Slimes - A Squishy, Gooey, Goopy Fidget

Slimes used to be an intentionally disgusting toy or prank. Nickelodeon’s classic green slime was many peoples’ first introduction to the material in the late 1900’s and early 2000’s. It was used by Nickelodeon as a way to shock players or as a fun penalty. Slime was slipperier than Play-Doh, colored like a toxic waste that oozed out of a comicbook, and had a very distinctive scent. Imagine my surprise, when I started seeing slimes sold in stores that looked kind of pretty. Suddenly slimes were gorgeous blue-purples with cosmic glitter swirls, some had stuff floating in them like sprinkles and glow in the dark stars, and then I saw honest to goodness artisan slimes. They claimed they smelled like flowers, fruits, a sunset breeze. These were slimes that broke my mind. They looked beautiful. I had to try some.

Elmer's Gue

First, I needed to try a baseline for this new world of playful slimes. I opted for a 5 pound bucket of clear Elmer’s Gue. I got it partly because I liked the nameplay. Elmer’s Glue was the staple glue for every school project. Seeing Elmer’s drop the “L” to make Elmer’s Gue made me giggle.

Elmer’s Gue acted NOTHING like the slimes from my childhood. It was clear and very cohesive. It was extremely satisfying to play with once I figured out the trick. Pull the clear slime fast, and it came off super easy. Be at all cautious on a pull and it would stretch and cling to everything. Slimes from the 90’s were designed to make an absolute mess. This new slime honestly cleaned up pretty nicely. I did make the newbie mistake of getting slime in my hair. Good news, it comes out easily enough if you drench your hair in vinegar. The vinegar breaks the slime down and makes it super duper slid-y and it goops off with water. 

I discovered I really, truly do not like inclusions in my slime. The plain Jane clear stuff was awesome. Adding in sprinkles drove my fingers nuts. All in all, I would rate Elmer’s Gue an 8/10. It was far more satisfying than I expected, smelled fine, was easy to work with, and I definitely got a lot of slime for my money.

Elmer’s Gue - 8/10

I learned a few lessons for future use.

1. A person should always wash their hands before playing with slimes. I also put my hair up in a ponytail to prevent loose strands from getting in the mix. This increases the lifespan of the slime. It’s no fun running into grit or hair the next time you pull your slime out.

2. Store slimes away from sunlight. Clear slimes are especially susceptible to UV radiation and will turn colors.

3. Store slimes in a tub that seals tight. This keeps them from drying out and withering.

4. Clean up slime by slapping more slime on it. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the mass of slime grabs the little remnants and lifts them off.

Momo Slimes

Armed with new knowledge, I decided to order from an incredibly high-end artisanal slime company that makes small batches and posts them up weekly. I ordered from Momo Slimes. I couldn’t help myself! Their youtube channel is absolutely addicting. They claimed so many different texture, scents, sounds, and interactions. I had to at least try.

I purchased three different styles on a restock; Rainy Day, Butterfly Pea Sorbet, and Fairy Soda. A small cardboard box arrived with three little tubs of slime. These are definitely not the economy Bucket o Slime. For comparison, a 5 pound bucket of Elmer’s Gue cost less than $20 with free shipping. The three little slimes I ordered from Momo cost a total of $68.44 with shipping.

The bar was set. Did I enjoy these fancy slimes more than a bucket of Gue?

The first thing I noticed was that the inclusions for most of the slimes were bagged separately. I really appreciated this as I am just not texturally happy with a lot of materials and like the feel of “just slime.” By having them separated, I can experiment with adding a little in to a sample piece, before doing an entire batch.

Rainy Day

This was the one I was most worried about. I’m not a fan of hard plastic-y bits in slime. The color was absolutely gorgeous. The cloud came in a separate container. Rainy Day is designed to have the cloud be mixed in with the rain by the owner, extra toppings are completely optional. Honestly, I was very pleasantly and unpleasantly surprised by this slime.

