Being a busy mom who also runs a small business means that I get virtually no time for myself. Usually the only time I am alone and responsibility free is when I lay down to sleep after staying up way too late, and even then my wheels are still turning. Since nobody can thrive under constant pressure and stress, I have found it essential to start taking small breaks throughout the day to step away from everything that is going on, center myself, and relax my mind. Yes, it is difficult to step away from the compute or put down the camera, but in the long run it helps me be more efficient and actually get things done, rather than staring at the screen because I am mentally burnt out.
So how do I manage to fit these breaks in? I just do it. Whether it is 10 minutes or 30, I treasure those small pockets of time where I get to hang up my responsibilities and have a “me moment”. As I mentioned before, one of my favorite ways to relax is by crafting, and I love working on small projects that take less than an hour to complete. I can get inspiration from anything around me, like these cute glass yogurt jars I found the other day. I ended up making a set of cactus planters with them in just under 30 minutes, and I loved every second of it! If you want to make them yourself, follow the simple instructions below or watch the quick video at the end of this post!
Easy cactus planters
This mini craft combines two things I love the most: Gardening and making. It takes very little effort, and is a great way to spend a quick 20 minutes when you need to wind down or relax. If you haven’t yet seen my love of all things plants, go ahead and take a look around, and hopefully get some inspiration!
Moving on to our craft, you will need:
- Mini cactuses
- Rinsed/washed yogurt or glass pots
- Sand (playground sand – costs less than $10)
- Small bag of cactus soil
- Tape
- Paint in your choice of color
- Small paint brushes
The first step is the most fun, because you get to eat your yogurt! Once your jar is empty, wash it out and dry it. To build your cactus planter, start with a layer of sand.
Next, drop in your cactus and fill in any spots with extra soil. I love planting in clear containers so I can see all the roots!
To add a little fun to your jar, apply some tape around it in the design of your choice. I wanted mine to be a simple swirl stripe, so I created a swirl pattern with tape as borders on the top and bottom, and painted in the middle. Once you have your design painted, peel off the tape and reveal how adorable it is!
Here is the full process video (Make sure to set the resolution to HD by clicking the gear icon in Youtube):