Looking for a thoughtful and unique gift idea that’s sure to impress? We will teach you how to make lucky bamboo gifts that will be the perfect gift to give to almost anyone.
With just a few easy steps, you can create a beautiful and meaningful gift that everyone is sure to love. Whether you’re looking for a gift for special occasions, a birthday present, a graduation gift, to celebrate a new job, a housewarming gift, a Valentine’s gift, a Christmas gift, or just a gesture to show someone you care, a lucky bamboo gift is the perfect choice.
When you give lucky bamboo, you wish that person positive energy, good wishes, happiness, and good health.
So why not give it a try and see how to make lucky bamboo gifts?
Making lucky bamboo arrangements can be lots of fun for the whole family to participate in. It’s an easy process and kids can have fun making them also.
When you are making these gifts think about how to make lucky bamboo gifts that you can customize to each person. It’s a good idea to use their favorite colors or try and match the colors to their bedroom, living room, kitchen, or office color scheme. Doing so can make your lucky plants into thoughtful gifts.
How To Make Lucky Bamboo Gifts
These are the steps to create lucky bamboo arrangements.
Step 1. Gathering and Purchasing Supplies
- Lucky bamboo stalks. Amazon seems to be the best way that I have found to find stalks of bamboo and get them in a reasonable time frame. Make sure that you order stalks of lucky bamboo in plenty of time before you need to gift the arrangement. 6″ stalks seem to be a good size for most gifts.
- A container or more depending on how many gifts you make. What container to put lucky bamboo in is up to you. A clear glass vase or container is a great way to go since you can see the stones through it. If you don’t care to see the stones through the container, then go for a nice ceramic pot. Choose one that is the color or style preference you or the gift receiver would like. For a big expression use some type of an exotic container that will be eye-catching.
- Decorative stone pebbles, colored glass stones, or natural materials like rocks and natural stones.
- Distilled or filtered water. Do not use tap water since the chlorine and fluoride levels can be high and could kill the bamboo.
- Towel or paper towels to lay out stones on and for cleaning up.
- Rubbing Alcohol or Goo Gone to take stickers off of vases if they don’t peel off well or come off with soap and water. Using a razor blade can help also.
- Index card or printed card with bamboo care instructions. A laminated card looks nice and won’t get destroyed when wet.
Step 2: Helpful Tips Before Creating Your Bamboo Gift
- When choosing the colors for your stones, keep in mind that the color may appear slightly different when the stones are wet versus when they are dry. Using only black stones can make the appearance unattractive, as it may seem like black water. To avoid this, consider including clear stones or stones of another color to prevent an all-black look.
- When selecting a container, ensure that it is not too small. If the container is too small, it will require frequent watering. For individuals who travel frequently, college students or young adults, the plant may not be watered for a few weeks if left unattended. A larger container that can hold plenty of water will keep the roots moist for up to two weeks without requiring additional watering.
How many bamboo stalks should I use?
The number of stalks you will use will depend on the meaning you want to portray. Different amounts of bamboo stalks have many different meanings. These meanings can be a little different in some cultures. From what I have found these are the most common meanings. So you can use this as a basis for determining the number of lucky bamboo stalks you want to use and need to purchase.
- 1 Stalk – Truth and Commitment
- 2 Stalks – Love – Great gift for a Wedding, Valentine’s Day gift, or Anniversary gift.
- 3 Stalks – Happiness – And a wish for a new beginning. Great for A Birthday Gift, A housewarming gift, or a graduation gift.
- 4 Stalks – DO NOT EVER DO A GIFT ARRANGEMENT WITH 4! It symbolizes death and is a bad omen or bad luck. That is how the Chinese culture sees this number.
- 5 Stalks – Balance, Peace, Harmony, and Power – Represent the 5 elements – would be great for a home or office gift.
- 6 Stalks – Blessings
- 7 Stalks – Luck – and said to bring love and romance.
- 8 Stalks – Wealth and Joy
- 9 Stalks – Overall good fortune and luck
Step 3: Creating The Lucky Bamboo Plant Gift
- Make sure that your container is ready. Take off any stickers on the vase or containers. If soap and water don’t do the trick, try a little rubbing alcohol or goo gone.
- Wash the stones or rocks off first. If they are dusty and dirty, then it will make your water dirty. Also, you want to see how the stones look wet first and ensure you are happy with the color. Mix colors and find a great color combination.
