Posts Tagged ‘garden’

16
Jun
2014

A Vintage Garden Bridal Shower

Written by: Lisa

So over the past few weeks I showed you how to Age Terracotta Pots, create a Moss Covered Letter, and emboss some paper goods. All of these crafts were part of a bridal shower, hosted by my mother-in-law for our cousin Justine. The theme of the shower was vintage garden and boy did the house transform and play the part beautifully!

Here are a few shots from the shower—it’s amazing what a bit of planning, creativity, and elbow grease can accomplish! I think it was beautiful and the pictures do not even do it justice.

I just love this sign. My mother-in-law hand painted the letters and distressed each one—I thought it was a printable it looks so perfect! The raffia is a great touch to add to the vintage feel of the shower. Since this sign isn’t customized to the bride and groom, the family can use it for future weddings.

There were lots of small chalkboards throughout the shower—with cute wedding related phrases or quotes. This just solidifies the notion that chalkboards are the perfect décor for any occasion.

The laundry room underwent a transformation and became the drinks/dessert area. Never underestimate the power of white tablecloths and a burlap accent runner. A few garden related items were all that were needed to connect this room to the theme.

The desserts served were mini pastries, cookies, and that gorgeous cake—made to look like a terracotta pot with flowers! It was not only pretty to look at but pretty delicious too.

The cookies were made by yours truly. I have been dying to try out the frame cookie cutter (from Karen’s Cookies) and thought that this was the perfect occasion. Given the natural theme, I wanted do to more subdued and simple cookies. It was my first time writing with icing, and I think they came out pretty good!

As the shower was in the mid afternoon, the food served was light and refreshing. The greenery of the different salads enhanced the theme and looked lovely on the table.

Check out this moss covered gift box that my sister-in-law, Lauren, made. Is it not the cutest thing ever? It served as décor right up until Justine opened it as a gift. Lauren is a graphic designer and extremely artistic/clever. Not only did she make the box, but also the gift inside—a cute frame that acts as a wedding ring holder. Maybe one day Lauren will feature some of her talents on our blog

The Moss Covered G that I posted about earlier looked great in the dining room. In addition to being décor, it serves as a personalized gift for the bride and groom.

Aside from the food in the dining room, there was also a table full of fruit, cheese, grilled vegetables, dips, etc. Again, all finger food that was light and well suited for an afternoon shower. I thought the table scape was beautiful.

See this statue? Can you believe my mother in law aged this herself?? Incredible!

The bride and groom received many well wishes on the wishing tree. The embossed tags from my earlier blog post looked great on the tree. The tree was a gift for the bride and groom for their new home.

Remember those terracotta pots we showed you how to age? Here’s the final product! Each guest received an herb to take home—the pots/herbs were a huge success, everyone loved them. Talk about a perfect favor for a vintage garden shower!

The shower was a wonderful day for everyone—especially for the bride and her family. It was a lot of fun making some of the crafts that were featured in the shower. With lots of younger siblings and cousins in our family, I’m sensing that there might be more happy family occasions to plan and craft for in the future!

09
Jun
2014

Burlap Basket Liners

Written by: Grace

Every once in a while, I have what I consider million dollar ideas. Generally, they are either not worthy of a million dollars or have already been done. My latest idea for burlap basket liners is definitely worth a million dollars (helllllo, it’s burlap we are talking about), but I am sure it has been done before.

The other day as I was strolling the aisles of Lowe’s, I happened upon the hanging planter baskets. Coconut basket liners are not expensive, but they aren’t cheap. In fact, the liners are almost the same price as the baskets themselves. It was then after holding a coconut liner in my hand for entirely too long (this is why my husband does not like to shop with me), I thought that a burlap basket liner would work perfectly.

What You’ll Need:

- Burlap— I got my burlap from burlapfabric.com– it’s a steal for 5 yards of burlap for less than $7. Seriously, I will not get burlap anywhere else. The prices are ridiculously good and the shipping is fast!

- Scissors

-Diapers (yup, diapers).

What You’ll Do:

- Place your hanging basket on the burlap.

- Cut a piece of burlap that is larger than the circumference of your basket.

- Place the burlap in the basket (like when you put a napkin in a bowl before putting snacks in)

- Put another piece of burlap in the basket (I just used some scraps) to help reinforce the liner.

- Cut two diapers in half.

-Place three of the halves (moisture absorbing side up) in the bottom of the basket.

Extra Absorbent!

It’s ready for your plants!

14
May
2014

Aging Terracotta Pots

Written by: Lisa

This past weekend, my mother in-law hosted a bridal shower for our cousin Justine. My mother-in-law is truly the ‘hostess with the mostess’—her gatherings are always impeccable!

The theme of the bridal shower is vintage garden—think burlap, rustic, and natural. Each guest will receive a potted herb for her favor—which is where crafting comes into play!

Here’s the method we used to get a faux aged look for our terracotta pots.

What you need:

Terracotta Pots and bases- ours were 4 inches

Rustoleum American Accents Stone Spray Paint

Green craft paint- in a hue of your choice

Foam brush

Sandpaper—we used the ones that look like a block/sponge

Newspaper/dropcloth for your spraying surface

Step 1:

Lay out your pots in an arrangement that is conducive to spraying. We had over 40 pots and bases!

Step 2:

Spray your heart out. The stone spray paint was really cool—very textured and it adhered to the pot quite well. Don’t cover every inch—remember in the end you want it to look like it has aged naturally.

Just a light spray will do. Let dry completely.

Step 3:

Using your foam brush, apply green paint on top of the spray paint. Again, do this sparingly. Don’t make it look perfect!

Step 4:

Stretch out those hand muscles a bit, because you’ll need them for the sanding! Sand each pot until the surface is smooth. We found that using a circular motion helped to blend the green and white a bit better. For a more distressed look, press a bit harder on the sandpaper so the clay pot itself shows through more.

So far so good! Look for the finished product with potted herbs in the Bridal Shower post.