Here's How Wine Corks Make The Perfect Planter For Mini Succulents

If you love wine or have a collection of corks from days gone by, you don't have to leave them in a drawer or a memory box. In fact, there are many ways to repurpose wine corks around the house. One way is to use them to make adorable little planters for mini succulents. Stick them on your refrigerator as living magnets or create an interesting terrarium. While you can use cuttings from succulents already in your home or ones you buy at your local store, fake succulents are just as adorable.

For this project, especially if you're using live plants, you want to use real cork. Some wine bottles use polyethylene instead — a type of plastic. This substance is non-porous, unlike actual cork from cork oaks (Quercus suber), which will allow air to flow. Although many succulents will thrive indoors and are relatively easy to care for, they still need a few things: water, sunlight, soil, and air. Once you decide whether you want to use real or artificial succulents, it's time to gather your supplies. For this project, you'll need your mini succulents, soil, corks, screwdriver, hot glue gun, and a small knife. If you're turning your creations into magnets, you'll need those too. For a terrarium, grab a glass container and begin.

Using your screwdriver, make a hole in the center of each cork about halfway down. Carefully widen the hole with a small knife, creating a pocket for your soil. You could also use a drill to make the initial hole and a spade bit to widen it if you prefer. Just be sure not to drill or dig all the way through the cork. If you're making magnets, hot glue the magnets onto the cork. After that, it's time to fill. Instead of using straight potting soil, mix in some perlite to better simulate succulents' harsh conditions in nature. Fill the hole with the mixture or use soaked sphagnum moss and push it into the hole. If you're using fake succulents, there's no need for soaking.

Now, plant your mini succulents into the medium and either attach them to the refrigerator or place them in a terrarium jar, surrounding them with tiny stones and moss. But be sure to give them their space, as succulents don't like a crowd. You could also attach the corks with velcro to a painted or stained board to transform the dead space in your kitchen or anywhere else in your home that receives proper lighting for succulents. For live plants, gather your corks each week or whenever the soil or moss is dry and soak them in water for up to 20 minutes, or use an eye dropper to give them moisture and keep them thriving.