Recycle Coffee Bags Into ....table Decor...gifts... Place Markers at Events...

Hi everyone

Here is another upcycle, reuse, recycle project. I am sure we are all drinking more coffee than usual during lockdown and hopefully it is GOOD coffee that comes in these foil type bags with cool packaging labels and logos!

They make great coffee table conversation topics, or a hostess gift or place 'marker' gifts at events, filled with pretty water-wise succulents.

Examples of plants:

Rhipsalis

Sanseveria

Schlumbergia

Strings of pearls

This is an incredibly quick and effective project. Keep your coffee bags till you want to make the planters. Fold the top edges over twice, like folding a hem, to neaten them and reinforce the lip. Don't worry about the little air vent, it will be covered with soil, bark or pretty stones.

Collect some gravel. This will weigh the bags down. You do not want a top heavy arrangement falling over. Fill the bags to 25 to 30% with gravel as in picture 1 above.

Add succulent mix or potting soil with a little fine gravel for drainage. PLEASE note the bags are not perforated for drainage. This makes them perfect for table display and this is why succulents are good plant choices. Water only once a week and allow the soil to dry out.

You may want some bark chips, pretty gravel or stones or any tiny decoration that tickles you for the top of the soil after planting.

Add your little succulents. I have used rooted plants to make them settle in immediately without needing to grow roots but you can also plant succulents that have no roots yet but have been allowed to callous over the raw end for a few days to prevent rot. In this instance you may also delay watering after planting for two or three days.

There is a good suggestion for pleasing displays. Have a tall plant, a spreading plant and a trailing plant. This creates interest in your arrangement. It is called the Thriler (tall), filler (the lower growing plant) and Spiller for the one trailing down the sides.

Note how I have bags that have the same colour picked up in both? This adds cohesion to an arrangement. Naturally you can have a single coffee bag too. I like arrangements and also adding other items like the giant pod shown above.

Once your plants are securely planted and you are pleased with their arrangement, add your finishing touches as in bark chips, pretty gravel or stones.

If it is a gift you could use a painted skewer with a pretty name label as a place marker and 'take home' gift with your friend/family member's name on..

Remember to water fairly infrequently but gently so as not to mess the topping and deeply enough to wet the roots.

Enjoy this quick and effective indoor plant display project. They are exceptionally happy on outside patio tables too.