Hello and happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! It took everything in me to not hole up in the house all weekend and play with all of my new DecoArt paints that arrived Friday afternoon, but I had a lot going on this weekend so my crafternoon had to wait until yesterday.
I’ve been looking for bookends for awhile and couldn’t find what I was looking for (especially challenging when I had no idea what I was looking for!) so I decided to make bookends out of a couple of concrete planters I have which were perfect for my recent cactus and succulent haul! The Cactus & Succulent Planter Bookends also became the perfect craft to use some of my new DecoArt paint colors. They have some ahhhmazing new product lines coming out this year, and guys! Here’s how I made the bookends:
Geometric Cactus & Succulent Planter Bookends
Supplies
- Concrete planters (similar ones here)
- Americana Decor Acrylic Paint (I mixed Snow (Titanium) White and Laguna)
- DecoArt Extreme Sheen in Rose Gold
- Foam paint brush
- Painter’s tape
- Potting soil
- Pebbles (if planters don’t have drainage)
Directions
- Wipe off any dirt or dust from the concrete planters.
- Using painter’s tape, tape off the sections you would like to paint with color. I chose to do 2 different geometric patterns but you can paint them to your liking. Apply 2 – 3 coats of Americana Decor Acrylic paint with a foam brush, waiting a few minutes between coats (it dries very fast on a concrete surface). Slowly peel back and remove all tape.
- Once acrylic paint has dried fully (about an hour), tape off the sections to be painted metallic and paint with 2 – 3 coats of DecoArt Extreme Sheen, waiting about 5 – 8 minutes between coats. Slowly peel back and remove all tape.
- If the planters have drainage holes, skip to step 5. Pour 1 ½ – 2″ of pebbles into the bottom of the planters; this will ensure the water has somewhere to drain and escape from the soil, succulents and cacti like it dry!
- Fill planters with potting soil.
- Arrange the cacti and succulents in the planters. I like to have a variation in height, texture, width and color to bring dimension to the cactus and succulent planter.
Pin for later!
Lisa // Cucicucicoo: Eco Sewing & Crafting says
Oh my gosh, this is such a great idea! So simple and so pretty! 🙂 Lisa
Lydia says
Thanks so much, Lisa! 🙂
Ann says
Wow! I just love these bookends! What a fabulous idea! I definitely have to make these! Thanks for the inspiration! Pinning now! 🙂
Lydia says
Thank you so much Ann! I appreciate you taking the time to comment! Have a great day! 🙂
Nicole | The Professional Mom Project says
Great idea! I really like the look of the concrete planters and the colours you chose.
Lydia says
Thanks so much Nicole! I’m a sucker for anything aqua! 🙂
Vanessa says
Fabulous bookends. Cacti and concrete go together so nicely.
Lydia says
Thanks so much Vanessa, I think so too. 😉
Jamie @ Southern Revivals says
Concrete, succulents and paint! Some of my favorite things all in once place. And totally diggin your book selection, too! 😉
Lydia says
Thanks so much Jamie! I thought maybe if I had my books more visible it might remind me to read more. 😉
Rachel says
Love the designs you made and great tutorial. Large planters can be very expensive so I thought of making some for outside out of concrete. Now I can make them pretty as well!
Lydia says
Thank you so much Rachel! I’d love to make some for outside too!
Sofi says
Fantastic book ends..very creative and unique!
Emily says
These bookends are so fantastic; I love the rose gold too. And thanks for the amazing giveaway – fingers crossed I win!
Lydia says
Thanks Emily! Fingers crossed!
Leslie says
I love these bookends! The aqua and bronze are especially fun against the industrial look of the concrete planters.
Lydia says
Thanks Leslie, that contrast was exactly what I had in mind when I thought of making them! 🙂