Unmixed, the slime is a beautiful blue color. The hard “rain” inclusions are actually really nice. The slime texture coats them and makes them not too abrasive. The rain ends up feeling like a scrub or like those toys from the 1990’s that were a bag full of little round beads that you could gush around. The unpleasant surprise actually came from the odor. Unmixed, the slime had a distinctly “bathroom powdery scent” as its front notes. Under that was a nice semi-floral clean scent. The slime is on the slightly wetter, stickier side.

So then, of course, I had to mix the cloud into the rain. I started with just a tiny chunk of both to make sure I would enjoy it before committing to the the entire slime. Right off the bat, I noticed the sharp powdery smell completely get neutralized by the cloud. The hand mixing process was super fun, but once that cloud is folded in there is no going back. The color shifts to look more like a cloud loaded with raindrows which is super cool. The texture becomes very fluffy marshmallow-y, it no longer feels wet at all. The raindrop inclusions become a lot more subtle and tricky to feel. I honestly liked both the pre-mixed version and the mixed version.

Rainy Day before mixing - 7/10

Rainy Day after mixing - 8/10

Fairy Soda

Fun fact, I actually ordered the wrong slime! I thought I ordered Fairy Water to test out a water slime, but I ended up ordering Fairy Soda instead. Water slimes will have to wait for another day, haha. 

Unmixed, this is a fantastic slime. It’s a stunning crystal clear blue. The elderflower scent ends up smelling like a very nice watermelon scent. It acts just how you would want a clear slime to behave, the texture is superbly glossy. I love it to pieces.

Mixed, is another story entirely. I am so glad I mixed only a small sample section. I am sure, this texture and visual combo appeals to some people. The mixing agent is a white gooey, liquidy, styrofoam-ish thing. The mixing agent does smell strongly of apples and berries. When added to the beautiful crystal clear sapphire slime it turns into a messy, stringy, goop. The color mutes to a grey tone. The scents get muddled, I could not pick out the apple scent of the mixer nor the nice watermelon scent of the base. I am not a fan.

Fairy Soda before mixing - 9/10

Fairy Soda after mixing - 2/10

Butterfly Pea Sorbet

I love this slime very, very, much. Butterfly Pea Sorbet arrived as a two tone slime. The colors are STUNNING. The smell is incredible, just a wonderful sweet fruity scent. The scent is not overpowering, it’s not delicate, it just is very present and delightful. I was a little concerned to mix the colors but the end result is a gorgeous lilac. The texture is everything mixed Fairy Soda wanted to be, but better. There are inclusions of tiny butterflies but I could not bring myself to add them, even for reviewing purposes, because I love this slime so much as it is.

Butterfly Pea Sorbet before mixing - 10/10

Butterfly Pea Sorbet after mixing - 10/10

All in all, I was highly satisfied and deeply impressed with my Momo Slimes order. They are definitely a very different experience from something like Elmer’s Gue. The cost is still worth mentioning, these little tubs are not easy on the pocketbook. I would not recommend Momo Slimes for a generic kids’ party. However, if you have a kid who REALLY likes slime, a teenager, or an adult who absolutely loves sensory toys, these are definitely worth it. For generic play, go for the bucket o’ slime.

Name that Pokémon! A Fun New Game for Cutoff Crafts' Pokémon Summer Celebration

Cutoff Crafts is hosting a Pokémon Summer Celebration this July! On Saturday, July 12th, 2025, Cutoff Crafts will be at the Rathdrum Craft and Farmer’s Market from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. hosting a Pokémon Celebration. As always there will be tons of free coloring pages, activity sheets, games, contests, giveaways, and of course, packs of Pokémon for sale! 

One of the new games we will be playing is Name that Pokémon! Name that Pokémon is a tricky guessing game where contestants have to correctly identify a pokémon whose name matches the requirements each round. Each round a new pokémon is chosen by Michelle and clues are provided. Some rounds may have more than one correct answer. The first correct answer earns the player a point. After all of the rounds are done, the points will be tallied. The players with the top three scores each win a prize.

