Category: Art Projects

Rain Painting

1/12/2018

If it’s raining you have half of what you need to make these fun paintings. Just sprinkle a few drops of food coloring onto a paper plate and grab a raincoat.

Head outside and see what happens when the raindrops mix with the food coloring!

We’re getting the help of a rainy day in creating beautiful works of soggy colorful art in the garden.

What’s Needed:

Paper plate
Food Coloring

It’s easy and fun and a good excuse to go play in the rain! Challenge yourself to see if you can make your rain art look like something you want to see in your spring garden!

(You know if you live somewhere where it happens to be hot you could do the same thing but throw on a bathing suit instead and ask a friend to spray a hose right above you!)

Looking for more fun ideas to get outdoors with your kids? Check us out on Pinterest and Facebook!

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Pumpkin Slime Recipe

10/23/2017

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Ingredient Check List:
1 Bottle of white glue
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup contact solution

When you carve a pumpkin do you love playing with the gooey insides? Well here is a recipe for you!

Instructions on how to make are in the video!

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Pencil Pool Noodle Garden Markers

8/17/2017

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I love pool noodles! They’re bright, colorful, and make great garden markers after a summer of playing with them in the pool!

Since we’re all heading back to school I thought it would be fun to upcycle the noodles into pencil garden markers! Cute right?

What’s Needed:
•   Pool noodles
•   Serrated knife or small saw
•   Black Permanent marker
•   Silver and black duct tape
•   Sticks or stakes

Directions:
1.   Use a knife or small saw to cut the main pencil out of the pool noodle. Yellow is best but you can use any color. I made mine about 2 feet but you can do any length you’d like.
2.   Cut an eraser out of a red or different color noodle. I usually cut it about 6 inches, but again it’s up to you.
3.   Create the pencil lead with another color. Use the knife or saw to cut it at an able to create a point.
4.   Attach the pieces together with duct tape.
5.   Use the marker to write the names of your plants on it and stick them on a stake and right into the ground.

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Patriotic Cinder Block Tablescape

7/3/2017

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Earlier this week I made a fast and easy tablescape using cinder blocks as the base for floral arrangements. Today on the blog, I thought I would include the fast instructions and a few photos to show how the finished product came to life!

This incredibly easy project takes a few minutes to accomplish a professional look.
After purchasing a few cinder blocks, outline your desired shapes in duct tape on the exterior of the block to prep for paint. I chose to place "stripes" on one and a 'star" on the other using strips of one inch tape. I then used spray paint to quickly coat the blocks. You can paint all sides by rotating the blocks if needed.

Next, I removed the duct tape and allowed the blocks to dry. In the hot Southern California sun, this took about half an hour. But if where you are it's less warm, please wait about one hour before you begin planting to ensure the paint is dry. Also, acrylic paint will work great if you don't have spray paint handy.
Now for the best part. Place the dried blocks on your party table. Next, I used potted landscaping florals to gently place in to the center of the cinder blocks. I didn't even replant them! To keep your fantastic table cloths clean, I might suggest you place some landscape fabric or even a piece of plastic underneath the flowers before placing them in the blocks. I made a fantastic video giving step by step instructions - you can watch it here: Patriotic Cinder Block Tablescape - FACEBOOK

Creating a POP of color for your Fourth of July table is easy and fast using cinder blocks as a base for your floral arrangments.

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Rock Garden Marker

6/6/2017

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Garden markers are a great way to keep track of where you have placed specific plants, beautify your space, and for kids (or classes) to take ownership of an area in the plot.

For this activity, all you need is a number of flat, smooth stones and a permanent magic marker or enamel pen.
Rocks come in all manner of lovely, natural colors to enhance any garden’s décor. (And those worn smooth in a stream or river won’t tear up the tip of the marker.) Good rock candidates shouldn’t be hard to come by. Check with your local rock yard and pick through the lot for some cool options, or search the banks of nearby streams and rivers.
Next, bring your rocks to a washtub and scrub them clean. You’ll want to make sure to remove all dirt and debris so your writing stays intact and doesn’t flake off with the dirt. Once they’re dry, simply write the plant names directly on the rocks. If you use a permanent marker to write on the stones, you’ll need to refresh the letters every couple of years. If you use an enamel pen, your writing should last for years on end. (Just be sure to use light-colored markers on dark rocks and dark ink on the lighter ones.)
Then just place each marker in the appropriate spot in your garden. It doesn’t get much easier than that! These stone markers are inexpensive, easy to create and won’t get tossed around your yard by the elements. Best of all, they’re lovely natural additions to your garden – making them the true rock stars of home-landscape plant labeling!