Philippians 4:13
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
A few years ago a neighbor down the street put up a Topsy Turvy Planter, and I have wanted to make one since. Then they started popping up on Pinterest, and each time I would tell myself that this is something I MUST do. And now I have.
For the most part, I followed these instructions. I used a 14" pot for the base, then a 12" pot, two 10" pots, and an 8" (or maybe it's a 6") pot on the top. And instead of re-bar, I used a shepherd's hook as my central pole.
How, you ask, did you get those pots on that shepherd's hook?
My shepherd's hook has a fork at the bottom, as do most shepherd's hooks, for extra support that would prevent me threading my pots up from the bottom. So I planted the hook where I wanted to build, then I started by threading the largest pot over the hook through the drain hole. But in order to thread the pot through the hook itself, I had to chip away a little at the drain hole to make it an oval instead of a circle.
I used a screwdriver and hammer to gently chisel away just a tiny bit. That's all I needed to be able to thread the pot past the hook. I had to do this with all sizes of my pots, except for the smallest.
I added plants like Wave Petunias, Lantana, Moss Rose and Evening Primrose that "fall" out of the pots as they lean. Then as a final finishing touch, I added a birdhouse hanging from the hook.
And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11
Today we had my daughter's 10th birthday party. She had a Peacock theme, and we decorated in blue, green and peacock feathers. She didn't want cake, so I made a big Chocolate Chip Cookie Peacock "Cake" for her.
It's 3-D. The body is another cookie setting on top of the feathers. It looked beautiful and tasted yummy, too. I have a feeling we've started a new birthday tradition when it comes to cake.
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For a party craft, we made Curly Birds from Spoonful. One girl at the party told me several times how much she loved making her bird, a sentiment shared by several of the kids. So I think that means we have a winner!
Click here for instructions on making these paper birds.
My only suggestion in regard to the instructions is that you glue the tail feathers to the body first, then glue the head in the appropriate place. I made my bird the night before the party as a sample for the kids to see, and having the tail in the right place first makes it easier to judge the appropriate location of the head.
I cut all the paper strips the night before to cut down on the time needed for the activity. The younger kids needed a little extra assistance assembling their birds, but for the most part, once I showed what to do as we went along, each kid was able to work on his/her own. I had to help a couple cut the tail feathers, so for younger kids, be prepared to pre-cut the triangle portion of the feathers (and beak), or draw cut lines for them to follow.
Our flock of birds turned out VERY cute, and several of the kids even used scraps left from cutting the beaks to make feet.
The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in His Temple. Psalm 27:4
Several days ago while shopping at Hobby Lobby, my daughter saw a craft idea for a terracotta flower pot frog, so I purchased a 6-pack of the tiny pots. Today we sat down to make a frog but we couldn't find the instructions. I had most of it in my head, but I just wanted a little confirmation, so of course I turned to Pinterest. We found the frog... but we also found an adorable terracotta pot mushroom fairy house.
We couldn't resist the cuteness, and I happened to have what we needed to make them, so we decided to go for it!
The link to the Pinterest idea was bad, so we made ours just based off the photo.
In addition to paint, you need a terracotta pot and a Styrofoam ball. We used the small pots that are about 2" in diameter at the open top and the ball is the 3" size.
Cut the ball not quite in half.
We used regular acrylic paint to paint the balls. I have to admit I wasn't sure how to paint Styrofoam, but the acrylic paint worked great.
We used a toothpick and stuck it into the piece of the ball that we cut off so that the part we painted could stand up and dry more efficiently. Be sure to give plenty of time for it to dry, because it will take longer than other surfaces.
We used "Patio Paint Outdoor" for the terracotta. It's weather-resistant and adheres great to the terracotta. We painted them with a door and windows to look like a little cottage.
We used a round sponge brush for the polka-dots on our mushroom tops. When everything is dry, glue the ball to the pot, and your mushroom fairy house is complete. We used E6000 glue for that part.
Even though we used weather-resistant paint on the pots, I can't say for sure how well this will hold up if left outside. My daughter plans to put hers in her fairy garden, and it's outside, so we'll see. Mine will go outside, too, but probably on the deck were it will be a little more protected.
My younger daughter decided to make hers into an Indian girl.
Be on the lookout, because the frogs have not been forgotten...
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4