There are three main styles of questions; First and Last Letter, Word Scramble, and Letter Count.

First and Last Letter is where Michelle says, “this Pokémon starts with the letter “C” and ends with the letter “D.” (The letters change depending upon the pokémon, of course!) Players familiar with the classic 151 from Kanto may immediately think of Charizard. Players familiar with the newer regions might guess Capsakid. Ceruledge is also a tempting guess because of that hard “d” sound near the end, but it actually ends with an “e” and so does not count. Either Charizard or Capsakid is correct and will score the player a point.

During a Word Scramble round Michelle will hold up a sign with a pokémon’s name that has been scrambled into an anagram. Players must decipher which pokémon’s name has been scrambled. For instance: “Azaryuaq” would be Rayquaza. The first player to successfully identify the pokémon gets a point.

Letter Count is a type of round where Michelle will provide the first letter of the pokémon’s name and the number of letters in the name. Players have to guess a pokémon that matches those requirements. There may be more than one correct answer. For instance: This pokémon’s name starts with the letter “S” and is four letters long. Either Seel, Snom, or Sawk would earn the first player to identify the pokémon a point. Skrelp and Starly are just a bit too long and would not fit the four letter requirement, while Xatu does not start with an “S” and so also does not earn a point.

Players with the top three point scores will be awarded a first, second, or third place prize at the end of the game. Name that Pokémon is free to enter. Players must answer using only their own knowledge, using an electronic device to solve the puzzles will result in disqualification.

What to Expect at our Pokemon Summer Celebration!

Cutoff Crafts is heading to the Rathdrum Craft and Farmers Market to host our Pokémon Summer Celebration on July 12, 2025 from 9am to 2pm! There is so much awesomeness happening that we have decided to write a blog about everything fans can expect to find!

At the Rathdrum Lions Club, the Rathdrum Craft and Farmers Market is throwing a huge kids day event, complete with corn hole games, karaoke, and a Pokémon Summer Celebration! Yup! We were asked to bring all things Pokémon to kids day and we agreed!

This is going to be our biggest 5 hour celebration yet! We will be bringing back our much loved games but also bringing in new games we are hoping fans will enjoy!

Our Pokémon Summer Celebration will be starting at 9am inside the Rathdrum Lions Club building. The first 20 people to arrive will receive a free Pokémon Swag Tin! These tins have sleeves, stickers, a random Pokémon card, Pokémon fruit snacks, and more! Don't worry, if you miss the freebie, we will have Mystery Loot Bags for sale!

Just like before, we will have coloring pages, activities, and crafts for all Pokémon fans to color and create! These are free to make. Just sit down, crab a crayon pack, and start having fun! Be sure to collect your art at the end of the day to take home and show off to your family and friends.

We will also have a small booth at the celebration featuring our Pokémon collection! Fans can buy, booster packs, ETBs, CCBBs, tins, pins, earing, keychains, lanyards, plushies, and more1 It is a one stop Pokémon Shop. Note: we are bringing some massive booster pack names including Destined Rivals, 151, Prismatic Evolutions, Evolving Skies, and more!

GAMES

Throughout the day, Cutoff Crafts will be hosting poke-tastic games where players can win amazing prizes! Promo cards, booster packs, posters, and more are all up for grabs! Many of these games are Cutoff Crafts Exclusive creations! Please Note: Not all of these games may occur. 

Game 1: Find the Energy
Find the Energy is a game where players circle a table. Ahsoka will drop a pile of energy cards face down on the table. Players will place one hand behind their back. When Ahsoka yells "Search", players will turn over one card at a time. If they find an energy they don't have, they place the card face up in front of them. If it is one they already have, they place it face down back in the pile of energy cards. The goal: Find 9 different energy cards from the pile ! When a player has all 9 energy cards, they raise their hand and yell, "Gotta Catch Them All!" Everyone will stop collecting. Ahsoka will come over and inspect their pile for all 9 different energy cards. If they succeed, they win a prize!

