How to Decorate a Birdhouse with Succulents

Birdhouses decorated with succulents are nothing new. But when I saw the petite, plain balsa birdhouses at Michael’s a month ago I knew I had to get one to use for a quick and easy craft project. They were all of 99 cents – how could I go wrong? For some reason birdhouses always remind me of spring so I thought now’s a great time to gussy one up with a melange of little succulent cuttings from my garden here in Santa Barbara, CA.

I’ve been on a furniture painting kick these days so I used some of the leftover paints to take this birdhouse from plain to “look at me” in no time. It only needed one coat of paint and dried in a few minutes. It looks cute as can be is but some succulent embellishment was in order.

I hot glued some preserved and colored Spanish moss to both sides of the roof. That serves as the base for you to glue your succulent cuttings onto. I use hot melt glue chips in a large electric skillet because I do a lot of crafting. You can use a glue gun or E6000 craft adhesive.

I have a box full of succulent cuttings in my utility room. Whenever I do some snipping and clipping in my garden, in there they go. These are some I pulled out as possible candidates to use. This project doesn’t take too many – just a few small end clippings. I wanted a little bit of the roof to still be exposed.

My Lavender Scallops Kalanchoe provides endless material for all my projects. It’s blooming now!

All done in minutes flat. Here’s a side view of the roof.

This would be a fun project to do with kids but I’d use cool melt glue so they didn’t burn their little fingers.

If you’re having an Easter dinner or a garden party you could use these up and down the table instead of a centerpiece. After the feast is over, your guests could take them home as a remembrance of the glorious time spent together. Last week I did a lantern posing as a succulent arrangement, a birdbath filled with succulents & flowers and a Spring table arrangement. Be sure to check back in a few days because next up is a succulent wreath!

Oh, please be sure to check out our book Mother Nature Inspired Christmas Ornaments. I’ve used cuttings of succulents to adorn the ornaments I made in the book. After the holidays were over and the ornaments were packed away, I planted those cuttings in my garden. I now have even more to design with!

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Nell Foster

Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.

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16 Comments

are those real succulents?

Hi Marianne – They sure are.

Nell, I really like this kind of idea for decorating. The succulents really add to the fun feel that birdhouses typically have already. I’m just not sure where I could find any real ones like yours. Do you think I’d be more likely to find some at a nursery, or at a DIY store? http://www.joesgiftsnthings.com/listing.asp?dept_id=30060&nopopup=1

Hi Ronald – You might be able to find succulents at a local nursery, depending on where you are. However, both succulent plants & cuttings can be found on amazon & Etsy through a simple internet search. Nell

So beautiful! Are you able to keep the plants alive without soil? I would hate to see this wither and die.

Thank you Jeanne! This is such an easy project. Yes,the succulents stayed alive for about 9 months with weekly misting & bright light. I actually took it apart because I used the birdhouse in our latest Christmas ornament book. Nell

I am soooo happy I found this great idea. My little succulant bird houses are the cutest things I’ve ever made. I’d love to send you a picture. I am a Realtor and will be hosting a Senior Seminar entitled “Mastering the Next Phase of Your Life.” I have speakers that will talk all about options for senior housing, tips on decluttering and ways to get rid of “stuff” and to easily prepare your property to sell. The birdhouses are centerpieces on each table and then we will raffle them off. Thanks for the complete birdhouse instructions and video!!!

Hi Julie – That’s a great idea! The succulent birdhouses are easy to make & people love them. You can send pics to nell@joyusgarden.com All the best, Nell