Free Printable Succulent Template
Willy Aucoin
I thought the felt succulents I made for this project would be similar to the paper succulents set I made a while back but as it turns out, different material behaves in different ways so I had to change some things around.
There are times you just wanted a plant. You wanted to make your home refreshing. Maybe you wanted the air to feel fresher. Or, it is because of the aesthetic you are looking for. But you contemplate picking up a plant for the worry that it may end up withering just like the last time. So, you wanted to remedy this.
I was able to find a balance between my problem and want. I wanted a succulent, but I cannot take care of it. I realize that crafting a succulent will do the trick! It is simple, but it still does the job. These DIY succulents are also adorable. They are great gifts for any plant lovers out there! You can also experiment by using different colors of felt. This way, you can customize the color to your living space or present.
These favor tags are available as an INSTANT DOWNLOAD editable template. Edit right in your browser using the online program, Templett. No software to download or fonts to install and you can even try it out before you buy!
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If you're a last-minute gift wrangler like me, then you're going to want to stay tuned over the next few weeks because I've been in a printable gift card holder mood and you're about to reap the benefits. Keeping gift cards on hand for last-minute parties is the easiest way to pull together a last-minute card or gift and by popping them in a printable gift card holder, you're sure to take them up a notch. So today we're going super versatile with a succulent printable gift card holder that would be perfect for year-round teacher gifts, bridal showers, birthdays, or even just simple thank you's!
Psst! Looking for other gift card holder designs? I've got you covered with teacher banner gift card holders, school bus teacher gift card holders, or if you're feeling extra fun - pop a gift card into these printable poptart treat boxes!
Tip: For a slide-out pop up, use double-sided tape to tape the bottom closed. OR for a more traditional card option, write a message on the inside flap and then open the card from the bottom.
Tip: If you're not sure how to upload an SVG cut file to Cricut Design Space, watch this helpful video training series I made. If you're on an iPhone or iPad, here's how to download and upload SVG files to the Cricut Design Space app.
My design file includes multiple succulents and some tropical leaves. Depending on your tray size, you may need to cut additional succulents to fill your tray. I used the medium-sized tray from my supplies list and cut three extra succulents, in addition to cutting the entire design, to fill the tray.
My design is made up of six groups. Each group represents a different color of cardstock. It takes 18 12" x 12" mats. I've colored the groups A-F to match the green shades in the cardstock listed in my supplies. Group F uses the maroon cardstock.
As your Paper Succulents cut, I recommend placing the pieces for each succulent into individual stacks or into plastic storage bags. You will be cutting a lot of parts and it is easy to mix them up or misplace a small piece. Below is a diagram of each succulent in the order in which they will cut. When I refer to succulent numbers during the assembly of this project, use this graphic for reference. You will also find a JPG of this graphic in the design files.
Once everything is in place, we will glue the floral foam to the tray. Remove one piece of floral foam from the tray at a time and add glue to the bottom of the foam, or the bottom of the tray, then place the foam back into the tray. Continue doing this until all the foam is glued down.
After you have glued all pieces of floral foam into the tray, we are going to add artificial moss to the top of the foam. To do this, begin adding a lot of hot glue to the top of the floral foam then press pieces of moss into the glue. You will want to do this in small sections to avoid the hot glue cooling. I highly recommend wearing hot glue finger protectors to avoid finger burns during this process.
The Ranger Distress Inks are dyes, dry quicker, and are more transparent than Ranger Distress Oxides. The Ranger Distress Oxides are pigments, more opaque, and don't dry as fast as the inks. I forgot to wear rubber gloves and learned that these inks can be challenging to remove from your hands with soap and water. The dyes eventually came off my hands after 1-2 days. For this reason, I recommend wearing rubber gloves when working with the Ranger Distress Inks and Oxides.
PanPastels are super soft, easily blendable, and rich in color. They are highly pigmented and require no drying time. Unlike pastel chalk, they are low dust and offer a greater coverage. I found the PanPastels much easier to work with than the Ranger Inks. And no matter how much you get on your hands, the ink washes off completely with soap and water.
Assembling the succulents is fun and lets you get creative. I am going to show you how I made my the succulents using the Ranger Inks and Oxides as well as the PanPastels. Coloring your succulents is optional, but I think it makes them look more realistic. Refer to the cut order graphic above, which identifies each of the Paper Succulents by number.
