This DIY Succulent Christmas Tree Will Have Your Friends Gasping, OMG Is That Real?

What to put at the center of my holiday table is a yearly challenge. Most years I’ve either phoned it in (the pine tree boughs), or I’ve overdone it (the mini gingerbread A-frame cabin village complete with twinkling lights). This year, I wanted something different in terms of color—red and green just wasn’t going to cut it—and I’m not the only one. Turns out modern holiday decor trends include black Christmas trees, jewel tones, metallics, and even neon.

I personally don’t want to get too trippy, but I did keep thinking about how pretty the silvery tones of the succulents in my garden pots would look as a centerpiece. And this is how I arrived at a most succulent DIY. (Get it?) Namely, a Christmas tree made entirely of succulents.

One thing I can promise you about this DIY: It’s definitely a conversation starter. I recently hosted a small outdoor cocktail gathering that led to gasps of “You made that?!” and “Oh, my god, is that real?”

Indeed. And while I’m sure one could make this out of plastic succulents and foam, I don’t recommend it. Floral foam is horrible for the environment, and, as the garden editor, don’t get me started on landfill-choking plastic succulents, either.

Besides, to go plastic would be to miss one of the things I love about this project most: It’s alive, and the succulents can survive for weeks in the tree itself. (They’re usually pretty easy to care for.) This means that, when the holidays are over, I can gift some to friends and plant the rest. My Meyer lemon tree planter, in particular, will be getting a very chic succulent glow-up come January.

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I do a DIY, and I find that some important “live and learn” lessons were left out in an effort to make the tutorial seem easier than it really is, I go a little bananas. We all know friends don’t drive friends crazy during the holidays, so here are a few important things to note before you begin:

This succulent Christmas tree is easy, but it’s not fast. Succulents are tender little plants, so allow yourself enough time to gently tuck each one into place and adjust as you go. I found I needed over an hour to make my tree, so put on some holiday music—or mix a cocktail, if you are so inclined—and enjoy yourself.

The size of your pot will determine the size of your tree, so choose carefully while keeping in mind the size of the area where you ultimately want to display it. I used a 10-inch flower pot, which means my tree is 23 inches from base to top—pretty tall, and heavy. I love it, but an 8-inch would have worked well, too. (And would save money, as buying succulents in bulk is definitely an investment.)

Also, you will require extra plants. Although I used about 75 succulents to make my arrangement, having a baker’s dozen more than I thought I’d need was essential as the plants occasionally fell apart. If you find yourself in a pinch, do what I did when I wanted to fill in some holes: Scavenge your own garden. I augmented my tree with jade, which is growing like crazy in a planter in my backyard, and added a nice new element to the shape.

What You Need

Deanna Kizis

• A variety of 64 to 120 succulents in 2-inch nursery pots, depending on the size tree you want to make
• A roll of chicken wire
• Cutting pliers
• Gloves
• Floral u-pins*
• 16 oz bag of reindeer moss*
• An 8- to 10-inch flower-pot*

*Not pictured

To purchase your plants, try your local garden center—I got mine from Los Angeles mainstay Rolling Greens Nursery—or save money by ordering them in bulk at SuccyCrafts.com.

The chicken wire is sharp so don’t try this without gloves.

1 of 4Deanna Kizis

Step 1

Carefully cut squares of chicken wire and layer them, then roll pieces together to make a snow-cone shape. For my 10-inch pot, I used two layers to create a cone that was 16 inches tall.

Cut an extra square of chicken wire and shape it into a dome.

Lightly stuff the base and cone with reindeer moss. This will give your flower u-pins something to hold onto and will also act like a sponge when it’s time to water.

Place your base in the flower pot with the cone shape on top.

2 of 4Deanna Kizis

Step 2

Carefully remove each succulent from the 2-inch pot it came in and shake off the dirt to expose the roots. Then, remove a few of the bottom leaves to expose the stem and gently use a u-pin to tuck it into place.

Work in rows from the bottom up, turning the pot as you go, and be sure to alternate your varieties so you have a nice mix of hues.

Save the 2-inch pots so you can repot the succulents and give them to friends later.

Tip: I found I had to take a step back occasionally to make sure my design wasn’t tilting in one direction or another. When it did, I was easily able to adjust the wire cone itself.

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Step 3

Turn your pot so you can see every angle and fill in holes.

As you reach the top, take steps back to make sure your design is pointy enough to resemble a tree. (I’m not saying that mine looked like an upside-down “U” at one point but … Okay, I am saying exactly that; it looked like a DIY succulent Christmas thumb.)

If your tree appears too rounded, remove a few succulents, pinch the top into a sharper shape, and tuck them back in.

4 of 4Thomas J. Story

Step 4

Now that your tree is complete, spray it lightly with water from the hose.

Display your succulent holiday tree wherever you need a festive bit of fun.

Water it lightly every other week—just enough to get the reindeer moss inside damp, and prepare yourself for gasps of “OMG, is that real?” Then beam and say, “As a matter of fact, it is.”

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