How to Make Succulent Place Settings
Give your tabletop an enchanted forest look with these beautiful place settings
When you’re hosting a dinner party or special-occasion meal, a bland tabletop just won’t do. Go beyond the tablecloth and dinnerware to craft beautiful nature-inspired place settings that will wow your guests. This easy DIY project requires minimal materials and can be accomplished in just a few simple steps. Bonus: The place settings double as party favors that guests can take home as souvenirs and reuse in their own décor. Twigs (roughly six to seven inches long) will serve as the base for your place settings; you can forage for assorted ones on your next hike. For your star ingredient, procure small cuttings of succulents; we recommend using three cuttings per twig, but you can vary the number to fit your preference. You’ll also need a small bag of moss. We recommend using floral adhesive, such as Tilly Tacker, although you can use a combination of the glue and copper wire to secure the materials in place (we’ll go into detail later). Don’t forget your secret weapon: a small hair clip! A few days before you create the place settings, snip the succulent cuttings so cut ends have time to heal and dry and the glue will stick.Once your cuttings are dry, you’ll start by applying the floral adhesive to clumps of moss and sticking them to the twig. Leave space between the moss clumps for the succulents. Then apply the glue to the succulent cuttings. Alternatively, you can use the copper wire to secure succulents with a bit of stem to the twigs (simply wrap the wire around the stem a few times)—this allows the cuttings to be easily removed at a later time for future planting. For heavier or bigger succulents, clamp them to the twig using the hair clip, which will help hold the succulent in place and adhere more effectively. The hair clip can be removed after the glue dries.
Once you’ve finished creating your succulent place settings, arrange them atop your guests’ plates for a stunning natural table.