Game 2: Find Pikachu
Find Pikachu is a game where players circle a table. Ahsoka will drop 500 cards face down on the table. Players will place one hand behind their back. When Ahsoka yells "Search", players will turn over one card at a time. If they find Pikachu, the player will raise their hand and yell "PIKACHU!" Everyone will stop collecting. Ahsoka will come over and inspect the card. If the player found Pikachu and not a Ditto, that player wins a Pikachu promo card!

Game 3: Who's in the Pokeball?
At the beginning of the day, we will show everyone a pokeball. Inside is a Pokémon card. Players will be given a chance throughout the day to guess the Pokémon inside the ball. Occasionally, we will give hints about the Pokemon in the pokeball and allow players to make another guess. This game will continue until someone guesses the Pokémon inside. The person who guesses correctly wins the card inside! If no one guesses the Pokémon, no one wins the card.

Game 4: Name That Pokemon (NEW GAME)
Name That Pokemon is a game where players have a chance to win a fun reverse holo, holo, or cool art card! Michelle will provide a word scramble, first and last letter, or other word puzzles players have to solve. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the game wins the first place prize card! We will also have a second and third place prize card!  Must be present to win!

Game 5: Don't Say Pokeball (NEW GAME)
This game is simple, Ahsoka and Michelle cannot say "Pokeball". If we say it, the first person to raise their hand and call us out gets a random Pokeball sticker. Players must collect different Pokeball stickers to win a prize! The more you collect the better the prize!

In order to play: Make a purchase at our booth and receive the Pokeball Card. Then start listening and collecting. Cards are while supplies last.

Game 6: Pokemon Pack Battle (NEW GAME)
Pokemon Pack Battle is a special game for all the Pokemon fans. This game requires a ticket to play. Tickets can be purchased here: https://cutoffcrafts.square.site/product/cutoff-crafts-pok%C3%A9mon-pack-battle-tournament-ticket/868

How this works:
1. Purchase a Cutoff Crafts' Pack Battle Tournament Entry Ticket. Every Battler needs a ticket.
2. Come to the Rathdrum Craft and Farmers Market for our Pokémon Summer Celebration.
3. At 12:45 we will start checking tickets and preparing for the Pack Battle Tournament! All players must be checked in and ready to battle by 12:59pm. The Battle will start at 1pm!

How to play Cutoff Crafts' Pack Battle Tournament:

Cutoff Crafts will supply the packs for each battle. 

1. Players will sit across or next to each other.
2. A member of Cutoff Crafts will give each player a pack. Packs will be featuring trick or trades, with the final battle featuring a fun Japanese pack. (Packs are subject to change)
3. Once a member of Cutoff Crafts says "Battle", players will rip open their packs and display their cards. A member of Cutoff Crafts will decide who is the winner using a ranking sheet we will have available. The player with the top card wins the battle and moves onto the next round. The player who did not win, steps away but keeps the cards they have opened.
4. The next round will be the same. Players will face off with a sealed pack of Pokémon cards. This will continue until one player remains. The last remaining player will be declared the Winning Battler and receive The Grand Prize, which is One Prismatic Evolutions Booster Pack!

There is so much happening at this event with surprises, games, giveaways, and more. It will be a okemon Summer Celebration like no other! We hope to see you at the Rathdrum Craft and Farmers Market at the Rathdrum Lions Club, July 12, 2025 from 9am to 2pm!

We are heading to Lilac City Comicon!

This weekend, you will see us at a LARGE booth at the Lilac City Comicon! We will be hosting a 20x10 endcap near the Batmobile! Da na na na na na na na CUTOFF CRAFTS!

