Making paper flowers is enjoyable, but now that autumn has here, I’m more in the mood for succulents. I don’t know about you, but among plants, succulents are up there at the top of my list of favorites. The best thing about them is that they don’t need much maintenance. They are lovely and come in a huge variety. We all have busy lives these days, after all. I’m going to demonstrate how to construct a stunning tray of care-free paper succulents in this video.
Watch my video below to see how I cut and assembled these DIY paper succulent templates!
Mostly just cardstock and glue are required to make these lovely paper succulents. I used “Fields of Green,” a 65 lb. pack of cardstock. This cardstock weight, in my opinion, is the most effective at molding the petals into forms that look lifelike. If you want to make paper succulents like mine, you’ll need two 12 x 12 sheets of maroon cardstock.
I’ve recreated a ton of paper succulent templates for you so that you have lots of options, including these gorgeous ones:
- SEDOME SUN CAT
- Sempervivum
- Sieboldii Sedum (October Daphne)
- Astragalus Leaf Although it isn’t a succulent, it goes nicely with them (I know!)
- ECHERRIA RAINDALE
- Nussbaumerianum Sedum (Coppertone Sedum)
- “Jubilee” Sempervivum
- “Green Platters” Aeonium
- Urbicum Aeonium (Salad Bowl)
- (Devil’s Horns) Crassula
- Molokiniensis Portulaca
- Hens ‘n’ Chicks, Sempervivum Tectorum
- “Flap Jacks” Kalanchoe
- The Dodrentalis Greenovia (Mountain Rose)
- “Silver King” Sempervivum
- “Pacific Devils Food” Sempervivum
- “Melaco” Echeveria
- Zwartkop Aeonium Aroboreum
Additionally, you may use Pan Pastels and Oxide Distress inks to color your card material if you want your succulents to seem as genuine as mine do.
It’s simple to display paper plants.
“Just plant them like a genuine one. I set my paper succulents in a tray made of weathered wood. The list of supplies I used below includes a link to this tray.
I used three to four bricks of floral foam, some 18 gauge floral wire, and a little synthetic moss to keep the paper succulents in the pan.
A hot glue gun, a tool to cut our floral bricks, such a hacksaw, some needle nose pliers, a tool for quilling, tweezers, and some tiny wooden dowels are other helpful items.
Let me demonstrate how to use a Cricut cutting machine to produce this paper succulent tray! For your convenience, this article includes some affiliate links. If you choose to use one of these links and then make a purchase, I will receive a small commission, but there is no additional cost to you. Read my complete disclosure statement.
How do you paper over a succulent?
Even though your wedding day will undoubtedly be remembered for all the right reasons, it’s wonderful to give your guests a souvenir. Give them something that will brighten up their home instead of koozies and cookies, like a succulent wrapped in burlap.
Print and Cut The Paper
Save either the pink or the gray gingham paper, or both. After printing them, measure the size of your plant pot and go to the materials note for information on the proportions of my cuts. In essence, you are wrapping a present and simply completing the bottom, so cut and measure as you would for a gift.
Wrap Paper Around The Pot
Make sure the paper’s top is level and well aligned before wrapping it around the plant. The top edge of the rim should therefore be neat and attractive, which is what I’m trying to say. Since you have double-sided tape, tape (on the inside) or glue the edges into place.
Cut Ribbon and Tie a Bow
The bottom of your plant cover should be designed like this. Next, simply make a knot off to the side and trim the edges of a piece of ribbon that has been trimmed to size. I adore how the sheer ribbon appears to be wrapping around the succulent like a lovely scarf, almost like a veil for a wedding.
If you are here because you are getting married, you might find my list of 10 Gorgeous Outdoor Wedding Reception Table Ideas useful and inspiring. Additionally, my DIY for paper cherry blossoms has been pinned to numerous Pinterest wedding boards.
I’m so happy with how adorable this DIY project for succulent wedding favors turned out. That is a tremendous praise, especially as my friend Leslie has already decided to make these for her son’s wedding this summer. You should definitely give these away if you are organizing a wedding or little gifts for friends, family, and teachers.
What does a succulent represent?
You undoubtedly want to make your loved one’s event the most unforgettable possible whenever it involves an occasion for them. You’ll want to do everything you can to make them feel unique for that reason. Giving them something that showcases treasured values in that case is the best option.
Give them succulents as a gift if you want to show them your honest feelings. Not to mention that these colorful plants with active leaves have intriguing symbolic meanings that can help you express your actual feelings to the one you care about the most! Succulent symbolism varies greatly throughout cultures, according to various sources.
For instance, among Native American Indians, the cactus is a symbol of resilience and defense. They think that owning cacti will bring its owners success and prosperity. Additionally, even though cacti can survive and grow in arid environments, they stand for maternal love. Cactus is hence the greatest choice if you’re considering giving your mother something unexpected.
According to Feng Shui, succulents like crassula can bring good fortune and shield their owner from evil spirits and bad energy. In Japanese culture, giving a succulent to someone as a present is a common way to express affection.
Succulent is generally recognized as a representation of tenacity, strength, and unselfish love. So giving succulents as a gift to the one you care about the most would be a wonderful way to express your unwavering devotion.
Try creating your own with this customizable gift box if you’re searching for a more unique take on our gift box.
Why is my succulent expanding vertically?
