How to Make a Succulent Birdcage Planter

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.

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.

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

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Planter Supplies

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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. 

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?

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.

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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.