Plastic Shopping Bag Flowers

I ALWAYS forget to take my reusable shopping bags to the grocery store.  The result…giant piles of plastic shopping bags have invaded my home. Of course you can recycle them and I do encourage that. Or you can make these nifty thrifty flowers.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Giant piles of plastic shopping bags (well you don’t need a giant pile — about a dozen will do)
• Scissors
• Wire or string
• Foam craft brush
• Acrylic paint

Here’s how you do it:

Cut about 12 squares of equal size (these are approximately 6 X 6 inches).

Stack the squares neatly on top of each other and fold them like an accordion. Then gather and tie off the middle with string or wire.

Cut off the ends so they are clean and even.

Then start separating the squares by gently pulling them apart.

Okay, now this is the fun part. Dip your foam brush in acrylic paint and gently brush over the end of the flower.

You’re done! Instead of using store-bought bows, they make great gift toppers or you could make an entire wreath out of these beauties. How cool would that be! And, they look much better than the sight of them wrapped around limbs of trees or blowing around the streets.

Happy crafting! Oh…stay tuned to see how I recycle phone books. Seriously, who uses phone books? Discuss.

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Tea and Tea Roses

Busy weeks call for some downtime. A good book, my sketchbook, and a cup of tea or coffee brings me back to earth. At the grocery store, I picked up these tea roses but instead of plunking them into a vase, I placed them in a small terracotta flower pot. A while back a local greenhouse was throwing out these tiny pots which I rescued and painted with acrylic paint. They look great with any flower and they look great on my desk.

Line the pot with a grocery store plastic bag (we all have loads of those), insert floral foam (wet of course), then cut away the excess plastic with a scissors. Now cut and insert the flowers until the entire opening is filled. I tucked moss around the edges to hide any hint of plastic.

You can find the supplies needed for this project at your local craft or floral shop. And, note to reader, most craft stores have a great selection of small terracotta pots.

These would make great place card holders, get-well and birthday gifts, or gifts for other occasions like Valentine’s Day!  Hint, hint — THAT day is right around the corner.

Relax, take time to smell the roses, and happy crafting!

Roses n Tangerines

Who would think roses and tangerines get along.  Well I’m here to say that they make the perfect playmates.

I found a wood tray at the crafts store, painted the tray orange with some acrylic paint, lined the box with a plastic bin bag (cut down to size of course), inserted wet floral foam into the box opening, then inserted the oranges and roses into the foam.  To hide any hint of the plastic liner, I tucked in some moss and tied it off with some twine.

Looks pretty, it’s tasty and smells divine.

All supplies can be found at your local crafts store and florist shop.