You will need your cut pieces for succulent 1, a cosmetic sponge, and the PanPastel in Red Extra Dark. To keep your hands clean, you can wear rubber gloves. I also recommend using a piece of scrap paper or kraft paper to protect your work surface.
Rub the cosmetic sponge into the PanPastel to pick up color. I am shading each leaf differently by alternating between shading the middle, end, and side. Apply the pastel starting at the leaf and pushing out to the scrap paper. Do not apply in a back and forth method.
To mold each leaf I am using my cricut scraper tool. Place the scraper tool near the middle of the leaf and pull to the edge. This technique is similar to taking scissors to curing ribbon. Do not pull too hard or you are likely to rip off the leaf.
We are going to roll the long piece with all the leaves using a quilling tool. You can make your own, purchase one, or use a pair of tweezers. Insert the cardstock into the quilling tool starting at the end with the smaller leaves. Begin rolling the strip of cardstock around your quilling tool.
Use wire cutters to cut the end of the floral wire so it is the same length as the other side. Please be cautious when cutting floral. You can wear protective eyewear to shield your eyes from flying wire.
You will need your cut pieces for succulent 2, a cosmetic sponge, and scrap or kraft paper along with Ranger Distress Oxide ink in Abandoned Coral. I highly recommend wearing rubber gloves when using Ranger inks as they stain.
Press a cosmetic sponge onto the ink pad then lightly begin inking the outer edges of each leaf. Apply the ink beginning at the edge of the cardstock and working out. Do not apply the ink using a back and forth method.
Continue adding color to each leaf. Flip the piece over and color each leaf on the back side. Do not add color to the small rectangle piece of cardstock. This will be placed on the bottom of the succulet and used to add the floral wire.
Next I am going to give each leaf some shape using the Cricut Scraper tool. To mold the leaf, place the leaf on top the edge of the scraper and pull. This is the same technique I demonstrated when we made the first succulent.
As you get to the smaller pieces you may find the leaf difficult to shape with the scraper tool. This is where the wooden dowels come in handy. Grab a 3/16" dowel and wrap ends of each leaf around the dowel.
In addition to the pieces for succulent 3, grab a cosmetic sponge, rubber gloves, and Ranger Abandoned Coral Distress Oxide ink. Use a piece of scrap or kraft paper to protect your work surface from stains.
Grab your pieces for paper succulent 6 along with Yellow Ochre and Hansa Yellow PanPastels. As with the other succulents, you will need your cosmetic sponges and a piece of scrap or kraft paper to cover your work surface.
We are going to be assembling this succulent so the leaves are pointing up. Start with the largest piece and work to the smallest. Add hot glue to the center of the largest piece. You do not need a lot of hot glue.
Play with different shading techniques for your succulents. Curling the leaves under or over will give each succulent a completely different look. The most important part is to have fun. Succulents come in a variety of colors and shapes and they are all so beautiful.
Begin arranging your succulents in the tray by sticking the floral wire through the moss and into the floral foam. The nice thing about having the floral wire at the bottom of each succulent is that you can move the succulents around until they are placed exactly how you want them.
Once you are happy with the arrangement of your succulents, remove a succulent from its placement, add hot glue to the tips of the floral wire, then return it to its spot. This helps secure the succulent in place and ensures they will not fall out when moving the tray.
My paper succulent tray is a great addition to any home decor. It looks great hanging on the wall or placed on a countertop. The best part is they are maintenance free and you can't kill them. The paper succulent tray also makes a great gift!
Q: Do I have to use PanPastels and/or Distress Oxide Inks?
No, this is completely optional. You can also use chalk, crayon, makeup (like eye shadow and blush), colored pencils, and dry-brushed acrylic paint to give your paper succulent pieces color and dimension.
Jennifer Marx is a designer, an enthusiastic crafter, a lifelong teacher, and a proud overcomer of a variety of life's challenges. In her spare time she loves to play D&D and video games, garden, sew costumes, and go to Disney. She lives a full, happy life in beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan with her partner Greg, her daughter Alexa, their two dogs, Hunter and Chloe, and their sassy orange cat, Butterscotch.
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