Cork planter magnets

A few weekends ago, there was a food truck festival going in Fremont, and we were very excited to go for lunch. We tried to pace ourselves, but ate way too much, way too fast, because... well because self-control is just hard. We obviously knew better. It was a Sunday, and the weekly market was also happening, which pretty much made it my dream Sunday afternoon. Eating delicious food and walking around the market with friends. What more can you ask for? While walking around, I saw a stand with cute succulent magnet cork planters, and knew I wanted to try to make some myself. I didn't want to mess with soil, so instead of succulents, I opted for Tillandsia or air plants, which is so far one of the only plant types I've been able to keep alive for a decent amount of time. Instead of getting nourishment through their roots, their leaves trap water in the air, hence the name. These were so easy and fun to make, and I love them in our kitchen. Tillandsia do best in a bright room, but away from direct sun light.

Material

Corks. Take the time to pick the nicest ones, with fun drawings or inscriptions.
Small air plants.
Magnets. You can purchase a self adhesive band such as this one, and cut it according to the length you need. Depending on the corks you use, you may need to add some hot glue or Krazy glue.
Something sharp to make a hole. I used a screwdriver with a drill bit, and an X-Acto to finish the edges.

Instructions

Using the screwdriver, make a hole on top of the cork. Be careful if you picked a cork with a nice design that the drawing or inscription is not up side down. Yep, seems obvious. But happens to the best of us. You can use a sharp knife to clean out the edges for a nicer finish.
Stick the magnet to the side of the cork, opposite to the design you want displayed.
Place the plant in the hole.

Notes & Care

Water about once or twice a week; you can use a spray bottle or run the plant under the water tap, gently shaking off the extra water afterwards. 

It can be a challenge to find little plants. I went to a few stores without finding any small enough, and finally when I explained what I was looking for, a helpful girl looked for babies growing on the bigger plants, and found a few for me to take home, for free. Thanks! Interestingly, air plant babies are called pups. You will find them around the base of the plant, or may find that a plant is a cluster of individual smaller ones. They can be separated at the roots.

I realized that my corks varied greatly. I had some more spongy ones, that needed no additional glue to keep the self-adhesive magnet in place, while some needed hot glue and some wouldn't stick on unless I used Krazy glue, so you may need to experiment a little. I also founded it helpful to use a thick elastic to secure the magnet on the cork after applying the glue, and keeping it there until properly dry.

Hope you like these as much as I do!