little room at the base for soil and a small diameter, however, succulents really don't need much soil to grow and with a little creativity, your bird cage planter will turn out great.

    Newsletter Signup
    Join Our Newsletter List!

    Be the first to receive new posts and get access to our Subscribers Only Page.

    And, if you really get into it you can try this with larger cages, large antique bird cages, or open terrariums.

    This post contains some affiliate links (that means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, there’s no additional cost to you, but I will earn a very small commission. ) i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

    Materials for succulent birdcage planter.

    Planter Supplies

    Birdcage Stand
    Sphagnum Moss
    Soilless Mix or Succulent Cactus Soil
    Succulent Plants

    Soaking sphagnum moss in water.

    How to Create a Succulent Birdcage Planter

    1. Soak some sphagnum moss in water for about fifteen minutes.

    This moss acts as a container to hold the soil and the plants and helps retain moisture. (You can also try sheet moss or coco liner.) You won't need much for this project but this stuff keeps forever. I love the rustic appeal of this moss and used it to make a hanging planter for my daughter last year.

    Place sphagnum moss on base and side and add soil.

    2.  Squeeze out the water and lay the moss on the base, building up the sides a bit.

    3.  Then add a layer of soil.

    Tip: If you can't find cactus soil at the garden centers, try adding some perlite to bagged potting soil to lighten it up.

    Planted succulents in base

    4. Add your succulents and fill in with more soil.

    Cover and add moss where needed. Use a wooden skewer to press moss in.

    5. Then add the top of the bird cage, and very gently pull out some of the trailing succulent branches.

    6. Add more moss as needed. You can use a pencil or chopstick to tuck the moss into bare spots.

    Top view of succulent birdcage planter

    Succulent Care

    • Make sure you do not overwater the succulents. I'm breaking the rules here with no drainage holes. You could drill a few at the bottom. 
    • Succulents don't need much water. Some as little as once a month. The key is to make sure you let the soil dry out completely before watering, and only water enough to wet the soil, without having excess water sitting in the bottom of your container.
    • If you do not use drainage holes, try to gently tilt the birdcage after adding water, to let any extra spill into the sink.
    • Another good idea is to measure your water. Start with 1/2 cup of water to a cup of soil, as a rule of thumb, and adjust accordingly. 
    Birdcage planter with succulents.

    Place the planter in a brightly lit area for the best results. If the plants start to stretch, that usually means they are seeking more sun.

    If you don't have a sunny spot from a window, you can try adding a full spectrum grow light and place the planter near it.

    When all else fails, you could use faux succulents, but where's the fun in that?

    Patti signature

    P.S. Did you know that there are hardy succulents that you can grow outdoors and they will overwinter in cold climates?  And if you like the look of plants in wire cages you may like my sphagnum moss planter project or my hanging herb garden project.

    Blue ornamental birdcage stand planted  with moss and succulent plants.
    living succulent birdcage planter
    Print
    4.67 from 3 votes

    How to Make a Succulent Birdcage Planter

    Learn how to make a gorgeous succulent birdcage planter with this simple DIY tutorial.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Active Time45 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Container Gardening
    Yield: 1 Planter
    Author: Patti Estep
    Cost: $25

    Equipment

    • Mosser 0180 Long Fibered Sphagnum Moss, 100-Cubic Inch

    Materials

    • Birdcage Stand
    • Sphagnum Moss
    • Soilless Mix or Succulent Soil
    • Succulent Plants

    Instructions

    • Soak some sphagnum moss in water for about fifteen minutes.
    • Squeeze out the water and lay the moss on the base, building up the sides a bit.
    • Add some soil.
    • Add your succulent and fill in with more soil.
    • Add the top of the birdcage, and very gently pull out some of the trailing succulent branches.
    • Add more moss as needed.
    • Use a pencil or chopstick to tuck the moss into bare spots.

    Notes

    Use different types of succulents for this one. I used echeveria, crassulas, and a string of bananas but you could also try a string of pearls, a burrow's tail, sedums, or a tiny aloe vera plant.
    You could also add in some ornamental lichens as fillers in between the plants.

    More Indoor Gardening

    • Plants for Love - Romantic Plants to Buy or Gift
    • Maidenhair Fern - A Lovely Houseplant
    • Hanging Teacup Planter Upcycle
    • Christmas Cactus: Another Holiday Bloomer You'll Want to Grow

    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Donna

      May 27, 2022 at 10:10 am

      I will be makingn the flag for church on Sunday. Love all of your crafts.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        May 27, 2022 at 10:14 am

        Thanks Donna. I hope everyone loves it.

        Reply
    2. Susan Ramsay

      January 18, 2022 at 12:54 pm

      Where is the birdcase available? the arrangement is beautiful BTW.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        January 18, 2022 at 3:15 pm

        Susan, I picked that one up at a local store. I did link to a similar one on Amazon. It appears to be out of stock however, I found another that might work and updated the post.

        Reply
    3. Shirl Lundstrom

      March 04, 2020 at 8:56 am

      Just last year I noticed all the beautiful plants placed in birdcages at our local nursery. I admired them so much and decided that I would try it this spring/summer. Your article caught my eye on Pinterest. Thank you so much for all the advice! By the way, trends come a couple years later here in Northern Minnesota!!! Ha!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        March 04, 2020 at 12:51 pm

        You are so welcome Shirl. Have fun with it.

        Reply
    4. Nichi - The Mandatory Mooch

      August 05, 2018 at 8:21 pm

      Patti, Thank for contributing this post to my Craft & Food Roundups request. I have featured it in my latest post "All About Succulents: Decorating". Come check it out and feel free to share with your friends!! Thanks, Nichi
      http://www.mandatorymooch.com/2018/07/all-about-succulents-decorating.html

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        August 06, 2018 at 7:41 am

        Thanks Nichi!

        Reply
    5. Carole

      May 31, 2017 at 7:32 am

      I love all the pretty things you make and I bet your friend smiled big when she received this. I noticed recently birdcages are back in style, this one is simple and elegant so nice.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        May 31, 2017 at 7:47 am

        Hi Carole,

        You are right. She loved it but the funniest part was how much her 13 year old daughter loved it. Her only child. I'm sure it will end up with her but that's okay.
        Thanks for stopping by,
        Patti

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Follow Me

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Patti profile pic

    Hi! I'm Patti

    Join me to create lots of fun DIY projects including crafts, gardening, home decor and tasty recipes.

    more about me

    Popular Posts

    Blue jean crossover bag

    DIY Crossbody Bag from Jeans

    tabletop water gardens

    How to Make an Indoor Water Garden

    Echievera planter

    What to do With a Stretched Succulent

    Fabric bowl covers in 3 prints

    How to Make Fabric Bowl Covers

    Collage of flowers including russian sage, pink hydrangeas, coneflower and yarrow.

    10+ Long Blooming Plants

    Chicken black bean tortilla casserole

    Chicken Black Bean Casserole Recipe

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About
    Privacy Policy
    Disclosure Policy

    Sign Up Here!
    for our
    newsletter &
    special offers

    • Shop
    • Web Stories

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Hearth and Vine