garden to go

Hi everyone!

I'm Alli and I blog over at Life on LeRoy.  I'm so excited Beth has allowed me to take over her blog for the day to share a fun project with all of you for one of my favorite holidays - Earth Day - coming up on April 22nd!

I really am a big Earth Day fan, I think it's a great opportunity to raise awareness around the importance of protecting our natural resources.  If we don't do it, no one will.  I've got a great project to share today that would be fun for anyone at any age!

-Garden to Go-

Materials

• Small clear glass jar with lid, clean
• Assorted seeds
• Vintage costume earrings and/or small pins
• Needlenose pliers
• Super glue
• Paper
• Pen
• Small hang tags
• String or embroidery thread

Directions

Step 1: The first thing you will want to do is decide on which seeds to give. There are 2 things to consider here: one is which plants grow best together and the other, purely for aesthetic reasons, is which seeds are interesting to look at. So gather your seeds and choose, choose, choose away. A mix of herbs and flowers make for a pretty easy garden to start. You will want to have a balance of small and not-so-small seeds; otherwise you'll end up with a jar that looks like it's filled with debris.

Step 2: Wash and dry your jar and lid. A dust-free lid makes a better home for your glue. If your lid is cluttered with a logo or a not-so-happy color, sand it a little to give it some tack and add a coat or two of paint. You can also blast it with some spray paint, if you choose.

Step 3: Select a few favorite pieces of the costume jewelry, buttons or anything else you want. Pins and earrings work best. If you have something with a larger lid, you may wish to use a couple of pieces. Use pliers to twist and remove the pin and earring backs of your selected pieces. I used the pliers to grasp and twist away until the earring hinge popped off. Any tiny screws or pieces that are left behind should be okay — a thick glob of glue will help balance the piece out

Step 4: Make sure your lid is dry and dust-free. Squeeze a glob of super glue to the back of your jewelry and press down onto your lid. Repeat for the remaining lids and pieces you have gathered. Set aside to dry for at least 4 hours.

Step 5: List the seeds you used on a small piece of paper. You can get fancy and pretty this up any way you choose, use a typewriter, or simply print them out with a thin-tipped marker. I added each seed next to its name here just so you can see which seed is which. Roll your list up like a tiny scroll and tie with a bit of string or embroidery thread, leaving a tail about 6" long.

Step 6: Pop your tiny scroll into the jar with the tail of thread hanging out over the edge. Next, add the seeds you selected. Give a little shake here or there until the seeds are settled in a pleasing way. Set aside.

Step 7: Gather your small hang tags and decorate as you please. Tuck the tail end of the tag's string into the center of the scroll and gently hang outside the lip of the jar.



Step 8: Once the glue is dry on your lid, seal up your garden to go and get ready to give! Happy planting!

Project idea found here.

These would be so fun to give to neighbors, teachers, friends, babysitters, anyone!

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Be the change!