Bulk Farewell Gifts for Coworkers: DIY Desk Succulents

I’m incredibly fond of my coworkers and before baby #3 arrives, I wanted to make sure that I found a meaningful way to express my appreciation to each and every one of them before taking my maternity leave.

So, I started searching for gift ideas that I could make in bulk, but also had a personal touch.

Enter DIY Desktop Succulents.

Oh, succulents! They really are the ideal plant—packed full of vigor but only needing minimal attention. Plus, with the right set up, most succulents can thrive on your coworkers’ desks.

Here’s how to make desktop succulent gifts for your own favorite coworkers:

Gather:

2” organic succulents (one plant per pot)
2.5” wide pots with drainage holes (ceramic or terra cotta work best)
Mesh screens (large enough to cover drainage hole)
Organic succulent soil
Top dressing gravel
3.5” wide compostable cellophane bags
Hole punch
Eco-shred gift basket filler
Twine
Card

Instructions:

Wait to start this project until the soil surrounding your succulents feels dry to the touch.
When the soil feels dry, gather your pots.
Place one mesh screen on the bottom of each pot. Position the mesh to cover the drainage hole(s). The screen will still keep your soil in while letting the extra water drain out.

4. Fill the pot 2/3rds of the way up with your succulent soil.

5. Now for Potting! Remove your plant from the nursery container. Lightly tap the plant to get rid of as much soil as possible. Then, place your succulent in its new pot and nestle the roots into the soil a bit.

6. Now, add more soil to cover the roots. Fill it almost to the top of the pot. Make sure the leaves of the succulent don’t touch the soil to avoid that oh-so-troublesome root rot.

7. Add a bit of top dressing gravel and gently push down to keep the soil in place.

8. Grab your cellophane bags and punch two holes about 1” apart halfway up the bag. These holes will help the plants breath.

9. Open your cellophane bag. Add filler paper. Add pot. Make sure to adjust your plant so that it will be able to breath through the two separate holes that you punched. Wrap with twine to keep cellophane bag in place.

10. Write on the note card, punch out a hole in the note and tie with twine. Gift away!

It might be best to suggest to your coworkers to keep their new succulent dry for two days before watering it. This will help keep root rot down to a minimum.

Hope this helps you with your gift-giving. Let me know how it works for you. I’d also love to hear how your coworkers respond.

Cheers,

Hazel