DIY Wedding Table Favor: Succulents In Painted Pots

By Sami Jo Jensen
Planning a wedding can be crazy stressful — not to mention expensive — but there's no reason it shouldn't also be fun. For the past five years, I've built my blog (Poor & Pretty) on the premise that you don't have to make or spend a lot of money to have a fun life, and the same goes for weddings.
I know, I know, there are a few things you're going to want to drop some dough on — dresses, tuxes, location, band or DJ, cake, etc. But why not DIY a few of the things you can?
Besides saving a little bit of money and making your wedding truly unique, making handmade favors and decor will also be a great project for you and your future husband or wife to do together. And you know what they say, "the couple that crafts together, stays together." I'm pretty sure that's the saying …

Here are step-by-step directions to making three kinds of wedding favors: succulents in painted pots, heart-shaped soaps and mason jar candles.

Succulents in Painted Pots

I don't know who started the trend, but suddenly succulents were sprouting up in the home of every lifestyle blogger and interior decorator across the U.S. This DIY is very simple, and even if you aren't an artist with a brush (I certainly am not!), you can feel confident that these will turn out great. Plus, they are very inexpensive. Most small succulents will run you between $4-$5, 4" terra cotta pots are around $0.80, a bag of potting mix is about $15, and a set of acrylic paints and brushes should be no more than $20. So if you have 100 guests at your wedding, each favor will cost you less than $6. If you buy pots and succulents in bulk from a garden wholesaler, you'll probably spend even less!

Supplies
Succulents
Terra cotta pots — depending on how big your succulents are, you'll want pots that are between 2" to 4"
Acrylic paint
Paint brushes — get them in a few different sizes
A painter's palette or 1-2 plates that can be easily washed (I used plastic)
A cup with water, for rinsing brushes
Paper towels and/or newspaper to protect your painting surface
Potting mix — buy one 64 qt bag to start, then get more if you need it

Directions

Step 1:Place paper towels or newspaper on top of your painting surface to protect it from paint and set up the rest of your workstation.

Step 2: Start painting! Let your imagination run wild! Don't be afraid to mix together paints to get different colors, or try out fun techniques like ombre:

I achieved this ombre/gradient look by starting with white paint and gradually mixing in more and more red. I painted the top, added red, then painted the next streak, added more red and painted the next, and so on until I reached the bottom. I love how it came out!

For this glittery mint look, I mixed together a little bit of green with a lot of white paint, used a large brush to coat the entire pot, then let it dry. (It dries in only a few minutes). Once it felt powder-dry, I mixed together glitter and Mod Podge and slathered it onto the bottom of the pot, then carefully dragged the brush upwards to make it look like the glitter is being sprinkled down.

This one is so much fun! I painted the entire pot white, then drew out the bow tie and where the black suit would begin. I painted the purple bow next, then the black last. The black isn't very difficult to paint over though, so don't be upset if you mess up. Just let it dry, then correct your mistake. Like I said before, I'm definitely not an artist with a brush, so I'm confident you can pull this one off — or better!