Like always, we are heading in with amazing geeky handmade jewelry and crochet!. Need Vaporeons to wear to the next Pokémon Game or a crochet Pikachu? We have you covered! All earrings are on sterling silver hooks and nickel free! Crochet is made from carefully selected yarn and crocheted with love by Ahsoka.

We are also heading in with a large selection of Pokémon cards and booster packs! We will be featuring Destined Rivals, Glory of Team Rocket, 151, Prismatic Evolutions, Evolving Skies, Journey Together, Temporal Forces, Obsidian Flames, and many more. There will be a wall of this amazing collection. We will also have a limited number of ETBs and our ever popular CCBBs.

What is a CCBB?

A CCBB is a Cutoff Crafts Booster Box. These CCBBs contain one (1) Evolving skies, 151, or prismatic evolution booster pack. The CCBB also comes with one random Japanese booster pack, 6 random booster packs, 4 Trick or Trades booster packs, 1 pack of sleeves, and 5 fun Pokémon themed stickers! We have limited sets of these and it is first come first serve.

While Pokémon will be an awesome find, we will also have other single trading cards and booster packs featuring One Piece, Solo Leveling, Sword Art Online (SAO), Bleach, Yu-Gi-Oh, My Hero Academia, Black Clover, DC, Minecraft, and more! If you wish to see the single cards we have for sale, be sure to ask to see our binders full of amazing cards.

Of course, trading cards are not the only items we will have at this large booth. Be sure to pick up a fun bag clip at our booth to commemorate your time at the coolest Spokane Comicon! We will have Hello Kitty, Solo Leveling, One Piece, Bleach, Spider Man, Stitch, Dragon Ball Z, and more. These Bag Clips are perfect to place on backpacks and keychains to show off your love of all things geeky.

Continuing the geeky theme, we are also bringing our huge line of RPG dice! From our name brand mystery loots to our gemstone collection, our dice will be feature at the head of the table, sparkling in the beautiful light! We will have crackle, liquid core, inclusion, glow in the dark, hollow, solid metal, gemstone, and more. We are also bring a new mystery loot! We will be selling d20 loots with a chance to get a really epic D20! One lucky person may even find a stone D20 in their mystery loot! Good luck!

These highlights are a small selection of what you will find at our booth! We will have so much more! There will also be our amazing pin collection, keychains, lanyards, stones, fossils, and crystals, as well as other geeky items and toys. We will even have a $5 Tower filled with mystery loots featuring Sonic, Stitch, Monster Hight, Nightmare before Christmas, Lord of the Rings, Avatar the Last Airbender, Deadpool, Five Nights at Freddy's, Pokémon, Star Wars, and more!

Also, let's not forget the amazing SpongeBob SquarePants 300 Episode DVD Giveaway!! The drawing for this collection will be happening on June 7, 2025 at around 2pm! We figured this will give you plenty of time to get this autographed, if you so desire. So be sure to get your name in the drawing. You must be present to win! 

Note: this is for the collection only. The autograph is not included.

Lilac City Comicon is June 7, 2025 from 10am to 6pm and June 8 from 10am to 4pm at the Spokane Convention Center!  We hope to see you there!!!

SpongeBob SquarePants DVD Giveaway

 

The introverted cynic, with selfish tendencies, brings his sassy tentacles to Lilac City Comicon June 7 and 8, 2025! Yup! The voice of Squidward. the iconic stick-in-the-mud from SpongeBob SquarePants, will be signing autographs for all his adoring fans. We all welcome Rodger Bumpass! I will be honest, I just wan to hear him laugh. :D

Lilac City Comicon will be held at the Spokane Convention Center on June 7 and 8 . More information about Lilac City Comicon can be found on their site here.

To celebrate the greatest character in the SpongeBob SquarePants universe, we here at Cutoff Crafts will be hosting a massive giveaway! Thanks to SKGaleana.com, one lucky winner will receive SpongeBob SquarePants: The Best 300 Episodes Ever on DVD (msrp $50)!