We adore cacti. They look very charming in any room of your house, are simple to care for, and are understanding to those of us who lack a green thumb. They can withstand extreme dryness and heat both indoors and out, making them adaptable. They work well both individually and together in a container garden. It would be difficult to find someone who doesn’t gush about how lovely and simple these tiny plants are to maintain indoors.
However, nobody warns you that your succulent might begin to alter shape. Here’s some information on why your succulent might be growing taller if you’ve seen it.
Why It’s Happening
Etiolation is the process through which a succulent begins to develop a longer stem and paler, less densely packed leaves. Etiolation is most frequently brought on by a plant not receiving enough sunlight, which results in a change in the plant’s development, shape, and color. Since indoor succulents are rarely exposed to direct sunlight for lengthy periods of time, this problem most frequently affects them, however it can affect any succulent.
How To Fix Succulent Stretching
There are strategies to control the growth of your lanky plant even when it is impossible to make it again compact. Start by attempting to add extra light to its regular routine. Your succulent won’t be able to grow much longer if you do this.
Pruning your plants is the best technique to try and “recorrect” the growth. Take a sharp pair of shears, and make a cut directly above a row of leaves. Depending on the kind of succulent you own, the precise place will vary. You should leave the plant with a sufficient number of strong leaves so that it can continue to photosynthesize and survive. By doing this, you may get rid of a lot of the undesired, leggy growth without damaging the current plant. In addition, you can use the clippings to produce a fresh, healthy plant. After trimming your succulent, you should allow the cut end to completely dry in a well-lit place so that a callus can develop over the exposed end. Usually, this takes two to three days. The clipping can then be placed straight in the ground to produce roots over time.
For these new clippings and the freshly cut succulent, you can apply what you’ve learned about etiolation and how to prevent it in order to avoid repeating the same growth pattern.
Cacti are they succulents?
What distinguishes a succulent from a cactus? The only plant that can survive in a hot south window, where the light shines through the glass intensified, is a cactus. Any plant that stores water in juicy leaves, stems, or roots to resist recurring droughts is considered a succulent. Some people accept non-fleshy desert plants while others exclude plants with flesh, such as epiphytic orchids (yuccas, puyas).
Cactus is merely a type of succulent that can hold moisture and is classified separately from other succulents (cacti is the plural form of cactus in Latin) (Cactaceae). On the other hand, not every succulent is a cactus. In addition to being close relatives of the pointsetta, geranium, lily, grape, amaryllis, crassula, daisy, and milkweed, succulents are members of approximately 40 botanical families that are distributed throughout the world.
The name “cactus” derives from the Greek word “kaktos,” which means “spiny plant.” The ancient Greeks used this word to describe a species that was actually an artichoke variety rather than a cactus. 2000 years later, Linnaeus, who classified plants, gave a family of plants with distinctive characteristics like thick stems that served as water reservoirs, prickly or hairy coverings, and few, if any, leaves the name Cactaceae.
Cacti are simple to spot. They rarely have leaves because they have to work so hard to stay alive. They have stems that have been altered into cylinders, pads, or joints that store water during dry spells. Skin thickness lowers evaporation. For defense against browsing animals, the majority of species have bristles or spines, but some lack them, and others have long hair or a woolly covering. Large and vibrant flowers are the norm. Fruit may be both edible and colorful.
Every cactus has leaves when it is still a seedling. Additionally, some plants briefly produce tiny leaves on their new growth each spring. The majority of cactus progressively lost their leaves as shifting climatic patterns transformed native environments into deserts, evaporating too much limited water into the dry air. They switched to storing the water that was available in their stems. To adapt the size of their evaporation surfaces to changing conditions, many may modify their shape. When moisture is abundant, ribs that resemble an accordion can extend; when there is a drought, they can contract.
The majority of succulents, such as aloes, hawthorias, crassulas, and echeveria, originated in environments with less harsh conditions than cactus, such as those with rainy seasons followed by protracted dry seasons. They all have leaves. Their leaves gradually grew fattened by water-storing tissues and covered in a waxy or horny substance that lessens evaporation from the surface to help them get through the dry spells.
From Canada, through Central America, the West Indies, and south to the chilly regions of Chile and Patagonia, the cactus (Cactaceae) family can be found (southern end of South America). The largest collection may be in Mexico, but there are also a large number in the western deserts of the United States and at higher elevations in the Cordilleras of Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.
The majority of succulents are native to milder, semi-desert regions of the planet (Mexico, South Africa). Some (such as sedums and sempervivums) are native to cooler regions where they thrive on sunny, rocky ledges and slopes. Although there are many succulents around the world, not all succulents are desert plants. They can be found on mountains, in jungles, and next to bodies of water. Succulents can be found in semi-arid parts of North and South America, Asia, and Africa, but many also live in rain forests. Succulents can be found in the mountains where they can survive inclement weather, strong winds, and poor soil. Aeonium is a succulent native to Africa, the Canary and Madeira Islands; Agave is a succulent native to the Americas; Aloe is a succulent native to Africa, the Mediterranean, and Atlantic islands; Cotyledon is a succulent native to semi-arid regions of Africa; Crassula is a succulent native to mostly Africa; Dudleya is a succulent native to coastal California and Mexico; Faucaria is a succulent native to South Africa; Sempervivum: North Africa, Asia Minor, and Central and Southern Europe.