Alright, so I decided to tackle this little project I’ve been thinking about for a while: a flowerpot USB hub. Sounds kinda silly, right? But I thought it would be a fun way to combine my love for tech and plants. Here’s how it went down.
First things first, I needed to gather the goods. I grabbed a small terracotta flowerpot from the local garden store – nothing fancy, just a standard size. Then, I ordered a cheap USB hub from that online marketplace we all know and love. I also picked up some potting soil (obviously!), a small succulent, and a few basic tools like a screwdriver, pliers, and a hot glue gun.
The real fun started when I ripped open the USB hub. I carefully disassembled the plastic casing to get to the circuit board. This part was a little nerve-wracking because I didn’t want to fry the whole thing before I even got started. I took pictures as I went so I could put it back together if I messed up.
Next up, I needed to figure out how to mount the USB ports on the flowerpot. I decided to drill four small holes near the top rim of the pot, just big enough for the USB connectors to poke through. Drilling through terracotta is kinda tricky, so I went super slow and steady to avoid cracking it. A little water helped keep the dust down too.
Once the holes were drilled, I carefully positioned the USB ports and used the hot glue gun to secure them in place. I made sure they were facing outwards and evenly spaced. The hot glue isn’t the prettiest, but it gets the job done. You could probably use epoxy for a cleaner look, but I was going for speed and ease.
Now came the slightly tricky part: wiring. I had to solder wires from the USB hub’s circuit board to the USB ports I’d mounted on the flowerpot. This involved some careful soldering and a steady hand. I made sure to double-check all the connections before moving on. If you’re not comfortable with soldering, maybe skip this project or find someone who can help.
With the wiring done, I tested the hub to make sure it was working correctly. Plugged it into my computer and tried plugging in a few different devices. To my surprise, it actually worked! I was pretty stoked at this point.
The final step was to fill the flowerpot with potting soil and plant the succulent. I made sure to leave enough space so the USB hub’s circuit board wasn’t buried in dirt. I kinda tucked it in a small plastic bag just to be extra safe.
And that’s it! My flowerpot USB hub was complete. It’s not the most elegant piece of tech I’ve ever built, but it’s definitely unique. It sits on my desk, happily charging my phone and adding a little bit of green to my workspace.
Lessons Learned:
- Terracotta is surprisingly easy to drill if you take your time.
- Hot glue is your friend, but it’s not always the prettiest.
- Soldering tiny wires is a pain, but totally doable with patience.
- And most importantly, combining tech and plants is surprisingly satisfying.
Would I do it again? Probably! Maybe I’ll try a different type of plant next time, or even add some LEDs for extra flair. Who knows? The possibilities are endless!
