Polymer Village Planters

I'm sharing a fun little project I did to give homes to some lonely little succulents.  And when I say little... I mean itty bitty.  

All you need is:

Polymer Clay

Rolling Pin

Ruler

Knife

Parchment Paper

Baking Sheet

Glue gun

+

Dirt and a plant!

First, cut 1/5 of your block of polymer off and roll it out to be about 1/8" thick. Cut 2 squares that are 2"x2".  Cut 2 squares that are 2"x1 3/4".  Next, Cut the front of the house with a peak on the front.  That should be 5 total pieces. 

Now, bake them according to the instructions on your clay.  Make sure they are laying completely flat on your baking sheet!

After they are baked and cooled, paint the windows, doors and any other accents you'd like to add.

Piece your house together and use a hot glue gun to seal the edges and make it water tight. 

Use the 2 pieces that are 2" x 1 3/4" as the sides so they will fit snuggly between the front and back pieces.

Next, plant your succulent and water!

I made a tiny village of these for my windowsill in the kitchen.  I absolutely love them!

   

Check out our link party page to see where we link up each week!

MAKE: Revived Vintage Screen Garden Wall

This project was inspired by what my family thought was a very odd purchase at an estate sale for $2.  An old mesh screen framed in old wood.  It was love at first sight to me.  As soon as I saw it a hundred ideas flooded my imagination of what could be made with it. 

After a couple weeks of pondering, I settled on the idea of a garden wall.  My aloe plant (that had a bunch of babies last year) was ready to give birth yet again.  Check out my post about separating your aloe plants here.  This little wall piece was going to give me the perfect place to display my new potted baby aloe plants. 

I had seen these little white aluminum pots at Ikea months ago and knew they'd be perfect for this!  A tiny S-hook would fit perfectly in the little holes around the top.  They'll also be great to pull off this wall during the colder months and bring the plants inside where it is safe and warm. 

I love this project because it can be made appropriate for any and all seasons and holidays! 

Check out our Link Party Page to see where we link up each week!

CRAFT: DIY Vintage Dollhouse Spice Rack

I bought this vintage aluminum dollhouse last year at a flea market for $15.  I couldn't resist!  I had no idea what to do with it, though, so it sat in a cabinet while I rummaged through ideas filed away in my imagination.  Finally, I came up with a spice rack... random, I know.. but I am thrilled with how it turned out!  The best part is that these little houses are surprisingly common.  I just saw one last week at an estate sale.



Mine was rather rusty, hence the overhaul with spray paint.

 

I couldn't possibly have let a child play with this...

I primed and sprayed the exterior, save the roof.  I wanted the glue for the shingles to adhere properly.

These were about $20 for the bag, but completely worth it. It completely transformed the look of the house.

You will be surprised how easy it is to shingle a little roof!  I used a glue gun and that's it!

You won't need much stain at all.  I actually just used a little sample can.

Painters tape and chalkboard paint can turn a $1 jar into an adorable little spice container!  Or you could use the chalkboard vinyl and cut labels out with your Silhouette or Cricut!

I have a lot of spices!!

If you have chalk markers, it might work better and not look so much like you let your 3 year old niece label them with sidewalk chalk.

I staggered my jars so it would be easier to see the labels.

You can never ever go wrong with some little succulents.

Check out our link party page to see where we link up each week!

CRAFT: DIY Rope-Wrapped Tribal Cactus Planter

I have this nasty habit of playing search and rescue for abandoned and neglected plants at Estate Sales.  Especially if they are cacti.  Most times, the pots housing said cacti are less than desirable.  Upon being given an amazing rope covered pot from Anthropologie by Jen, I knew I had to recreate the look on all my homely little salvaged pots.  Follow along... you'll be surprised how easy this is!

You will need a glue gun, an old flower pot, some jute twine/rope, paint and a paint brush.

Apply about a one inch length of glue along upper outside rim.  You may want to apply a little glue on the rope to prevent fraying.

In 1-2 inch increments, continue gluing and pressing rope against glue fully along the top outer rim until you meet the beginning edge of the glued rope.  Simply continue gluing, wrapping, gluing, wrapping, gluing, wrapping... all the way to the bottom of the pot.

Make sure the last coil is glued tightly in place and that any frayed edges are glued and secure at the bottom.  Also, try to make sure the rope along the bottom allows for a balanced sitting position for the planter.

Next, go crazy with the paint!  I chose a simple, geometric, tribal print to spruce up the rope.
Imagine the possibilities!

 This project would be an absolutely great house warming gift!  It's unique, personal and just simply adorable!  Plus, succulents are pretty difficult to kill.  Just keep near a window and water once a week!

Check out our link party page to see where we link up each week!