there is no excuse not to diy up a storm these days. so many incredible ways to re use materials and make life grow all over the place. i am so inspired!
visit my pinterest boards here. i am always adding MORE.
Showing posts with label diy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diy. Show all posts
more diy please
spent some more time on pinterest and i did not come back empty handed. in fact, below is a collection of my favorite diy ideas for the garden - romantic lighting, planters galore, recycled options... and for the home, a little facelift to the old, bring the outdoors in...
there is no excuse not to diy up a storm these days. so many incredible ways to re use materials and make life grow all over the place. i am so inspired!
visit my pinterest boards here. i am always adding MORE.
there is no excuse not to diy up a storm these days. so many incredible ways to re use materials and make life grow all over the place. i am so inspired!
visit my pinterest boards here. i am always adding MORE.
egg planter diy
even if you don't celebrate easter, this is a super fun diy project. who doesn't love seeing a little plant sprout out of an egg! and best of all this diy is nearly free! most of the materials are inexpensive and some can be found in nature. it makes a sweet little house warming gift, a great way to host plants in your skinny windowsill and a lovely presentation for gifting clippings or seedlings!
in this diy example i used succulent clippings from my garden. when giving the little egglings i like to include a little note that tells the story of the mother plant... but of course your note is up to you... perhaps your plant speaks the language of love and will woe the recipient with a poem (i like to make almost all occasions or gifts romantic - plants always win my heart!).
the materials...
- soil (if working with succulents use a cactus / palms mix and for vegi or other - use an organic potting soil)
- pea gravel (tiny rocks - make sure they are clean and dry!)
- egg(s) - cage free or homegrown is best
- scissors
- pine needles or long blades of grass
- twine or kite string
- plants: succulent clippings, sprout, seedlings...
- a bowl or cup (for yoke and to keep those eggs safe and not rolling about)
- paper towels
delicatly and very carefully using a sharp object, such as the tip of scissors puncture the top of the egg (the pointed part). start with a small hole, opening it up slowly till it has enough room to fit your finger plus a little extra room. be very gentle during this process and be prepared with a bowl underneath your hands.
pour all the insides of the egg into your bowl. you may need to poke at the yoke to get it sliding out faster.
once the egg is empty, clean it out with water in the sink. again be very careful - they are fragile!
when your egg is in the clear begin to place (one by one) the small rocks into the base of the egg. about 5 or 7 tiny ones should do. this will act as your water drainage system. after your rocks are in, add the soil, when your soil is more than half way in, add your clipping (if you have a sprout you may need to place it in sooner). add more soil, place a few more small rocks to position and support your plant. at this point you may need to place your egg(s) into a bowl or cup so that they don't roll all over and get all humpty dumpty on you!
next step - nests! every egg needs a nest, naturally! these nests will not only be the finishing touch to your display, but all serve a purpose - they keep your egg sitting up! take a bundle of pines (from your garden or local park) or long grass blades and with your twine tie they together at one end, then curve them into a circular form that is small enough to hold your egg in place (the tighter the better). you can then twist your twine all around the curve, keeping the form of the "nest". how many knots or how tight your nest turns out is really up to you. it can be organic and wild or more like a stiff wreath. you are the bird building YOUR nest! up to you!
and voila! egggy-planty art! enjoy!
pssst... birdies, if you decide to make some of these and take photos, i'd love to see your projects!
in this diy example i used succulent clippings from my garden. when giving the little egglings i like to include a little note that tells the story of the mother plant... but of course your note is up to you... perhaps your plant speaks the language of love and will woe the recipient with a poem (i like to make almost all occasions or gifts romantic - plants always win my heart!).
the materials...
- soil (if working with succulents use a cactus / palms mix and for vegi or other - use an organic potting soil)
- pea gravel (tiny rocks - make sure they are clean and dry!)
- egg(s) - cage free or homegrown is best
- scissors
- pine needles or long blades of grass
- twine or kite string
- plants: succulent clippings, sprout, seedlings...
- a bowl or cup (for yoke and to keep those eggs safe and not rolling about)
- paper towels
delicatly and very carefully using a sharp object, such as the tip of scissors puncture the top of the egg (the pointed part). start with a small hole, opening it up slowly till it has enough room to fit your finger plus a little extra room. be very gentle during this process and be prepared with a bowl underneath your hands.
pour all the insides of the egg into your bowl. you may need to poke at the yoke to get it sliding out faster.
once the egg is empty, clean it out with water in the sink. again be very careful - they are fragile!
