How To Make Your Faux Succulents Look Real

How To Make Your Faux Succulents Look Real: see how adding real soil and stones and potting in a glass vase makes faux succulents look like real ones.

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When I was getting ready for our Valentine’s Day Fiesta, I knew I wanted to have a centre piece of cactus and succulents in glass vases.  It’s simple, elegant, and on trend.  So I started searching for the plants at a good price.  

I knew I wanted to have at least nine vases running down the centre of the table, but most of the cactus and succulents I found were around $5 each, which equals way too much.  

But, I kept looking.  When a new dollar store opened in my area I found some faux succulents for one dollar each -perfect!

They came in little plastic pots, so here’s how I transformed them into a something that looked real.

How To Make Your Faux Succulents Look Real

I bought some real cactus soil at the nursery, and some pretty rocks at the dollar store.  The glasses vases were some I already had, but if you needed them they’re from the dollar store.

• real cactus soil
• real rocks
• glass vases

Use Real Soil

I removed the faux plant from the pots, and then pulled the plastic plant off of the styrofoam base it was glued into.  Then I filled up the bottom of the vase with soil, and emerged the styrofoam base, making sure it was completely hidden by the soil.

Use Real Rocks

Next, I inserted the plant back into the styrofoam, and added a layer of the rocks over the soil.  So easy.

Using real soil and rocks really made the faux plant look much more realistic.  

Mix In Some Real Pants With the Faux Ones

I also included some real cactus.  I found some small ones at a local nursery for around two dollars each so I bought several to add to the mix.

It is a bit difficult to maneuver the real, and very prickly cactus into the tall, narrow vases.  

Here are my tips.  Add some soil to the vase first.  Then dig a small hole, so that it's coming up the sides a bit.  This way there is room in the middle for the plant.  

Hold the plant with some kitchen tongs and lower it into place.  Carefully add soil to the sides.  Use the end of a wooden spoon to compact the soil into place around the plant.  

And, if you do get some soil on the plant and it’s stuck in the thorns, use a straw to blow it out.

Best part about this little project is that the finished project is very low maintenace, even the real ones.  I just need to make sure I tell my husband not to accidentally water the faux ones.

With real looking faux succulents, life really is a party!

More Inspiration

Love plants?  Check out our DIY Terrarium posts here.

You also might like our Teacup Fairy Garden Village here.