Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Brick Succulent Planters

I adore this simple & modern planter idea! As someone who missed out on the green thumb gene, I have a fondness for succulents. It's almost impossible to kill them. And now you can create a fun (and inexpensive) planter. I prefer to recycle an older brick. Not only is it eco-friendly, but used bricks has lots of charm & character.
  1. Use a C-clamp to stabilize your brick. Mark the center with a pencil and then spray the top of the brick with your squirt bottle. When drilling masonry, you've got to keep it wet.
  2. Grab some safety googles, drilling brick can be messy & hot!
  3. Position your drill in the center of one side of your brick and try to keep the drill level. Every 20 seconds or so, spritz with water to keep the drill bit cool. Once the outer diameter of the hole cutter contacts the brick, spray a lot more water on, and keep drilling until the loose dusty shavings/water mixture starts to dry out. Keep drilling, and spraying and drilling.
  4. When the base of the hole cutter starts to get close to the brick surface, stop drilling. Take a chisel and carefully knock away the interior of the hole. Don't hit too hard or the brick might split. Just tap away enough until the bottom is flat(ish). Shake out the loose stuff. Repeat if necessary.
  5. Do the same thing with the second hole.
  6. Spray off all the brick dust and put a bit of dirt in the bottom of one or both of the holes, about 3/4" deep. Place a succulent into each hole, and pat more dirt loosely around.
  7. Water once to every two weeks.
  8. Enjoy the beauty of your hard work!

Photo via ReadyMade