when your egg is in the clear begin to place (one by one) the small rocks into the base of the egg. about 5 or 7 tiny ones should do. this will act as your water drainage system. after your rocks are in, add the soil, when your soil is more than half way in, add your clipping (if you have a sprout you may need to place it in sooner). add more soil, place a few more small rocks to position and support your plant. at this point you may need to place your egg(s) into a bowl or cup so that they don't roll all over and get all humpty dumpty on you!
next step - nests! every egg needs a nest, naturally! these nests will not only be the finishing touch to your display, but all serve a purpose - they keep your egg sitting up! take a bundle of pines (from your garden or local park) or long grass blades and with your twine tie they together at one end, then curve them into a circular form that is small enough to hold your egg in place (the tighter the better). you can then twist your twine all around the curve, keeping the form of the "nest". how many knots or how tight your nest turns out is really up to you. it can be organic and wild or more like a stiff wreath. you are the bird building YOUR nest! up to you!
and voila! egggy-planty art! enjoy!
pssst... birdies, if you decide to make some of these and take photos, i'd love to see your projects!
dirt-y food
my grandmother is a rockstar in the kitchen. she is a baking queen! always treating us to the yummiest sweets. and this last friday she made one of my favorites. i had to share this little number because it is totally within the planty theme of this blog.
has anyone ever had dirt cake? there are many varieties of this delicacy, but my grandmother takes it to next level with her presentation! she put the good stuff in little plastic pots with fresh flowers "growing" out of the "dirt" and of course what healthy garden doesn't have worms! (so proud)
has anyone ever had dirt cake? there are many varieties of this delicacy, but my grandmother takes it to next level with her presentation! she put the good stuff in little plastic pots with fresh flowers "growing" out of the "dirt" and of course what healthy garden doesn't have worms! (so proud)
DIY Wall Terrariums
my dear friend sara is always looking out for me, sending me cute terrarium ideas and lovely arrangements with succulents. mostly i hoard the images for myself but this time i had to share this cute diy project she found on ruffled. the break down of the project is really nicely done, and made me think of other ways of pursuing this concept. i think i might have to come up with my own version at some point! in the meantime i hope all you diy-ing planty lovers enjoy!
DIY Wall Garden Favors
posted by ruffled on april 12, 2011 (3:38 pm) in DIY projects
we’re approaching the end of our DIY wedding favor series, but i guarantee you will love our last picks as much as the first ones. these vertical terrarium wedding favors make great gifts because they don’t take any room, and are extremely easy to maintain. who wouldn’t want to bring a little bit of the outdoors to their home or office?
- gravel (can be found at any pet store in the aquarium section)
- air plants, cactus or succulents (you will need a small amount of potting soil if not using air plants)
- moss
- spray paint
- magnetic metal tins (from here)
- dremel tool
- painter’s tape
- E6000 glue
cover your tins with painter’s tape before you begin spray painting the inside of them. spray tins with 3-4 light coats until they have are opaque in solid white. while your tins are drying, remove the acrylic top from all lids by putting a small amount of pressure with your hands to pop them off. measure the diameter and mark a line with a permanent marker. using the diamond cutter tip of your dremel tool, slice all acrylic lids in halves (you can also try different shapes or drill holes). lightly sand the edges using a sander tip of your dremel tool.
place acrylic tops back in the metal frame of the caps and glue both pieces. we also recommend dabbing the edges of the tins with a q-tip with glue to seal the lids to prevent the weight from the gravel popping out of the containers. it took one wall terrarium to splash gravel all over the floor for us to figure that out :)
once your tins are dry from spray paint, remove tape and wash tins with water and soap. close all tins, now with open front lids. add gravel, misty moss and air plants. if you prefer building a closed terrarium and skipping cutting the lids, you will need activated charcoal, which can be found in the aquarium section at any pet store. air plants won’t work as well in (tightly) closed containers, so you may want to switch to ferns and small leafy plants.
article taken from ruffled® - http://ruffledblog.com
URL to article: http://ruffledblog.com/diy-
DIY Wall Garden Favors
posted by ruffled on april 12, 2011 (3:38 pm) in DIY projects
we’re approaching the end of our DIY wedding favor series, but i guarantee you will love our last picks as much as the first ones. these vertical terrarium wedding favors make great gifts because they don’t take any room, and are extremely easy to maintain. who wouldn’t want to bring a little bit of the outdoors to their home or office?
