DIY a Fake Stone Planter from Styrofoam Box

          

This is a repost of a popular project which has been requested over on 

Facebook's Garden Art Junk group.

 

Here's what I do with those holiday ham styrofoam boxes 

I don't want to pitch into the landfill.

RECYCLE!

I make "stone" planters for my succulent pots!

Here's how....

and please note, this is best done OUTSIDE.

This part is messy!

Using a serrated steak knife, I cut the top edge down to make the box the size I wanted.

Then I scored all the sides with a wire brush.

I made stone shape grooves with a butter knife. You can cut as deep 

or as shallow as you wish to get the look you like.

Next, I brushed a some grey, white and black acrylic craft

 paint over the whole box.

Very sparingly, spray black spray paint at some of your stone joints. 

The paint will melt the foam and give it some very rocky texture. 

Don't over do it, you can always add more texture.

 Go slow and look at the results from all angles.

Now with a brush or a paint rag or a sponge of what have you,

 start layering on acrylic craft paint in rock and moss colors.

 I used black, charcoal grey, brown, several greens and even a bit of dark blue.

I do not plant my succulents directly in the styrofoam box. 

I keep them in their own pots so I can change them out as I wish.

 But I have to say, the sedum in this fake stone box look wonderful!

Crocheted Rocks.

Yup. I've been seeing crochet covered stones on Pinterest and just had to try it out. So this year on vacation I made three of them as a gift for our hosts.

I LOVE them!

I almost kept them for myself cuz they make me smile and smile. So, like any red blooded American creative sort, I went a little nuts taking photos. Enjoy!!

Note to self-plant more baby tears and irish moss in my garden.

Aren't the teeny tiny blue flowers just adorable? Okay, I'm being too sweet and gushy. But still, tiny blue flowers!!!!

The contrast here just grabs me. Love it!

And....underwater down by the river.

And in a crack in the bedrock with driftwood and greenery. Sigh.

I think I like this photo the best....along with the mossy photos. Wait, I like the underwater pics, too! Okay, definitely making myself some more of these!