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DIY Succulent Rock Garden Centerpiece

August 3, 2015 by Brynne 24 Comments

Welcome back to summer 2015’s LAST round of Knock Out Knock Offs, an incredibly fun series brought to you by a few blogging friends and myself! Each month, we tackle a DIY project inspired by one of our favorite home decor stores, and the theme we chose for August was Crate & Barrel. (Don’t forget to catch up on my Anthropologie, Land of Nod & CB2 inspired projects too!)

Scrolling through the Crate & Barrel website looking for inspiration, I fell in love with the Reflection Black Metal Centerpiece, although it wasn’t actually the tray that made my heart skip a beat, but the way it was styled in the photos. Instead of trying to figure out how to perfectly recreate the product itself, I decided to take the idea of a black tray + rocks + candles + succulents and run with it.

I ended up with a completely different end result than my initial inspiration, but I absolutely love how it turned out!

Learn how to create a soothing succulent rock garden centerpiece - inspired by an expensive Crate and Barrel look!


Don’t be afraid to use retail products as a jumping off point for your creativity – what is it that you love about the inspiration and how can you incorporate that into your budget and your home? Make it work for you!

I set out on an epic shopping adventure to pull together the pieces to create my own DIY succulent rock garden. I found a tray at the thrift store, picked up the faux succulents and moss pieces at Michael’s, and bought the river rocks and candles at Hobby Lobby.

Read to make your own DIY succulent rock garden centerpiece? Here's what you'll need!

*Today’s post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, I may receive a small commission. You can read my full disclosure here. I hope you all know by now that I do only share things I really truly love!

Supplies:

  • Faux succulents – My secret: I found several faux succulent arrangements in the summer clearance section at Michael’s (70% off!) – they were glued into things like broken flower pots and bird’s nests with fake sand. I just popped the succulents out of the arrangements to use on their own!
  • 3 lbs. river rocks
  • Pillar candles
  • Faux moss rocks – I also found these in the summer clearance section and decided they would be a fun addition.
  • Tray – Look for something with clean lines and a modern shape.  Color or material doesn’t matter too much! I found mine at the thrift store for $5.
  • Black spray paint – The sheen is up to you! I used a glossy spray paint since I already had it in the garage.
  • Fine-grit sandpaper

Step 1:

Use the fine-grit sandpaper to rough-up the surface of your tray. My tray was smooth, green plastic, so I spent a few minutes lightly sanding the plastic so the spray paint would adhere well.

Sand Tray

Step 2:

Spray paint the tray black using multiple light coats of spray paint to avoid drips. I’d recommend allowing the paint to dry/cure at least overnight, if not 24 hours before moving on to the next step.

Spray Paint Tray

Step 3:

Now comes the fun part – filling the tray! Start with a layer of river rocks on the bottom, then play around with adding your other supplies until you’re happy with the arrangement. There’s no right or wrong answer for this!

If you’re really feeling crazy, set up a tripod and snap pics so you too can make a gif of the process…

DIY Succulent Rock Garden Possibilities

Once you’re happy with the way your tray looks, find the perfect place to display it and enjoy your soothing new centerpiece!

And relish the thought that the succulents, while surprisingly lifelike, are forever safe from your black thumb. (Oh wait, sorry my black thumb.)

Create your own soothing rock garden centerpiece with this tutorial! No green thumb needed!

This tutorial will show you how to create your own faux succulent rock garden centerpiece!

It's hard to believe these succulents aren't real! Love this DIY succulent rock garden centerpiece!

No green thumb needed for this DIY succulent rock garden centerpiece!

Happy [faux] gardening, you guys!

Brynne


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Ready for more DIY projects inspired by Crate & Barrel? Links below:

DIYs Inspired By Crate and Barrel

DIY Round Medallion Art | Bigger Than The Three of Us
DIY Succulent Rock Garden | you are here 🙂
DIY Place Card Holders | Designer Trapped in a Lawyer’s Body
DIY Rustic Tea Light Candle Holder | Upcycled Treasures
Colorful Striped Coasters | Delineate Your Dwelling


Filed Under: DIY Project, Tutorial Tagged With: Collaboration, Knock Out Knock Offs, Knockoff

Comments

  1. Ashley@Biggerthanthethreeofus says

    August 3, 2015 at 6:59 am

    I love it! You could even switch out the succulents for berries during Christmas if you wanted. =)

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      August 4, 2015 at 11:06 am

      Oh, what a great idea, Ashley! Love it!