- gravel (can be found at any pet store in the aquarium section)
- air plants, cactus or succulents (you will need a small amount of potting soil if not using air plants)
- moss
- spray paint
- magnetic metal tins (from here)
- dremel tool
- painter’s tape
- E6000 glue
cover your tins with painter’s tape before you begin spray painting the inside of them. spray tins with 3-4 light coats until they have are opaque in solid white. while your tins are drying, remove the acrylic top from all lids by putting a small amount of pressure with your hands to pop them off. measure the diameter and mark a line with a permanent marker. using the diamond cutter tip of your dremel tool, slice all acrylic lids in halves (you can also try different shapes or drill holes). lightly sand the edges using a sander tip of your dremel tool.
place acrylic tops back in the metal frame of the caps and glue both pieces. we also recommend dabbing the edges of the tins with a q-tip with glue to seal the lids to prevent the weight from the gravel popping out of the containers. it took one wall terrarium to splash gravel all over the floor for us to figure that out :)
once your tins are dry from spray paint, remove tape and wash tins with water and soap. close all tins, now with open front lids. add gravel, misty moss and air plants. if you prefer building a closed terrarium and skipping cutting the lids, you will need activated charcoal, which can be found in the aquarium section at any pet store. air plants won’t work as well in (tightly) closed containers, so you may want to switch to ferns and small leafy plants.
article taken from ruffled® - http://ruffledblog.com
URL to article: http://ruffledblog.com/diy-
bottle it up - a mini terrarium how to
during my visit to farmlab's not a cornfield i came across something green that is rare in my neck of the woods... MOSS! yup. LA moss. i don't make too many terrariums with the fern-y moss types since most folks over here dig the dry weather desert / tropical varieties. so when i encountered this fuzzy green carpet in the wild city scape i thought - i am going to bottle this stuff up and give it a go!
and so i did! i encourage you to do the same! i have provided some instructions to help you along the way. and if you are feeling lazy (don't feel guilty - i get that way too - we can only craft up so many things!), i will be selling my bottled LA moss very soon on my etsy shop! i shall keep you posted! in the meantime below is a how to on making your own planted keepsake terrarium.
lets begin!
what you will need:
- live moss
- pea gravel / small rocks
- activated charcoal
- horticultural sand
- soil
- sphagnum moss
- a vessel (preferably with a lid / cork)
- tweezers (eyebrow tweezers are super duper if you don't have big ones like me)
- a brush or qtip
- a paper towel
- a child's enthusiasm (yes this is very important - without this you will fail :) )
so i scraped the moss off of a crevice in wall of a building downtown (told you it was "LA moss". it has been extra rainy these days so the moss was already pretty soaked and juicy. if you find moss that is a bit dry i recommend soaking it straight away. i soaked mine the next day in about an inch of rain water (the best stuff - i collect rain water when i remember - it holds so many nutrients that plants get high off of).
next is picking the right container. i used mini glass tubes with corks for this demo since i liked the concept of bottling up los angeles winter weather. but then i got excited and made some big moss terrariums as well. the size is totally up to you. whatever vessel you choose i recommend a glass vessel that has some form of a lid so that you can maintain the moisture inside of the vessel (fun tip: keep in mind that when creating a succulent terrarium, most succulents do not want to have a lid that lives on full time).
after you have selected your vessel, clean it with a mild soap and water. make sure it is totally dry before you begin to put in the terrarium ingredients.
next clean up job is your rocks or pea gravel. i used baby rocks as i like to refer to them. wash your rocks in water, scrubbing off any dirt and make sure they dry out all the way (i have been known to blow dry my rocks. not the safest idea. but i am a professional after all).
once your vessel is sparkly clean and your rocks are bathed and dry, insert a layer of rocks into your vessel. in the case of a tiny vessel like the one i am showing, i did one rock layer in order to fit the rest of the materials. however if you are making a larger terrarium you will want to lay down at least an inch of rocks.
next you lay down your activated charcoal. in these baby sized terrariums i had to break down the charcoal into finer bits so that it would fit. for larger terrariums 1/2 an inch is good. this an important step that you should not skip. the activated charcoal operates as an air filter. it prevents the terrarium from growing mold or odors.
this next step is optional. some folks do it and others don't. you can add a layer of the sphagnum moss. i soaked mine before i put it in so that my moss had a nice wet bed to sit in.
next is the soil and sand mix. combine a little bit of the sand and the soil. again the amount depends on the size of your vessel, but basically this is your deepest material.
and yippee! finally you get to drop in your moss. since i was placing it in such a mini space i used my tweezers to carefully plop the greens in. the tweezers are great for making adjustments as well. after you have placed the moss, your glass might be a big of a mess. i suggest you clean it up with either a qtip or brush. if you are doing a large terrarium a large painters brush is your BFF. a paper towel will also come in handy right about now.
