More Barbie Head Planters

Earlier in the summer I posted the how to for Barbie Head Planters. I so loved the project that I've been on a mission to collect more Barbie Heads and give them new life.  I've been really fortunate to find these at yard sales for about .50 apiece.  Here's the before picture of "the girls". As you can see, their hair was a little worse for wear!

 

All I did was get out the handy dandy razor cutter and trimmed very close to the hair line. (Tip: start at the back of the neck. That way you can get a feel for the task and, by the time you get to the forehead, you should feel pretty comfortable with the cutting.  Just take your time.

After removing the hair, smooth with fine grade sandpaper, wash off the plastic dust, and spray paint. I am still in love with Rustoleum's Hammered Finish in Rosemary.  It gives it such a neat look and the texture hides any imperfections.  Here's the finished girls, planted and already growing some new hair!

 

 

And here's the group:

 

 

Aren't they adorable!  As you can see, I have a few extra spaces to fill. Hmmm, I better get out there and find some more Barbies that need a new life!

 

Succulent Wreath How To

6/17 UPDATE:  I've had the succulent wreath laying flat on the patio table for weeks now. This was done to give the plants a chance to develop roots and latch on to the moss.  This week I finally hung it up. I LOVE the way it turned out!

Even though some of the plants started to root, I reinforced their latching by wrapping the entire thing with floral tape. As this close up shows, the tape isn't noticeable but it really does keep the cuttings in place.

 

For several months I've seen beautiful succulent wreaths online. It was one of those things that looked pretty easy to do but things are not always as they seem. Thankfully, this was another super simple craft that just took a bit of time to complete.

You will need the following supplies:

• Sphagnum moss
• Wire wreath (I used 12" but they have all different sizes)
• Fishing wire
• Floral pins
• Roottone
• Succulent soil
• Variety of succulent pieces

Here is the how to.  First, gather up a bunch of various succulents.  Unfortunately, I don't live in an area where there are a lot of succulents growing wild right now (it is early spring). This would be really easy and cost efficient if you live in a place that has succulents growing in park and planters. I had some (the long skinny ones) but bought the others. 

 

You need to take snippets of the succulents and let them dry out for a few days before planting. They need to scab over before planting, so make a pile of them and just let them site on a tray to dry out for a few days.

 

You will need a bag of sphagnum moss.  For this 12" wreath I used about half of a bag.  Soak the moss in a bucket for at least half an hour.  You want it to be completely soaked.  You also need a wire wreath frame. I got mine at Joann Fabrics for less than $5. 

Below are the scabbed over succulents, floral pins and Rootone to give the plants a little booster to develop their roots. (It is a great product if you haven't ever used it).

 

You start by laying down the soaked moss on the wreath frame. Lay it down and wrap it in place with fishing line. I recommend fishing line over plastic thread because I think the fishing line is stronger and will hold up better. Don't over stuff this first layer of moss because you will be putting a layer of cactus soil and top again with another layer of moss.  It's like a soil sandwich!

Here is the final wrapped wreath. This was pretty easy to do but it was really messy!  Sometimes you have to get messy to make beauty!

Now you dip the tips of the succulents into water first and then the Roottone. Use the floral pins to keep the pieces in place on the wreath.

I started by placing the long skinny snippets because that is what I had the most of. I was concerned that I wouldn't have enough of the pretty flowerlike pieces. (Sorry, I'm not up on the names of succulents. I just know what I like and what is pretty).  Make sure you don't overstuff the wreath. Succulents will grow once they take root. I chose to use put them close together but left plenty of room for growth. 

The instructions I found said to keep the wreath horizontal for about 6 weeks so they clippings can take hold and grow roots. For now, it will sit on my outdoor table as a decoration. 




What I also like about this project is that succulents don't require a lot of water so maintenance of this should be relatively easy. It will only need watered once a month (by submerging into water for 10 minutes; I'm thinking this would be easy to do using a kiddie pool).

Also, any of the succulent pieces that fall off, you can just stick in the ground and they will eventually grow. I put mine in the planters on my shed, which seems like a perfect place for them. These planters are rain protected because of the roof overhang. This way I don't have to remember to water them but once a month.

