DIY Succulent Birdcage Planter – Step by Step Tutorial

This DIY succulent birdcage planter tutorial shows how easy it is to transform household items into succulent planters.

Recycle an ordinary birdcage in a few hours with some simple modifications and an assortment of plants.

Succulents are great for a project like this because of their compact size and drought tolerance.

Do you have an old (or new!) birdcage hanging around? Keep reading to learn how to make a hanging birdcage planter for your succulents.

Throughout this post are affiliate links to Mountain Crest Gardens, my favorite supplier of succulents and other online sites. I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you if you purchase through an affiliate link.

How to make a birdcage planter

There are a few things to consider when determining which bird cage to buy for your planter.

First, be sure to get the right size birdcage planter for the succulents you’re going to be using. The one I used for this tutorial was approximately 10 inches wide and 15 inches tall.

It’s also important to ensure there is a wide enough opening to add your plants. Look a birdcage with a top that swivels open.

Birdcage planter supplies:

Gather these supplies for this DIY birdcage planter:

• White birdcage with a top opening
• Weather-proof spray paint – Optional, but useful if your birdcage is in poor condition.
• Coco coir basket liner
• Succulent potting soil
• Fall colored plaid ribbon
• Assorted succulents
• Scissors

Making the hanging birdcage planter

If the paint on your birdcage is in bad condition, spray it with weather-proof paint first.

Cut the cocoa coir basket liner in a circle that is three inches larger than the base of your birdcage. The coco coir liner will keep the soil inside the birdcage.

Don’t throw away the coco coir scraps. You’ll use the pieces you cut off as “filler” for the spaces between the plants.

Place the cutout circle of cocoa coir in the bottom of the birdcage. Add a layer of succulent potting soil to the center of the cocoa coir basket liner.

Decorating birdcages with plants

Now it is time to start planting the succulents. You’ll need about 30 succulents of various sizes for this project.

If possible, try to have a combination of rosette succulents, like echeverias, as well as some trailing types, such as Thanksgiving cactus.

I was fortunate enough to have several trays of succulent leaf cuttings from a project that I did a few months ago. You can also purchase small succulents if you don’t have any rooted cuttings.

When you put the succulents in your birdcage, instead of placing them face up as you would in a normal pot, lay them on their sides.

Position the succulents so they’re poking out through the openings in the side of the birdcage. Alternate with both large and smaller succulents. Then cover the roots with a thin layer of soil. 

Add some of the coco coir scraps you saved earlier to fill in the spaces between the succulents on the outside edges of the birdcage.

This finishes the first layer of the succulent birdcage planter.

To start the next layer, add roughly two inches of soil in the center of the planter, and another layer of succulents laying sideways, poking out of the birdcage.

Add more soil to cover the roots, and more coco coir between the succulents on the outside of the birdcage. 

Repeat this process until you have enough layers to fill your birdcage (mine was about 5 layers).

Alternate between large, small, compact, and hanging plants to give interest and dimension to the succulent birdcage planter. 

For the top layer, add a large succulent facing up, such as hens and chicks. This plant will send out offsets in time, and the baby succulents will fill in the top layer. Fill in the area around this succulent with more coco coir.

Close your birdcage and tie two pieces of plaid ribbon to the top as a decoration.

When you are finished planting, you may notice that there are some areas on the side of the planter where the soil shows. Fill these in by stuffing cocoa coir through the birdcage into the areas that need covering.

The decorative succulent birdcage planter is done!

Displaying a bird cage succulent planter

Once you have finished your succulent birdcage planter, you can display it in a variety of ways.

You can place it on a patio table, hang it on a tree or attach it to a fence post. 

If you have a hook on the eave of your home, you can hang this succulent birdcage planter there, too.

More DIY succulent display projects

If you are looking for other projects that feature succulents, check out these tutorials:

• Wooden succulent arrangement
• DIY succulent arrangement
• DIY strawberry planter for succulents
• Coffee pot succulent terrarium

Share this hanging birdcage planter on Twitter

If you enjoyed learning how to recycle your old birdcage into a succulent planter, why not share this tutorial with a gardening friend? Here is a tweet to get you started:

Pin this birdcage planter tutorial

Would you like a reminder of this post for decorating birdcages with plants? Pin this image to one of your gardening boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later. 

Admin note: This post for a DIY birdcage planter first appeared on the blog in August 2016. I have updated the post to add clearer instructions, a project card, and a video for you to enjoy.

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Yield: 1 hanging birdcage planter

How to Make a Birdcage Succulent Garden

Print

Don't throw that old bird cage away. Recycle it into a bird cage planter. All you need are a few supplies and a group of small succulent plants.

Prep Time 3 minutes

Active Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 3 minutes

Difficulty medium

Estimated Cost $10 - $50

Materials

• Bird cage with a top opening
• Spray paint (optional)
• Cocoa coir fiber basket liner
• Succulent potting soil
• 30 large and small succulent plants
• Fall plaid ribbon

Tools

• Heavy duty scissors
• Watering can

Instructions

1. Clean the bird cage.
2. Depending on the condition, if it needs a touch-up, add a coat of spray paint.
3. Cut out a circular piece of the cocoa coir liner three inches larger than the base of the birdcage. Reserve the extra pieces of coco coir for later.
4. Add the circular piece of cocoa coir liner to the bottom of the bird cage.
5. Fill the liner with potting soil.
6. Adding succulent plants, laying on their sides, on the outside edges of the soil so they're poking out of the bird cage.
7. Cover the roots with thin layer of soil.
8. Add pieces of the cocoa coir fiber between the plants near the upright rungs of the birdcage to hide the soil.
9. This completes the first layer.
10. Add two inches of soil in the center and continue layering succulents, soil, and coco coir until you reach the top of the birdcage.
11. Alternate between small and large plants as you're layering, making sure to pull the plants through the rungs of the birdcage slightly.
12. Once you get to the top of the birdcage, add soil and place a large succulent, face up, in the center.
13. Surround this large succulent with more cocoa coir.
14. Have a look at the birdcage and make sure all areas showing exposed soil are covered with cocoa coir fiber.
15. Close the top of the birdcage.
16. Cut two pieces of plaid ribbon and tie them around the top of the birdcage.
17. Water well.
18. Display on a patio table, or as a hanging planter.

Notes

Use a combination of small and large succulents. Also, incorporate some rosette types and some that hang down, such as a string of pearls or a Thanksgiving cactus.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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  Metal Bird Cage Centerpiece, Hanging Birdcage Lantern, Make a Succulent Birdcage Planter
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  Metal Scroll Birdcage Distressed Wire with Latch Lock Closure and Hanging Hook, Set of 2 21", 18"H, Cream
• 
  2-Piece Metal Square Bird Cage Set, white, 8"l x 10"w x 22"h

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