VIOLA! you did it! smile! look at! stick some rocks, folks, silly things inside or keep it minimal. make sure it gets plenty of indirect light and that it stays moist.
keep in mind succulents and tropical plant terrariums require (slightly) different ingredients, process and care.
if you have any questions get in touch! if you have photos to share - send them my way! wanna trade city moss? lets chat! hope you all have a super rad weekend! look around for the magical green carpets! and if you are covered in snow - enjoy that too! xoxo
p.s. yes that bad dog is peeing on my terrarium above. i just can't control those little ones running wild in my studio!
and so i did! i encourage you to do the same! i have provided some instructions to help you along the way. and if you are feeling lazy (don't feel guilty - i get that way too - we can only craft up so many things!), i will be selling my bottled LA moss very soon on my etsy shop! i shall keep you posted! in the meantime below is a how to on making your own planted keepsake terrarium.
lets begin!
what you will need:
- live moss
- pea gravel / small rocks
- activated charcoal
- horticultural sand
- soil
- sphagnum moss
- a vessel (preferably with a lid / cork)
- tweezers (eyebrow tweezers are super duper if you don't have big ones like me)
- a brush or qtip
- a paper towel
- a child's enthusiasm (yes this is very important - without this you will fail :) )
so i scraped the moss off of a crevice in wall of a building downtown (told you it was "LA moss". it has been extra rainy these days so the moss was already pretty soaked and juicy. if you find moss that is a bit dry i recommend soaking it straight away. i soaked mine the next day in about an inch of rain water (the best stuff - i collect rain water when i remember - it holds so many nutrients that plants get high off of).
next is picking the right container. i used mini glass tubes with corks for this demo since i liked the concept of bottling up los angeles winter weather. but then i got excited and made some big moss terrariums as well. the size is totally up to you. whatever vessel you choose i recommend a glass vessel that has some form of a lid so that you can maintain the moisture inside of the vessel (fun tip: keep in mind that when creating a succulent terrarium, most succulents do not want to have a lid that lives on full time).
after you have selected your vessel, clean it with a mild soap and water. make sure it is totally dry before you begin to put in the terrarium ingredients.
next clean up job is your rocks or pea gravel. i used baby rocks as i like to refer to them. wash your rocks in water, scrubbing off any dirt and make sure they dry out all the way (i have been known to blow dry my rocks. not the safest idea. but i am a professional after all).
once your vessel is sparkly clean and your rocks are bathed and dry, insert a layer of rocks into your vessel. in the case of a tiny vessel like the one i am showing, i did one rock layer in order to fit the rest of the materials. however if you are making a larger terrarium you will want to lay down at least an inch of rocks.
next you lay down your activated charcoal. in these baby sized terrariums i had to break down the charcoal into finer bits so that it would fit. for larger terrariums 1/2 an inch is good. this an important step that you should not skip. the activated charcoal operates as an air filter. it prevents the terrarium from growing mold or odors.
this next step is optional. some folks do it and others don't. you can add a layer of the sphagnum moss. i soaked mine before i put it in so that my moss had a nice wet bed to sit in.
next is the soil and sand mix. combine a little bit of the sand and the soil. again the amount depends on the size of your vessel, but basically this is your deepest material.
and yippee! finally you get to drop in your moss. since i was placing it in such a mini space i used my tweezers to carefully plop the greens in. the tweezers are great for making adjustments as well. after you have placed the moss, your glass might be a big of a mess. i suggest you clean it up with either a qtip or brush. if you are doing a large terrarium a large painters brush is your BFF. a paper towel will also come in handy right about now.
VIOLA! you did it! smile! look at! stick some rocks, folks, silly things inside or keep it minimal. make sure it gets plenty of indirect light and that it stays moist.
keep in mind succulents and tropical plant terrariums require (slightly) different ingredients, process and care.
if you have any questions get in touch! if you have photos to share - send them my way! wanna trade city moss? lets chat! hope you all have a super rad weekend! look around for the magical green carpets! and if you are covered in snow - enjoy that too! xoxo
p.s. yes that bad dog is peeing on my terrarium above. i just can't control those little ones running wild in my studio!
inspiration nation
i came across this photo in my inspiration file. i have no clue where i found it. so if you know - let me know! and thank you ahead of time!
anyhow it reminded me of my palette wall i created for the renegade craft fair (emptier version). however i like how theirs is fully loaded with plants, creates an excellent vertical garden. i am totally going to build up the one i made for the fair in the studio patio and have plants live in it full time. load it up! come june or july, whenever the next fair is due, i will have plants installed and growing. or maybe this calls for more of a mess? who knows. still a cute idea.
anyhow it reminded me of my palette wall i created for the renegade craft fair (emptier version). however i like how theirs is fully loaded with plants, creates an excellent vertical garden. i am totally going to build up the one i made for the fair in the studio patio and have plants live in it full time. load it up! come june or july, whenever the next fair is due, i will have plants installed and growing. or maybe this calls for more of a mess? who knows. still a cute idea.
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