DIY Turtle Planter Upgrade

Hello everyone! Recently, I visited my local Target store and stumbled upon a turtle planter in the craft aisle. I was thrilled to find it and even more excited to decorate it. The little unfinished turtle planter cost only three dollars. If you can't find this exact planter, don't worry! I noticed a few craft stores have unpainted ceramic pots and similar items.

 In this tutorial, I will show you how to decorate this turtle planter using faux succulents, Spanish moss, and other materials. I had most of the materials on hand and only purchased the turtle for this project. So, if you are ready, let's begin this fun project and upgrade this cute little turtle planter.

Video tutorial

Materials needed

One unfinished turtle planter-I purchased my planter at Target

Faux succulents- You can find these at Dollar Tree

Spanish moss- Dollar Tree

Hot glue

Paint- I'm using black, and a color called celery 

Adhesive

Craft gem wrap-Dollar Tree

Craft gems- Dollar tree

Foam block

Step one: Applying paint to the ceramic turtle

Start by taking your planter, and applying black paint to the planter, which would be the turtle shell. Apply around two coats of paint of black paint.

Next, take your second paint, and apply it to the body of the planter. The head, neck, bottom, and legs of the turtle planter.

Step two: Adding the gem wrap

Once you have painted your planter, it's time to add the gem wrap. The gems that I purchased have a sticky backing. I decided to add some adhesive to ensure they stick properly. 

Cut two strips of gems using scissors. Apply the gems around the top opening of your planter. 

If you choose to use adhesive, apply a small amount on the backside of each gem. If you end up with a space without gems, use the second strip to cut a tiny section to fill in the gap.

Step three: Adding colorful craft gems

Once you have added the gold gems around the top opening of your planter, take your craft gems, and using your adhesive begin to place the gems onto your planter. I placed my gems over the designs that the planter had.

Step four: Adding the foam block

First, grab your scissors and carefully cut a small piece of the foam block. Ensure the foam block you cut is small enough to fit inside the planter. You can use a craft knife to make the cut if your foam block is hard. Once you have your foam block, place it inside the planter.

Step five: Adding Spanish moss

Take your moss, and take a small amount. Use your hot glue, and apply a thin layer of your hot glue on the top section of your foam block. Spread your moss evenly on top of the foam block. 

Step six: Adding faux succulents

Next, take your faux succulents, and place them around the moss, and foam block. I inserted my two bigger succulents and used hot glue on the smaller flowers. 

Your turtle planter is now complete, and ready to display. I love how this turned out. It is such a beautiful addition to any space. I hope you have enjoyed it! I'll see you soon.

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