14 Simple, Beautiful Homemade Holiday Gifts

Mini Succulent Garden

Makes: 1 gift
Total time: 15 minutes

What You Need

• Ceramic bowl (at least 3 inches deep and 5 inches wide)
• small pebbles
• dishwashing gloves (to keep fingers nimble and offer some protection)
• soup spoon
• cactus potting soil
• 5 or 7 small cactus and succulent plants of different heights and shapes (an odd number will look better; the festive plant with the red top, shown here, is a ruby ball cactus). All supplies are available at your local garden center or Home Depot

What to Do

1. Cover the bottom of the bowl with a 1-inch layer of pebbles.
2. Add a thin layer of soil over the pebbles.
3. Wearing gloves, gently remove each little cactus from its pot. Group the tallest plants together and fill the remaining space with the others, allowing a half inch between each. Use the spoon to surround each plant with soil; the root ball should be completely covered.
4. Level the top of the potting soil at the base of each plant. Cover the surface with pebbles. To water, start with a half cup and continue to add until the topsoil is damp.
5. When gifting, tell the recipient to let the soil dry out between waterings.