This cute little planter is the perfect way to get some greenery into a kid's bedroom so why not take a few hours with your little ones this weekend and work together on this fun crafting project - it'll be easy with our handy DIY guide.
Making your own driftwood planter
Display miniature plants with this little wooden planter
© Lizzie Orme
You will need
- Driftwood
- Gorilla glue (optional)
- Wooden spatula (optional)
- Masking tape (optional)
- Wooden skewer
- One fat quarter of a red fabric of your choice
- A pencil
- Ruler
- Scissors
- A sewing machine/needle and thread
- Twine scraps and red felt
- A hot glue gun
- Ergonomic drill and drill bits
- Forstner bit, from a 16-piece set
- Sand paper
- A succulent
Step 1
Begin by picking out a piece of driftwood to become the base of the ship – it should have as flat a base as possible, and be at least 8cm tall. We stuck two smaller pieces together to form our base, using Gorilla glue applied with a wooden spatula. Once the glue has been applied, wrap masking tape tightly around the wood to hold it until bonded. Wipe away any excess as it forms.
Step 2
Cut a wooden skewer down to size to create a mast – ours was 15cm long. Cut two identical right-angled triangles from red fabric, making sure they are about 2/3 as tall as your mast. Pin them right-sides together and stitch around the edge, leaving a small gap for turning through. Turn out, then hand stitch the gap closed. Fold the side edge over onto itself by 1cm and stitch along the edge to create a channel – this is where you’ll insert the mast. To make the bunting, cut several small diamond shapes from red felt then fold and glue them over a length of twine, to create mini flags.
Step 3
Assemble the ship. Begin by drilling the hole for the succulent to sit in. Pick a Forstner bit that will fit comfortably in the middle of the driftwood. Drill down into the wood by at least 5cm, working slowly and carefully, then sand the inside of the hole lightly. Drill a second hole, using a drill bit just slightly wider than the mast, 2cm over from the large hole. Push the mast into that hole, and then place the sail over the top. Use a dab of glue to stick the bunting into place at both the top of the sail and the opposite end of the boat. Finally, pot the succulent in the hole.