 I will post additional pictures later in the summer when the wreath fills in.  I think it is pretty and yet another Super Simple craft.

If you have any questions on the how to, please let me know. Happy to share and/or clarify.

Happy Crafting!



Floor Lamp Planter

The following was created because of an inspiration someone posted on Facebook. (Thanks Debbie)!  A super simple and cute idea that incorporates some of my favorite things: Upcycling and planting.

I had this old floor lamp that I wasn't using anymore. I got the black basket at the Dollar Store and used Gorilla Glue to secure it.  Once that dried, I placed the coco mat inside (cut to fit). I then put some sphagnum moss and dirt in, followed by plants. I used chenille plant and I'm not sure what else the others are called. I chose these plants because I thought the combination will give both height and will droop over the sides as the plants grow.

To top it off, I put this sweet solar motioned piggy that I got from Chinatown L.A.  What a perfect home for him!

Isn't he cute?!

 

Another super simple project.  My recommendation is to not overfill the planter. This will grow all summer so you want to make sure the plants have room to grow. I will update this post later in the summer after it fills out.

Spring Planting

Hi All!

First, my apologies for not creating any new posts for a very long time. Life (and making a living) got in the way and my craftiness really got put on the back burner.  Now that school is over for the summer, I am hoping to spend a summer crafting and repurposing (and posting).

It is finally springtime here in the Mid Atlantic; I am inspired.  I stumbled upon this adorable head planter at Rite Aide of all places!  Best of all, it was 50% off so it only cost me $10.  Isn't he cute?

I went back today for another one but they were sold out (no suprise there).  So I decided to get creative and make my own.

I looked around the house to see if I could repurpose something.  I found this doll bust that had hair to style. I got this for Jasmine a few years ago and think she played with it once or twice.

While she is sweet, I knew there was a better place for her than being stuck in the cupboard under the bathroom sink.  I figured no one would miss her so I got out the exacto knife and went to work.

This was very easy to do. I started at the back of her head and cut the plastic close to her hair line.  I wanted to keep as much of the plastic head as possible so it would be big enough to hold a plant. The plastic was soft (plastic doll baby soft) so it didn't splinter or break.

Because she is plastic, I started with a primer to make sure and cover the bright pink of her shirt.  I let that dry a bit and the sprayed with Rustolium Rosemary Hammered spray paint. (Now that I'm looking at the can it says it is paint and primer combined so maybe I didn't need the primer afterall.

While the paint didn't adhere like I originally planned (some streaked and ran) I love the way she turned out. It is also about to rain and was pretty windy so that may also have contributed to her mottled look.  That said, I think the imperfections make her look weathered and antique.  I plan to spray her again when the weather is better and will also spray her with a sealant. 

 I just stuck in this chenille plant to see what she will look like with "hair". I think I will put some succulents because they grow slow and are super simple to take care of. 

There's something about her that reminds me of the Bird girl of Savannah.  Something sweet and wistful. 

So now I have yet another thing to keep an eye out for while yard saling! Here's hoping I have a cool collection of them by the end of summer.  And if I plant succulents in them, they will just lay dormant during the winter and come back to life again in the spring.

I hope you like my first post in months. I've got some other projects that I have in mind to work on. Again, thanks for stopping by to visit. 

Happy Crafting!

Interactive Art

Candy Chang is an interactive artist who installed some very cool projects in New Orleans. While this installation is large and based in a public area, I can also see it on a much smaller scale (maybe 3' x 4'?) on a wall of the deck. It would be a great conversation starter, as well as a wonderful way to get to know your loved ones better.  Very cool!

Candy Change Interactive Art

Garden Flower Bed

I was trolling around the internet looking for some inspiration and ideas for craft projects. On one of my new favorite sites, Curbly, I came upon this:

I think it's kind of cool: A true flowerbed!  Would be great if you had a large yard. This seems more practical if it were made from a single bed. What do you think?

Here's the link:http://www.curbly.com/diy-maven/posts/11133-a-bed-in-the-garden