      Reply
  2. Katie @ Upcycled Treasures says

    August 3, 2015 at 8:28 am

    I love that you were inspired by the styling of the products from their site and how you pulled yours together! Oh boy, I am really trying to outgrow this black thumb thing, but my fiddle leaf fig tree isn’t doing too well and then there’s the fact that my cats like to eat the plants and then get sick all over the house, bleh. Not even my cactus can deter them!

    I hadn’t even realized these were faux succulents but I love the look and now I want to create something similar!

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      August 4, 2015 at 11:07 am

      Thank you Katie! My cats are exactly the same – faux plants are a lifesaver! I seriously can’t believe how realistic the faux succulents look – it’s magic, I tell you! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Trisha D. @Black and White Obsession says

    August 3, 2015 at 9:00 am

    I really enjoyed the fact that it isn’t so much of an exact replica, rather using the images as inspiration. Also loved that you were able to re-purpose a thrifty tray with just a touch of spray paint. Everything came together so well, especially those white candles to add a little extra mood lighting. Such a great idea to use clearance pieces from other broken castaways.

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      August 4, 2015 at 11:09 am

      You know me! If I can incorporate a thrift find, I will! 😉 Thanks Trisha!

      Reply
  4. Brittany says

    August 3, 2015 at 10:34 am

    So cute, and I have to say I prefer this version to the Crate & Barrel! I never in a bazillion years would have known that your tray started out lime green or that the succulents weren’t real. Awesome job!

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      August 4, 2015 at 11:11 am

      Aw, thank you so much Brittany!
      Those succulents are mind-bendingly realistic… Or maybe it’s just that real ones look so fake? 😀

      Reply
  5. Tania // Run to Radiance says

    August 3, 2015 at 10:38 am

    I love it!!! The styling is on point and those photographs are gorgeous! 🙂 Good job!!

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      August 4, 2015 at 11:12 am

      Thanks girl! That’s so sweet to hear! I took the scary leap to completely manual photography, which I should have done ages ago! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Katja | Shift Ctrl Art says

    August 3, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    Totally amazing Brynne! I love those moss rocks too. I haven’t seen them at my craft store. I will have to look 🙂

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      August 4, 2015 at 11:13 am

      Thank you Katja! I had never seen the moss rocks either (well, they’re actually just miss-covered foam in a rock shape) but they are so fun!

      Reply
  7. Gretchen says

    August 4, 2015 at 10:49 am

    lovely! I love simple centerpieces that can be switched up easily with the seasons (and that can be taken off the table all together easily!)

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      August 4, 2015 at 11:13 am

      Thank you Gretchen! Yes! We had friends over for a game night the other day and LOVED that we could just lift the whole thing off the table!

      Reply
  8. Amy W says

    August 5, 2015 at 12:16 am

    Wow, love how this turned out! You can never go wrong with succulents and faux plants… a great DIY.

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      August 5, 2015 at 10:48 pm

      Thanks Amy! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Julie says

    August 6, 2015 at 4:19 pm

    This turned out great! I love that you found things at the thrift store and on clearance for this project, too!

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      August 8, 2015 at 2:14 pm

      Thank you so much Julie!

      Reply
  10. Corinna - A Designer At Home says

    August 8, 2015 at 4:12 pm

    Very beautiful!

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      August 11, 2015 at 8:56 am

      Thank you Corinna! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Amber @ Wills Casa says

    August 8, 2015 at 9:35 pm

    I would be way more successful at this than having real succulents. I can’t keep anything alive *pouting emoji*

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      August 11, 2015 at 8:56 am

      Me either! I’ve gone completely faux and I’m okay with it! 😀

      Reply
  12. Laura D says

    August 24, 2015 at 1:31 pm

    This is great! You can find a lot of the decor stuff in the floral section at the dollar store too; ours sells the river rocks and moss plus candles and tray could probably be found there too. I’m inspired!

    Reply
  13. Jennifer S says

    August 26, 2015 at 10:41 am

    This is beautiful! I’ve recently fallen in love with succulents and love what you did with this centerpiece!
    I hope to use your work as inspiration for a living piece for my built-in bookshelves. Keep up the great work!!
    Hugs
    -js

    Reply

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I believe the best kind of home is a gathered one, full of treasures with a story to tell. Join me in celebrating a lifestyle of finding and making beautiful things, right where you are. Read more...

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