Turn An Empty Duct Tape Roll Into An Adorable Mini Succulent Planter With A Simple DIY

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Who doesn't love having succulents in their home? Not only can these unfussy houseplants improve your mood and reduce stress, but they also require very little care. Even if you don't have a green thumb, you can probably keep a few hardy succulents alive. You don't want to keep your newly bought greenery in its ugly plastic nursery pot; it needs a new home! Rather than go out and buy a fancy planter, try making one using an item you probably already have in a craft room drawer: an empty duct tape roll. You'd actually be surprised how many ways you can repurpose empty tape rolls around your house or garden, but in this case, one forms the foundation of a rustic succulent planter adorned with jute twine.

Ready to transform an empty duct tape roll into a beautiful mini planter? Beyond the roll, you'll need a square of cardboard, some sheets of newspaper, a wooden dowel, four wooden beads (we like these Aqueens Natural Wood Beads), and some brown waterproof paint. You'll also need a few different kinds of rope: roll of thin jute string, like this Smart&Casual Natural Jute Twine; a roll of thick jute rope, like this ⅕-inch PH Perkhomy Jute Rope; and some flat braided rope. For tools, grab a paintbrush, a pair of scissors, a hot glue gun, and a tube of craft glue. In no time flat, your succulents will have a stylish place to grow.

Begin by building the body of the planter. Hot glue the empty duct tape roll to the piece of cardboard, then cut away the excess cardboard so the remaining cardboard aligns neatly with the outer edge of the empty roll. Paint the interior and base of the roll brown. You don't need to paint the outside walls because you'll soon cover them with jute twine-wrapped tubes.

To decorate the sides of your planter, wrap a piece of newspaper that's a little longer than the height of your planter around the wooden dowel, forming a tube. Hot glue the open edge to the newspaper tube to stop the tube from unraveling, then slide the newspaper tube off the dowel. Next, wrap the thin jute string tightly around the tube, covering the tube completely. Glue each end of the string in place, then glue the tube to the side of the painted duct tape roll. The bottom of the tube should be flush with the base of the roll.

Repeat the newspaper and dowel rolling process until you have enough tubes to cover the entire planter. Then glue two pieces of flat braided rope to the planter, one around the rim and one around the base. Glue your thicker jute rope to the top of the planter to hide the open ends of the newspaper tubes. Finally, glue the four small wooden beads to the bottom of the planter as feet. You've now turned trash into a cute succulent planter with this DIY and it's ready for a succulent!

As with any DIY project, you're allowed to take as many creative liberties as you wish with this planter. If you're not a fan of the color of the natural jute rope or you want to add a little more flair to your succulent pot, cover the newspaper tubes with colored rope instead. You can get a pack of 12 rolls of Hstech Colorful Natural Jute String for about $12, giving you tons of vibrant hues to play with. While jute rope is an undeniably sustainable option, you could also use yarn, like this Red Heart Super Saver Bitty Stripes Crochet Yarn that comes in many ombre-style colors.

You can also switch out the plain wooden bead feet for other options, such as these Herzwild Colorful Wooden Beads. These beads often come in large packs, so if you have a few leftover — brightly hued or not — you can create a charming beaded mason jar to house your remotes. Set the jar next to your succulent planter on the coffee table in your living room. Or feel free to skip the beads altogether if you'd prefer and leave your planter with a simple flat base.

No matter how you decide to make this DIY your own, choose a succulent that complements the design — perhaps coordinating the foliage colors with the bead or string hues or buying a Gollum jade (Crassula ovata 'Gollum') with tubular leaves that match the jute-covered newspaper tubes. One thing to note: this pot is not waterproof. It's a good idea to plant your succulent in a Fuoauyk Clear Nursery Pot before placing it in your DIY planter.