Thank you Brawny® Tear-A-Square® for sponsoring this post. Think of all the ways you can Put a Square There!
I love the idea of private group craft classes. Spending time with friends? Making a new project? Learning a new skill? Sign me up! While they sound incredibly fun, the price and topics have kept me from joining one in the past. So many involve painting, and that’s just not a hobby I enjoy. In true DIY fashion, I decided to host my own event with some of my favorite ladies in St. Louis! And to celebrate the season, I made my event themed around my newfound love of gardening: a build-your-own succulent planting party!
Succulents are obviously a fantastic home decor addition and a fun and simple gardening project, which made this craft perfect for a party setting. After researching a few basic succulent planting tips, I invited some of my gal pals over so we could design our own indoor gardens. We met up on a Sunday afternoon and I served a simple sandwich lunch with classic tropical party punch and fruit salad before we each picked a pot and an assortment of plants to arrange. We even had St. Louis-style gooey butter cookies for dessert. Is it even a party without a sweet treat? I think not.
Events like this are a fun, unique way to spend time with friends and say thank you to some of your favorite people. After all, they’ll leave with their own homemade garden! I actually picked up a few extra containers from the thrift shop so each guest could pick one she loved. The extras will just be donated again!
Looking to host your own succulent planting party? Here’s what you’ll need.
- Succulents, approximately 2-4 per person
- Cactus potting soil
- Pots
- Volcanic rock for the bottom of the pots
- Decorative, smooth rocks for the top of the soil
- Brawny® Tear-A-Square® paper towels for easy cleanup
It would make plenty of sense to host a party like this outside, but our backyard isn’t event ready and, thanks to the new Brawny® Tear-A-Square®, cleaning up after was incredibly easy. (And I’m trying to avoid this season’s mosquitoes like nobody’s business. Consider me the indoor gardener! Ha!) The new Brawny® Tear-A-Square® allows you to select a size – full, half, or quarter sheet – perfect for your particular mess. This not only cuts back on waste, but creates a clean look on your table with quarter squares perfect for napkins and full sheets great for placemats under guests’ workstations. These smaller quarter sheets were particularly popular at the party, proving to be perfect not just for keeping drinks and utensils off the tablecloth, but to hold these tiny plants. (They were also great place replacements for a quick cookie snack, which was oh so popular once guests saw what dessert was on the menu!) And since we were only using the correct amount of paper towel for each job, we didn’t even use a full roll at the event or while cleaning up. Take a peek at my party below!
I set up each workstation with a Brawny® Tear-A-Square® full-sheet placemat, one container, and a large spoon to use as a shovel. In the center of the table I had bowls of rocks (volcanic to go in the bottom of the pots to help with drainage and smooth rocks to go on top), and in a box nearby, I had plenty of potting soil formulated specifically for succulents and cacti. Remember to use plenty of volcanic rocks at the bottom for proper drainage, and keep your Brawny® Tear-A-Square® roll nearby – the quarter-sized sheets are great for getting loose soil out of the nooks and crannies of the succulents after you plant.
I had an absolute blast at my party, and it was one of the easiest event cleanups I’ve ever had. I simply picked up the Brawny® Tear-A-Square® placemats, put my dishes in the dishwasher, and my house was back to normal! Well, one thing was different of course: I suddenly have a new plant to take care of! Here’s hoping I’m as lucky with my gardening as I was with the housekeeping. Fingers crossed!