Repurposed Nautical Farmhouse Planter

Time needed: 15 minutes

1. Gather Your Supplies

   Having everything together makes the project go very quickly.
   
   

2. Drill Drainage Holes

   Using your drill and a ⅛" drill bit, make 5-6 small holes in the bottom side of the cake pan.
   
   I drilled them opposite the springform mechanism because I thought the latch lent a farmhouse vibe to the project and I wanted it visible.
   
   

3. Measure For Your Chicken Wire

   Lay your chicken wire over the bottom part of the pan and draw an outline of where you will need to cut the chicken wire. You want the chicken wire to cover the bottom ⅓ to ½ of the pan.
   
   Use the manufacturer's edge for the straight part going across the pan since it is not sharp.
   
   

4. Cut Chicken Wire

   Cut your semi-circle of chicken wire out with the wire cutters or strong scissors.
   
   Please use proper safety equipment for this - gloves and eye protection. The cut edges of the chicken wire will be sharper than you'd think.
   
   

5. Adhere Chicken Wire

   Run a bead of glue along the rim of the cake pan and press your chicken wire onto it.
   
   I worked in 3 small sections so I could allow the glue to set up before moving on to the next section.
   
   

6. Attaching The Nautical Roping

   After the glue was firmly set on the chicken wire I moved on to the rope detail. I hot glued rope around the bottom of the pan.
   
   

7. Finishing Up The Rope Detail

   I wrapped the rope twice around the bottom and on the last pass left a long loop up top with which to hang the planter (so it's only the top ⅛ of the pan that doesn't have two sections of roping).
   
   

8. Add Moss

   Place sections of moss right up against the chicken wire. This will keep the dirt from falling out through the chicken wire and also make the planter prettier.
   
   

9. Add Potting Soil

   Next, add just enough potting soil to go to the top of the chicken wire.
   
   I used a potting soil specifically made for cactus and succulents, but you could substitute a typical potting soil (like Espoma or Miracle Grow) if you prefer.
   
   The cactus and succulent soil drains easily and is fast drying (succulents tend to rot if left standing in water), so if I have cactus and succulent potting soil on hand I prefer to use it for my succulents.
   
   

10. Plant Succulents

    Now you're ready to plant your succulents.
    
    I wasn't sure how many plants would fit into the planter, so I bought a big pot of Hens And Chicks and one pot of Creeping Jenny. Although Creeping Jenny is not actually a succulent (it's a perennial ground cover also used in planters and baskets), I liked its trailing habit and it should do well with the succulents.
    
    I just tucked various sized Hens And Chicks into the soil and filled one corner with the trailing Creeping Jenny.