I would love some ideas for creating Garden Art.
Things where you wouldn't have to buy a whole lot of fancy equipment and projects that are easy to do.
Websites or your own directions would be great.
Here's one that my son and I make, he even won a blue ribbon in the fair for these:
Terre-Cotta Plant Markers:
Materials:
1 inch tera-cotta pots
Hangers
Wire Cutters
Needle-nosed pliers
Acrylic paints
Permanent markers
Clear varnish or sealant
Copper Wire
Optional:
buttons
decorative buttons or beads
Step 1:
Create the hanger stem. This is what will hold your plant marker in the soil.
Hold a hanger so that the long bottom edge of the hanger is vertical. Using the wire cutters snip the shorter arm of the hanger - about 4 inches from the top. Next cut off the remaining hanger at the base of the longest hanger arm. When you are done cutting, it should look like a large candy cane.
Using the needle-nosed pliers, bend the short end of the cut hanger twords the ceiling. This will create a small hook to hold your pot.
Step 2:
Now the fun begins -
Take your pot (s) and start painting. Use either acrylic paints or markers to create your masterpiece. (you can get paints that are specific for tera cotta. They come in pots or markers. For young children the markers are great.)
Once the decorations are completed, be sure to waterproof the outside of your pot with either a clear varnish or a sealant to protect it from the elements. (we used a spray sealant, inside and out)
Step 3: Hanging the Pot
Now you have to create a hook for the terra-cotta pot. The hook will allow you to hang the pot from the hanger stem you created earlier.
Using your wire cutters, snip off a few inches of copper wire. Make a small knot on one end of the wire. Thread the unknoted end of the wire through the small hole on the bottom of the pot as if you were threading a needle.
Now use your needle-nosed pliers to make another little hook on the end of the wire.
Hand the pot from the hanger stem.
Variation:
My son and I made some changes:
We found decorative beads or buttons and added them to the hanger. We cut the copper wire and then place a bead/button in the middle of the length of wire. (we had some cute ladybug buttons and some pretty beads)
Then we folded the wire in half (with the bead/button at the top) pushed the two wire ends into the hole in the pot and then threaded the wire ends into a colored button. Twist the wires and the pot will not come off the hanger.
The button finishes it off nicely.
