Not So Vintage Crafting: A Dinosaur Succulent Planter

I first saw these plastic dinosaur planters on Etsy and immediately fell in love. In the typical fashion of an avid crafter and DIYer, I decided that it would be well worth my time to make a pair myself! I enjoy adding to the never ending supply of succulents to my home (and the homes of my friends) because they are almost impossible to kill and are adorable to boot!

Supplies needed: 

• A hollow plastic dinosaur toy (try squeezing the back just to make sure!)
• A knife
• Gold spray paint
• Small rocks
• A succulent planter (small or large depending on how many projects you will use it for)

I completed this project in two periods to allow the paint enough time to dry; overall it took about 30 minutes to make two dinosaurs.

 Step 1: Cut a rectangle (or square) into the back of your dinosaur. I'll admit, this was definitely the most difficult part of the project (I even had to enlist the help of my mom)! The dinosaurs I bought ended up being fairly high quality and had about a quarter inch of thick plastic to get through. 

The cuts don't have to be perfect; it will be spray painted and filled with plants later so any mistakes will be hardly visible!

 

Step 2: Spray paint your dinosaurs with a metallic gold spray paint.

My kitty loved them!

 

Step 3: Add rocks to the inside of your dinosaur. Not only will this weigh it down and fill extra space, but it will also help the water drain better when you water the plant later!

Step 4: Take a rooted succulent from your planter and put it, along with its dirt, into the dinosaur's back. I also put a few more rocks on top of the dirt for looks! 

And you're done!

These guys hardly look like they're made of plastic once you're finished with them! Have you planted anything lately?

Ellen