- First put in some stones covering the bottom of the container.
- Then put in your bamboo stalks.
- Add more stones to fill up as you hold the bamboo inside the container. Continue to add more stones till almost the very top.
- Twist the bamboo so that the roots will ball up around the bamboo and not be quite so stringy showing through the glass. As you twist them gently you can pull the bamboo up some and make your bamboo sit at different heights.
- Add bottled water to the container at least covering the roots of the bamboo. I like to have the water up almost to the very top of the stones.
Step 4: Make a Lucky Bamboo Plant Care Card/Gift message
- Create a lucky bamboo care tips card to give with the bamboo arrangement so the recipient knows how to take care of it.
- I prefer typing up a cute card, cutting it out, and laminating it. This will keep the card protected from the water.
- If preferred go the super easy route by writing down the directions on an index card or piece of paper.
- Use the bamboo care directions down below to put on your card. But don’t forget to add in a special message to make it more personable.
Lucky Bamboo Plant Care Instructions
- Only use bottled/distilled or filtered water. Tap water can kill bamboo because of the high concentration of fluoride and chlorine. Using rainwater is always beneficial to plants so use that if you have some.
- Keep out of direct sunlight. Bamboo does the best in indirect sunlight.
- Keep roots covered in water. The roots need to always be in the water to prevent it from dying.
- Water as often as needed to keep the water level up.
- Keep indoors. This lucky bamboo is an inside plant.
- Empty water and clean off stones and containers when needed. If you see algae growing clean immediately.
- Lucky bamboo is toxic to dogs and cats. So, take caution if you have fur babies.
Once the Lucky Bamboo is ready to be gifted, be sure not to have too much water in the container. Water halfway up the container is plenty, so you won’t make a mess when delivering it.
Lucky bamboo is an easy plant to take care of, it’s very low maintenance. Now that you know how to make lucky bamboo gifts, don’t hesitate to make a bamboo arrangement for yourself. It’s not unlucky to make your own so make one for yourself as well.
I’ll answer a few other frequently asked questions.
Where is the best place to put my lucky bamboo? Your lucky bamboo arrangement can be placed in any room in your house. In the kitchen on a counter, near a sink, or as a centerpiece on the table. On an entry table or coffee table in the living room. In a bedroom on a dresser or on a desk in an office. There are many options on where to place your lucky bamboo, just look around your house and I’m sure you will find a nice home for it. Lucky bamboo is best to have as indoor plants.
I recommend not placing the bamboo plant in an area that is mostly out of sight. You know the saying “out of sight, out of mind,” so it might not survive if you don’t have a reminder to water it. Also, if you have fur babies, make sure not to place the plant in areas where they could get to it, as bamboo is toxic to pets.
Is it better to grow lucky bamboo in water or soil? I prefer having my lucky bamboo in water. It is just an easier way to take care of it and easy for gift receivers to take care of.
Can you plant lucky bamboo in soil? Yes, you can plant lucky bamboo in soil. You might want to have a green thumb if you choose this method. Keep the soil moist, but not too wet. It should have good drainage. It may also need more frequent watering than if it were planted in just water.
Can you put lucky bamboo in water only? You can definitely put lucky bamboo in water only. However, when placed in just water, the roots will be visible and the bamboo might not be very stable, potentially leaning on the container. It’s best to use a skinny vase if you’re only using water. Adding stones can improve the appearance and provide stability, but it’s not necessary. Remember to use distilled or bottled water.
Is it better to grow lucky bamboo in water or soil? Of course, it’s whatever you prefer, but I suggest planting it in water with stones. That is the easiest way to keep your bamboo alive. It’s easier to see when you need to add water, and it probably wouldn’t have to be watered as often.
I’d like to give a shout-out to one of my sisters for giving me the idea for this blog. She often makes this popular gift for family and friends. I also want to thank her for sharing some of her pictures with me. Thank you!
Spoiler alert to any of my good friends reading this: you may end up with a friendship bamboo shortly.
I hope you all have a lot of fun creating these personalized and special gifts.
Don’t forget to involve your entire family. Young children can enjoy counting, sorting, and assisting with the stones, creating an educational experience. Older children can make these independently and give them as gifts.
Now that you know how to make lucky bamboo gifts free to share your creations with me, as I would love to see them.