DIY: Teacup Garden

I love miniature gardens and having been meaning to do this project for a long time with an antique teacup with a broken handle. This project came together quickly and was a lot of fun. I'd recommend it for a small garden club or to do with children at least 10 years old. 

Level: easy   Cost: inexpensive   Use: gardening decor 

Materials:

- porcelain teacup 

- cordless rotary took (Dremel) drill

- ceramic drill bit

- potting mix

- succulent plants

- miniature yard flamingos or any accessories you choose

Step 1: I borrowed a friend's cordless rotary took (Dremel) drill with a ceramic drill bit to make a drainage hole in the bottom of the teacup. Wear safety goggles, gloves, and work over an old piece of board outside in case you punch through. Go slowly and do a little at a time so you don't shatter the cup.

Step 2: I then filled the cup with potting mix and thoroughly watered it in.

Step 3: I next planted little succulent plants I gathered from around my garden and even added in a tiny Black-eye susan seedlings that was coming up between some path pavers.

Step 4: Finally, I added the two miniature yard flamingos and set the teacup on a table inside my gazebo where it can spend the rest of the growing season. 

Tips and Care:

• The saucer need not match the cup. If you have mismatched sets of old chipped china, it is even more fun.
• You can decorate a little landscape around the base of the cup inside the saucer or leave it plain.
• This will need occasional watering, but don't leave it out in the rain or over-water it.
• All of the plants are winter hardy, but I still may bring it in to enjoy on a windowsill this winter and swap out the plantings as needed.
• Get creative with your miniature accessories. I happen to love yard flamingos, but if that isn't your thing, try mini mushrooms, a tiny birdbath, or whatever you desire!
  

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a few pennies from Amazon.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com. 

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Gnomes and Fairies -- Oh My!

If you follow me on social media or this blog for a while, you've seen glimpses of my Gnome and Fairy collections. I am always on the look out for new characters to add to my garden. Here are a few fun ones from Twig & Flower. I think my favorites are the Ohm Gnome and the two fairy sisters with their ginger cat. Pictured above and below, they are posing in a couple spots in my late winter garden with their friends.

Twig & Flower has a store on Amazon.com where you can order these at: https://amzn.to/397iQh2

AND they have offered our followers 10% off when you use the code "10Washington" This offer will be good until 3/21/2020!

By the way, while you are over their shopping on Amazon. The Washington Gardener Amazon Store is at www.amazon.com/shop/wdcgardener - scroll down and hit "Fave Gardening Tools" for some of my tried-and-true garden helpers.

DIY: Fairy Houses

Birdhouses make the ideal base for creating a Fairy* House. They are readily available at craft stores or you can easily make your own birdhouse from a kit or if you have basic carpentry skills. To make the birdhouse into a Fairy Abode, it only take a bit of paint, some glitter, and a few whimsical accents. 

This is an ideal rainy-day activity for doing with children or could be a nice activity for a whole garden club to undertake and create a fairy village.

Materials:

- 

- Bird Houses

- Acrylic Paints 

- Sanding Block or Sand Paper

- Brushes

- Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

- Dollhouse Round Window Frames

- Glitter

- Mod Podge

- Other Dollhouse Accessories, as desired

Instructions:

Step 1- Sand off any rough edges on the birdhouse. Then wipe off any dust with a damp rag. Wait for it to dry, then you cover your work surface with newspapers. There may be a ledge sticking out for the birds to land on. Snap that off as faeries are expert flyers and don't need these.

Step 2 - Start painting. I prefer washable craft acrylics and using a foam brush for base coats, then moving to finer brushes for painting finer details. My Garden Faeries like tones of purple and green, but your resident faeries may have different tastes.

Step 3 - Plug in your glue gun and glue on accessories. I found round window frames in my dollhouse supplies that fit perfectly over the birdhouse hole to convert it into the side window. I also found a windowbox that was the perfect accent for under that. I then made my own door using some scrap balsa wood and glued that on.

Optional: I raided my jewelry box, craft supplies, and dollhouse for extra bits and baubles to decorate the house. You can dismantle lost-its-mate earrings to make the door hinges, as I did, or use your imagination to come up with other creative uses for your glittery odds and ends.

Step 4 - Paint the roof with a thin layer of Mod Podge or other shellac, then place the house in a cookie tray and gently sprinkle the glitter over it. This is where he magic happens, so take your time and do just a bit, then layer on more as desired. You don't have to stop at just the roof and can glitter up the whole thing -- do whatever your inner faerie tells you to do!

Step 5 - Add several more layers of Mod Podge or other shellac, waiting an hour or so between coats. This will ensure the longevity of your fairy house.

TIPS:

• Decorate with found objects from found objects in your garden. These may not be as long-lasting as manufactured items, but can add a touch of "fairy realness." Try pine cones and acorns for roof shingles, birch bark for architectural accent pieces, and seeds for decorative accents.
• Put your fairy house outdoors in a protected spot, such as under a large tree, and it will likely last a year or more out in the elements. The weatherization and decay are part of the charm of it.
• You can use stencils to decorate the house with vines and flowers, if free-hand painting is not your strong suit.
• This craft can be as complex or simple as you desire. Stop when you are happy with it or keep going and adding to it as you like.

*I personally prefer the spelling Faerie or Fae, but went with the more common term for this post.

This is a monthly blog series on DIY projects for the beginning home gardener. Look for the other installments in this DIY blog series by putting "DIY" in the search box here at washingtongardener.blogspot.com.