Winter Planters.

Whether it's because I am Canadian or not, I have always liked the look of freshly fallen snow on top of well, anything! (Yes I admit I like snow, but I suppose only for a while, that is until it turns into slush. Yuck!) But freshly fallen snow just looks so pretty on top of trees and bushes. To help brighten up my pathway at home, I decided to make some winter planters for the winter season and will explain how I did so below. The best thing about these planters is that they help spruce up one's house exterior for the Christmas season, yet the look is suitable for the entire winter season!

The Finished Product.

My walkway planters, currently awaiting some snow!!!

Items Used:

•  A Planter Pot (able to sustain cold temperatures)
• Sticks, Boughs, Berries, whatever wild things you can find
• Dirt and/or Sand (it doesn't matter what you use since the sticks do not need to grow roots and are not expected to live)
• Rocks

Method:

• Place rocks in the bottom of the planter pot (this will help weigh it down and protect the final product from blowing over)
• Pour some dirt or sand into the pot. Fill approx. half of the pot.
• Stick the tallest of your wild findings in the centre of the pot of dirt/sand.
• Start sticking the other branches and pieces into the dirt/sand revolving around the the tallest one in the centre.
•  Continue sticking in pieces until you have none left.
• Place planter along walkway, under window, by door, etc... for a beautiful wintery feel - Well, after it snows!!!!

TIP:

• To help visually balance the planter, try thinking of the planter as a clock. If you stick something in at 2 O'clock, try sticking the same type of piece in at 6 and 10 O'Clock. This will help balance out the look of the branches and overall feel of the planter.

• Also, the look of these planters could be greatly improved had I used more attractive plant pots.... but ya gotta love reusing what you have (Recycle, Reduce, Reuse)!!!!

The Finished Goods (awaiting snow!):

Autumn and Christmas Wreaths.

Last year when I lived in a small town, I went for a long walk on a country trail on a nice Autumn day. Without knowing what I was doing, I instinctively gathered some grapevine and casually worked it into a circle, careful not to snap the fresh vine. I added some freshly fallen autumn leaves, headed home and hung the makeshift wreath outside and left it there. The leaves faded and eventually fell off. By Spring time, my creation had hardened and became a beautifully sturdy start to an eventual wreath. I brought it inside and hid it somewhere in my craft room only to forget about it until this past Autumn....
Around this past Thanksgiving all the leaves outside began to change colour and it dawned on me that I had a circle of grapevine that I could use for an actual wreath. I used what I had available to me from my collection of random art/craft supplies. I added some leaves, some butterflies and other brass charms.... I enjoy this wreath very much in its simplicity! I hope you do too!

I loved having this my door!

Items Used:

• Grapeleaf vines
• fake autumn leaves and berries
• sparkly gold butterflies
• a few random brass charms
• hot glue gun + glue

Since I enjoyed having a wreath up during October and into November, I decided I should make one for Christmas as well. I had a string of plain garland, some poinsettias (as part of a candle ring) and some sparkly green butterflies (as you can guess, I like butterflies!). I twisted the garland into a circle... ok, as good as a circle as I could and began gluing on the poinsettias. I added the green butterfly but took them off as they were too distracting. This wreath is simple as well but I like it!!!

 My super easy Christmas Wreath!

Items Used:

• 1 string of garland
• 2 candle rings with poinsettias
• fake pine cones and berries
• 4 tiny bells
• hot glue gun + glue