How to Enter for a chance to Win:

Entries are so easy, even Patrick Star could do it! Simply comment on our posts! There is a possibility of earning four Entries into the SpongeBob giveaway.

• Earn one Entry when you comment on this blog. Be sure we know your name or we won't be able to place it in the lot as an entry.
• Earn one Entry by commenting on our Facebook Post.
• Earn one Entry by commenting on our Instagram Post.
• Earn one Entry by placing your name in the box at the event.

Online Entries end on June 6, 2025 at 11:59pm. In person Entries start at 9am  and end at 2pm on June 7. At 2pm on Saturday June 7, 2025, we will begin the drawing!  Many will enter, only one will win. Good Luck!

NOTE: For this drawing, you must be present to win. Meaning you must be at our booth at 2pm during the Lilac City Comicon. If you are not present and your name is called, you forfeit your win and another person will be chosen.

Follow the map to find our booth near the Bat Mobile"

Please be sure to read the terms and conditions before entering.

10th Anniversary of the Inland NW Toy Show Classic

Inland NW Toy Show Classic has announced their next event, May 10th, 2025 in Bay 3 at the Spokane Interstate Fair & Expo Center! They will be hosting special drawings and giveaways at the show to celebrate their 10th anniversary! Yup, they have officially been supplying the area with an epic place to buy vintage toys, recent toys, and all sorts of collectables for 10 years!

The Inland NW Toy Show Classic 10th Anniversary Spring Show boasts almost 100 different vendors with hundreds of tables! And among all these epic vendors, Cutoff Crafts will be there with several fun toys, keychains, pins, and trading cards! 

We will be featuring Pokémon Booster Packs and single cards from 151, Evolving Skies, Prismatic Evolutions, and more! Simply ask to see our single card collection or purchased the booster packs displayed on our trading card wall/ Of course, Glory of Team Rocket will also be making an appearance!

We will have Anime Bag Clips from Solo Leveling, Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, One Piece, Hello Kitty, and More! These official licensed mystery loot bag clips are large vinyl figures on a plastic clip. Basically they are epic keychains!

We will also have Mystery Loot Bitty Pop Funko Pops from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Five Nights at Freddy's, Disney Princess, Avatar the Last Airbender, and Nightmare Before Christmas! These Bitty Pop figures come in an adorable case and stand only 7/8th of an inch.

All of our items will be displayed on three tables at the show on May 10th from 9am to 4pm. We will have so many cool finds that you will not want to miss our booth! From Star Wars action figures, to Legos, to trading cards, there will be something for everyone! 

And speaking of everyone, the first 750 costumers who attend the Inland NW Toy Show Classic10th Anniversary event  will receive a free Toy Show bag! These bags will be handed out to attendees, while supplies last. These will be perfect to carry all the cool stuff that you will buy. Also, if you buy a lot of toys, the Toy Show will provide a place to check in your items to keep them safe while you shop more booths!

In addition to their special anniversary edition bag, multiple prize drawings, and White Elephant ride, there will be a FREE PRIZE WHEEL for kids 12 & Under! Of course this is only while supplies last, so early bird entry is recommended for all the freebies and giveaways.

Come find that collectable you're looking for at the Inland Northwest's largest toy show!!

Admission Fee (at door only):

9-10am Early Bird $10.00

10-4pm General Public $5.00

Kids 12 & under are FREE

We look forward to seeing you there!

How to Make a Pokeball Planter for Easter

Easter is right around the corner! Easter baskets are a wonderful tradition celebrating the joy of spring and the return of all the growing things. Easter baskets are given to children on Easter, loaded with chocolate and spring-time treats. When I was growing up, we would make our Easter baskets up the night before to look like empty inviting nests. We left the baskets loaded with colorful “grass” in prominent places. That way when the Easter Bunny came by the house, he would be encouraged to leave chocolate and candy in the baskets! In the morning we would race over to see what the Easter Bunny left. All the candy was gently pulled out and set aside. Then, we would use our Easter baskets to gather up all the dyed Easter eggs that had been hidden around the house and the yard by the Easter Bunny. After the Easter egg hunt, we would ravenously devour the candy.

