This may be the most excited I've ever been for allergy season SPRING! This winter really did me in between being stuck in the house from the Polar Vortex hell and all those snow days. And while I realize technically it could still be cold off and on until the end of March, I am in full spring mode, ready for daffodils, tulips and flowering trees (Achoo!)
Inspired by an idea from Barb of A Life in Balance, I came up with this simple and fun spring craft. Barbara challenged bloggers to use the tiny terra cotta flower pots in a spring craft.
I decided to make a series of flower pots in two sizes that could be used as a centerpiece when arranged together on a tray in the middle of the table or as a decoration in a line on the mantle or as a place marker for a spring dinner party. I've wanted to try out chalkboard paint for a while, so this seemed like the perfect project for it. I made chalkboard flower pots!
I purchased supplies at Michael's, Target and my basement (ok, I had a small collection of tiny flower pots already!) I saw flower pots at Michael's and I think the dollar store might even sell them. I was excited to find that Michael's sells small bottles of chalkboard paint for under two dollars. I orignially had seen it by the quart at Home Depot, but didn't want that much paint. I picked a regular acrylic paint as an accent in Robin's Egg Blue, because it just seemed very spring-like to me.
Supplies:
- mini flower pots
- acrylic paint
- chalkboard paint
- chalk
- paint brushes or sponges
- jute twine or ribbon
- hot glue and glue gun
- small plants or soil and grass seed
How I did this craft:
I painted the flower pots first, and then added a second coat. Since I was painting several pots, I switched my patterns with the two colors of paint for variety so the pots are not all the same. Before using the chalkboard paint, read the instructions on the bottle for how to apply it for the best coverage and finished surface. Using jute twine I found in the dollar bins at Target, in pink and natural brown, I added some accents to each pot. I used hot glue to secure the twine to each pot so it wouldn't slide off and simply tied the ends into a small bow. I found a mini pinwheel at home and added that for some whimsy to one of the pots after it was planted. I also added a little "happy Easter" sign that I had. I wrote "happy spring" on two of the pots with chalk.
Meanwhile, I planted some grass seed to grow. (If you plan to grow seeds for your decorations, I suggest starting them in soil a week or two before you need them for the decorations.) Initially I thought I would fill each pot with bright green grass, but then I found some teeny little flowering plants at Trader Joe's so I added them to the mix. This was the most simple craft and adds a nice spring touch to my mantle! If I were to use them as place markers, I would write each guest's name on the chalkboard painted part of the pot.
