How to Make Living Succulent Wreaths

Select your wire wreath form. You can find wire wreath forms in the floral section of your local crafts store. They come in various sizes, and are usually round or square. In this example, we've used a 14-inch square form. The square shape adds a modern touch, and the finished wreath looks like a picture frame.

Soak pieces of sheet moss in water. Wring the sheets dry and lay them on top of the wreath form. Sheet moss is available in the floral section of crafts stores. Choose sheet moss that has a lot of soil attached. The soil side of the moss should be facing up, while the green side of the moss sits in the wire form.

Spoon sphagnum peat moss on top of the soil side of the sheet moss. Sphagnum peat moss, available in nurseries or the garden section of your local home improvement store, helps retain moisture and creates ideal growing conditions for the succulents' roots.

Wrap the sheet moss around the peat moss so the peat moss is completely enclosed. Tie 24-gauge paddle florist wire to the wire frame, and start wrapping the wire tightly around both the frame and the moss to keep the peat moss encased.

Leave the wire on the paddle and keep going around as you wrap the moss. If any sheet moss is not large enough to encase the peat moss, add a piece of sheet moss on top before wrapping it with wire. When you've gone all the way around with the wire, form a loop in the back to hang the wreath.

If you are working with cuttings, cut the succulents so the stems are as long as the thickness of your moss. Let the cuttings air dry for a few days until they form a scab. This scab prevents moisture from leaking out of the succulent, while protecting it from disease.

Dip the stems of the succulents in water to moisten, and then dip them in the rooting hormone. Shake off any excess powder. The hormone, available at nurseries, helps to stimulate root growth.

Use scissors, a sharp pencil or a knife to poke a hole in the moss.

Gently push the stem of the succulent into the hole you just made. To help secure the succulent in place, insert a florist pin, available at craft stores, around a bottom leaf that isn't seen, and insert the pin into the moss.

If you're using store-bought succulents, remove the succulent from the container. Take off all the excess soil, and keep the roots on the stem.

As with the cuttings, poke a hole in the moss with scissors, and use your fingers to push some moss aside to create a larger opening. Insert the stem with roots into this larger opening and secure a leaf with a floral pin. Keep adding succulents until you've covered the wreath.