It has been a long time since I made an Easter basket. I was at a Walmart and saw this really fun Pokéball Easter basket. I try not to eat too much candy these days, so I didn’t want to fill it with chocolate bunnies or candy eggs. Those little Reese’s Pieces eggs are dangerously tasty! The Easter aisle was also full of all kinds of toys, fidgets, small plushies, activity books, and even trading cards to put in Easter baskets. I was quite surprised! Apparently, Easter baskets are now more like Christmas stockings, and often include toys as well as treats. It’s a neat change but was a bit of a culture shock for me.

I realized, I really wanted to make an Easter basket, but I wanted to do a fun alternative take on one. I’m a huge Pokémon fan and Oddish is one of my favorite Pokémon. The second I saw that Pokéball I thought, my goodness that would make the cutest planter. There were so many fun plastic Easter baskets that would lend themselves well to this craft project! I saw Minecraft, Bluey, Baby Yoda, and so many more on the shelves.

Planter pot secured, my next step was a Dollar Tree to get a bag of dirt. Planters should never break the bank. At the core all you need is a vessel, dirt, stones, and a plant. I wanted to use an actual potting mix since my little guy is a Rubber Plant (Peperomia Obtusifolia).

HOW TO MAKE A POKÉBALL PLANTER FOR EASTER

Step 1. Remove the Handle

I removed the handle from my Pokéball Easter basket. It is now a worthy vessel! The handle was secured by these little pressure fit hinges that popped right out.

Step 2. Drill the Drain Holes - USE ADULT SUPERVISION

I’m using my Pokéball planter for a living plant so it needs some drain holes to prevent waterlogging and root rot. I used a handheld drill. This step requires adult supervision. For anyone who does not have a drill, a great solution is to use plastic or silk flowers. Then the drain holes are not needed. I flipped the Pokéball upside down, and carefully drilled a random assortment of holes. They do not need to be perfectly spaced, they just need to let water through.

Step 3. Add Rocks

I placed a layer of rocks on the bottom of the pot. This is for a couple of reasons. The rocks help with drainage. Plants send their roots to the dirt where all the nutrients are, and are slow to attempt to root in rocks. Excess water can thus safely trickle into the rocks and prevent the dirt from getting too waterlogged. The other main reason is to weight the pot. This is especially important with pots that have a higher center of gravity like ball-shaped Pokéballs. The rocks prevent the pot from tipping over easily when fully loaded with dirt and plants.

Step 4. Add Dirt

Most plants need dirt to live. I added my Dollar Tree potting mix. I filled the Pokéball most of the way up with dirt, checking the level by placing my still potted Peperomia inside. I wanted to leave space from the rim to allow easy watering. I left about an inch of space from the top.

Step 4. Wet the Dirt

To prevent shock, I wet the dirt in my new planter as well as my little transplant guy. It’s important not to completely flood the dirt, but to just wet it until it is damp.

Step 5. Transplant the Plant

I gently squeezed the sides of the Peperomia’s tiny little seedling pot to loosen the dirt plug from the pot. He then slid out and I was able to set him into his new home.

Step 6. Tamp the Dirt

Using the back of my fingers I gently pressed down, tamping the dirt around the Peperomia. It’s important to be careful with this step, there are a lot of fragile little roots when transplanting young plants. They need to be secured and not crushed.

Step 7. Clean Up and Enjoy!

With that, my new planter was all done and my Peperomia was super happy to have a new home!

If you choose to make a planter out of an Easter basket, I would love to hear about it in the comments! I will definitely be hitting the stores after Easter to see if I can snag some cool baskets on sale to make summer planters and centerpieces.