Rachael Cohen - Infinite Succulent: Miniature Living Art to Keep or Share

Copyright 2019 by Rachael Cohen

Photographs copyright 2019 by Marie Monforte Photography

All rights reserved Printed in China

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, The Countryman Press, 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact W. W. Norton Special Sales at specialsales@wwnorton.com or 800-233-4830

Book design by Jackie Shao

Production Manager: Devon Zahn

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

ISBN: 9781682683439 (ebk.)

The Countryman Press

www.countrymanpress.com

A division of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.

500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

www.wwnorton.com

978-1-68268-342-2

To my community of creatives: those who inspire, collaborate, commiserate, and ceaselessly lift up. Thank you for always encouraging me to go after what sets my soul on fire and my mind at peace.

And to all of you, may you often be encouraged to do the same!

As a young child, I was enamored with my grandmothers jade plant. It was a big branchy specimen housed in an intricately painted pot that she brought back from her trips with my grandfather to Japan. I loved the dark green, glossy look of the pudgy and oh-so-touchable leaves and how the segmented stems formed bonsai shapes that made the best little spaces for my menagerie of mini toy animals.

Maybe that is what started my lifelong obsession with succulents. Or maybe its their amazing beauty and varietythe plethora of shapes and sizes, textures, and tones they encompass. Or maybe its because those very shapes and textures, and even the way they reproduce, remind me of ocean critters and my other passion as an ocean educator. Or perhaps its their capacity to survive harsh conditions, how incredibly prolific they are, or that you can clip them for bouquets and craft projects and those clippings will root and thrive, all factors that have solidified these plants as more sustainable and cost-effective floral options for wedding and event decor. Seriously, I could go on and on, and I will, but first let me to introduce myself.

My name is Rachael (pronounced Raquel), and I am an environmental educator with a passion for nature and a (at times questionably) healthy obsession with succulents. I am also the creator and owner of Infinite Succulent, a botanical art, design, and educational service based out of San Diego, California, that aspires to connect us all to nature through plant decor.

Thank you for joining me on this journey of playful succulent crafts. Together, we will source, prep, and create fun, inexpensive, and endearing living art, perfect to keep or share. The succulent crafts highlighted in this book make perfect activities for parties or even event decor! Throughout these pages, you will also learn the basics of succulent care and propagation. I hope that you too will feel inspired by the infinite creative opportunities that succulents provide.

Lets get started.

Over the past few years, Im sure youve noticed how succulents have sprouted up in almost every coffee shop, trendy boutique, and all over your Instagram feed. You may be wondering: Why succulents? Whats so special about these plants?

Let me describe to you my ideal plants. They often look like chubby flowers (called rosettes), although sometimes they more closely resemble leafy foliage with a multitude of textures, shapes, sizes, and colors. Some are tall and fuzzy, others are short and spiky, while still others cascade downward with petite droplet-shaped leaves. They may be green, purple, pink, or even bluish in hue, or possess gorgeous red or pink leaf tips. You can clip them for use in bouquets or arrangements, yet unlike flowers and foliage, they can actually regrow their roots and continue to thrive when replanted. Now take a moment and imagine the stem left behind when you first cut that beautiful flower-shaped plant. It is not only still alive but is now sprouting two to three new teeny-tiny flower- or leaf-shaped plants. If you were to ever so gently remove those tiny baby plants, they too would eventually grow roots and thrive.

Of course, these ideal plants are succulents, and the characteristics I listed above are just some of the reasons they so delight me. Succulents variety, versatility, beauty, and simple will to survive are why they are my favorite muses when making planted art. When arranged together, they create the most beautiful array of shapes, textures, and colors. They can be clipped, used for numerous art projects, and then replanted, often barely looking worse for wear from their adventures away from soil. Also, most succulents will not only readily reproduce when clipped, but often grow more plant heads where before there was only one.

This ability to be clipped, used for art, and then replanted is why I consider succulents potential for creative expression to be limitless. The more you clip and create, the more your collection will grow and the more you will be inspired to create living art!

As an experienced environmental educator and former black-thumb extraordinaire, I also appreciate succulents sustainably oriented and low
maintenance attitude. Succulents are plants that store water in their stems and leaves (yes, cacti are types of succulents) and, as such, offer beautiful and statuesque options for those looking for water-conserving plants both indoors and out. Combine all of this with their ability to survive neglect, reproduce readily, and bounce back from damaging conditions, and its no wonder succulents have become some of the most popular plants for design!

The living crafts featured in this book have been organized into three categories: crafts to decorate homes, offices, and others spaces (Succulent Decor on ). The crafts are also organized roughly in order of difficulty, with the more advanced crafts coming later in the book. This provides time to practice your technique and gain confidence in your skills.

These designs make inexpensive and captivating decor pieces and gifts, as well as craft projects for any party you can imagine! For example, Succulent-Crowned Mini Pumpkins () for garden parties or spring weddings. Not only will you learn all about preparing and creating succulent art, I hope you also feel inspired to share your newfound skills with your friends, family, and guests!

Before we begin creating our living art, lets discuss how to source and prep plants and materials.

How do you go about getting your hands on the ideal succulents for crafting purposes?

When heading to a nursery or your favorite local plant store, try to find pots chock-full of succulents with lots of clip-able parts. Look for statement thriller plants, like echeveria and Ghost Plants (