Rustic Vintage Succulent Wall Art

I recently combined my love of vintage with my plant obsession and created this piece of succulent wall art. If you’re looking for a simple, low maintenance way to bring elements of nature into your home, this might be just what you crave!

We’ve been so busy with the work of starting our farm that I don’t have quite as much time to fiddle and tinker with our decor as frequently as I’d like. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy expressing my creativity by decorating. This is a hobby that I find particularly soothing. But I’m just not making changes quite as quickly right now.

Instead, I’ve been leaning toward design touches that will work for an entire season…not just a few weeks.

Why decorate with succulents?

To me, succulents are classic and timeless. They work for every season, and they make your spaces feel alive–even if you use faux ones!

But first, let’s talk about the benefits of real succulents.

Succulents are extremely drought tolerant. If you have a habit of neglecting your houseplants and dooming them to the compost bin, succulents might be a great option.

Like all plants, succulents also purify the air by taking in carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. They can also increase humidity, and that can make your home feel more comfortable.

Working plants into your decor also has wellness implications. Many studies have confirmed the mental health and stress-reducing benefits of caring for plants. And plants also help boost concentration and productivity, so there’s another great reason to add a succulent arrangement to your work or study spaces.

Choosing Plants for Succulent Wall Art

Give me a project where I can get a little crafty, and I’m in my happy place! I especially enjoy finding ways to do something a little unexpected when I decorate (like THIS, or THIS).

Sure, you can set up a terrarium or create a beautiful dish garden, but why not take it to another level and create a piece of succulent wall art?!

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Should You Use Real or Faux Succulents for Wall Art?

You can absolutely use real, live succulents to create your wall arrangement. Because they’re so drought tolerant and not very fussy, they’re the perfect candidates for a project like this.

However, I didn’t want to have a single thought about watering and tending to my succulent wall art, so I went with the faux option.

But, if we’re been friends for very long, you know I’m uber picky about my faux botanicals. I am not about to put some plastic-y looking stems into my decor! Instead, I will search and search until I find the most realistic faux options around.

I’m still thrifty, though. So don’t worry because my recommendations won’t break the bank!

{ Related: The 15 Best Faux Plants for Spring Under $5 }

The Most Realistic Faux Succulents

Before I embarked upon this project, I ordered a bunch…and I do mean a BUNCH…of faux succulents. Remember, I’m a faux flower snob, so I only wanted the most realistic looking faux succulents for my arrangement. 😉

Of all that I ordered, these were my two favorite sets, and I’ll share the highlights of each below.

My Top Choice: 16-piece Succulent Set

This is, hands down, my favorite variety pack set, and it’s primarily what I used in this piece of succulent wall art.

There’s a lot to like about this set. For starters, there’s a whopping 16 little faux succulent plants, so it’s a great value! I still have a bunch that I haven’t even used yet, so I definitely feel that I got my money’s worth with this set (and it’s very affordable on top of that!).

You get a good variety of plant types in this set. Everything from echeveria to sedum. I also loved that there’s variation in the colors of the leaves, so the plant assortment feels more natural and realistic compared to sets where each plant type is the same color of bright (fake) green.

The plants in this set are quite good sized compared to other sets I ordered in the same price range. Each one was weighty and substantial, not flimsy or especially fragile.

If you’re looking for a good quality set of faux succulents in a reasonable price range, I would not hesitate to snap this one up. I loved it!

The Perfect Complement: String of Pearls

While the 16-piece succulent set above did include one string of pearls, these ones are definitely superior. They’re a bit longer/larger, and they felt just a touch more realistic.

This is a 3-pack, so again, you’re getting a good value with this set. Each one extends 13.5″ (about 34 cm). The stems are bendable, so they’re very easy to work into a variety of decor ideas.

I have used this set of String of Pearls in many places already. They’re perfect to drape from shelves, ironstone pitchers, or trailing from a floral arrangement.

{ Related: How to Style a Bookcase…Against the Rules! }

In fact, I use them so often that I probably need to just order another set or two just so I don’t have to keep stealing them from other vignettes!

You’ll notice that I used 2 of these in my succulent wall art arrangement, and they definitely add some depth to the design.

Which set is better?

Both of these sets are excellent, so I can’t pick one of them as being “better” than the other. It really comes down to how you intend to use them.

If you’re crafting a succulent wall art arrangement, and you have a tight budget for the project, the 16-piece set has the variety you will probably want. It does include one String of Pearls in the set, although, again, not at the same quality as the others I’ve recommended.

How to Make a Succulent Wall Art Arrangement

For my arrangement, I used a vintage soda crate, a thrifted frame, and a burlap grain sack. Can’t get much more rustic, French farmhouse than that, amiright?!

The frame originally had a painting inside, but I removed it. Then, I added the burlap so that there was an opaque base behind my arrangement.

Next, I used some jute twine to hang the soda crate from the top of the frame.

When it came to arranging my succulents, I really just played with things and moved them around until they felt “right” to me. I wanted to make sure I had enough negative space (i.e. the spaces without succulents), so I didn’t over-fill the crate. However, I think it could look pretty great filled with more succulents, too!

Another option for filling in the negative space is to use Spanish moss. You can even tuck this around your succulents for some more texture. This would give you a lot more green in your design, if that’s what you’re going for.

I hope this arrangement has given you some botanical inspiration to craft your own succulent wall art. And most importantly, I hope I’ve helped you find some highly-realistic faux succulents that you’ll love to work into your decor for years to come!

If you enjoyed this project, be sure to sign up for my newsletter (about twice a month) for more ideas, and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. I’m looking forward to crafting and decorating together again soon!