Monthly Archives: May 2016

Upcoming Class: Build a Pollinator House

Upcoming Class: Build a Pollinator House
Upcoming Class: Build a Pollinator House

Build an attractive garden home out of wood for native bees and other valuable pollinating insects. We will paint our homes to make them pretty and decorate some of the surfaces with stencils. All materials except the bamboo segments shown in the picture will be included. The wood will be cut ahead of time. The skills you will use in the class are: sanding, nailing, painting and stenciling. You will be instructed on what kinds of materials to fill the house with. The bamboo shown in the picture is one option you can use but there are others.

Class Title: Build a Pollinator House
When: June 04, 2016 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Where: Studio:art 7403 Manchester Rd., Maplewood, MO 63143 Map & Directions
Price: $40.00.

REGISTER NOW

Some of the stencil detail on the side of the pollinator house
Some of the stencil detail on the side of the pollinator house

Decorate a Terra Cotta Plant Pot with Acrylic Paint and Stencils

Terra cotta pots decorated with paint and stencils

Painting and stenciling terra-cotta pots is a fun and inexpensive way to enhance your patio or garden decor. Younger and older crafters alike can join in. Small decorated pots can be used as party favors. Medium-sized pots might provide the base for a table centerpiece. A large pot could function as a gift basket that you can fill with items for a loved one who likes gardening. Gardeners can always use extra small items such as gloves* (they tend to wear out with regularity), seeds*, bulbs*, bug repellent*, gardener’s soap, hand lotion*, sunscreen*, lip balm* and plant tags*. You can also throw in a gift card* so they can get exactly what they want!

To learn how, read my article on the Schnarr’s blog: Decorate a Terra Cotta Plant Pot with Acrylic Paint and Stencils

Make a Seed Packet Bouquet

A bouquet of seed packets

Here is a way to give a bouquet of flowers that is a little different from the usual! Mount seed packets on skewers in a vase for a festive gift. Such arrangements can also be used for table centerpieces or party favors.

Tools and Materials

Packets of seeds, either purchased or handmade

Seed packet holder templates
Laminating sheets (optional)
Scissors
Cardstock
Cutting mat
X-acto or craft knife
Metal ruler
Pencil
Double-sided tape
Small hole punch
Wood skewers (available in grocery stores)
Decorative paper flowers
Needle tool or awl
Decorative flower-shaped brads

1. Download the template Seed Packet Holders. It includes two holder templates. Cut out and if you like, laminate for durability.

2. Use the template that is the correct size for your seed packet and cut out a piece of card stock of a color that is harmonious with your seed packet. Fold it in half.

3. Lay the holder piece flat on your cutting mat and place the template over it. Cut four diagonal slits through both your template and the front of the seed packet holder. When you use the template again, if you like you can draw lines through it with a pencil to indicate where to cut on the front of the holder.

4. Push a wooden skewer through the back of the holder so that the blunt end of the skewer ends up inside the holder butted up against the fold. Tape in place.

5. Slip your seed packet into the front of the holder and poke a hole with a needle tool or awl in the holder piece at each corner of the seed packet.

6. Take four small paper flowers in colors that go well with your seed packet and position them inside four larger paper flowers. Poke a decorative brad through each flower to make a flower center. Push the brads through the holes in each corner and fold brads over on the back. If you can use the brad tines to help hold the seed packet in place as you spread them that is a bonus.

7. Put double sided tape along the sides and bottom inside your holder. Fold the front down and press halves together.

8. Arrange your packets in a vase. You’re done!

Spring Faux Postage #2

Card and envelope decorated with spring faux postage

Fake “postage stamps” are a lot of fun to make and are good decorations for greeting cards or mail art!

Make the Template

Tools and Materials
Square Faux Postage Template PDF or Rectangular Faux Postage PDF
Acetate
Tape
X-acto knife or Mat knife
Self-healing cutting mat
Metal Ruler

1. Download and print out one of the faux postage templates.

2. Tape a piece of acetate over the printed template.

3. Using a metal ruler as a guide and with the self-healing cutting mat underneath, use your mat knife or X-acto knife to cut out the squares on the template. You will cut through both the acetate and paper layers as you do so.

4. Remove the paper from the acetate. Now your template is ready to use.

Make the stamps

Tools and materials
Dye-based rubber stamping ink
Light colored cardstock
Colored pencils
Faux postage stencils
Sponges
Water container
Palette
Rubber stamps in a spring theme such as flowers and butterflies
Word rubber stamps for backgrounds
Tiny faux postage rubber stamps or other tiny word and number stamps
Decorative edging scissors
Heat tool

1. Tape a piece of light colored cardstock down on your work surface. Tape your acetate faux postage stencil in place over it, hinging it at the top with tape so you can lift the acetate between steps.

2. Squirt a few light analagous colors of rubber stamping ink on a palette. For example, light yellow, ochre yellow and light orange, or light pink and light peach. Sponge these colors inside the openings in the stencil while blending. Try to get the colors lighter toward the middle and darker toward the edge.

3. Lift the acetate (this is so that you don’t melt the stencil) and dry well with a heat tool. Stamp a word stamp as a background in a light taupe or light tan color. Dry the ink again.

4. Outline the inside edges of each opening with an analgous color of colored pencil – for example orange with the yellow inks, magenta with the pink inks.

5. Select a stamp for the main part of your image and stamp it toward the middle of each opening in burgundy ink.

6. Select some tiny faux postage stamps and stamp them in black around the edges.

7. Cut stamps apart with a decorative paper-edging scissors.

Following are the stamps I used in each sample.

faux postage with butterflies

The background stamp is by Stampington. Butterfly stamps are from 7gypsies then in black I stamped the following stamps from Carolyn’s Stamp Store:

faux postage with flowers
The background stamp and flower are both by 7gypsies. In black I stamped the following stamps from Carolyn’s Stamp Store:

faux postage with flowers
The background stamp and flower are both by 7gypsies. In black I stamped the following stamps from Carolyn’s Stamp Store:

faux postage with bee
The background stamp, bee and Fig. 13 are by 7gypsies. In black I stamped the following stamp from Carolyn’s Stamp Store:

If you would like to read my first spring postage tutorial, here is a link:
Spring Faux Postage

Free seeds at Studio:art in Maplewood

Free seeds at Studio:art in Maplewood, MO
Free seeds at Studio:art in Maplewood, MO

You are invited to stop by Studio:art in Maplewood and pick up some free seeds. The address is 7403 Manchester Rd, Maplewood, MO 63143. Pictured with the seeds are some handmade decorative seed packets I’ve made that are available for purchase. Seeds make a great gift for someone who likes gardening! You can give seeds on their own or incorporate them into a garden themed gift basket.

Here is a list of the seeds available at Studio:art:

Bird house gourd
Pumpkin
Milkweed
Sunflower
Cucumber
Oregano
Watermelon
Four O’Clock
Amsonia
Corn
Mustard Greens
Melon
Cleome
Squash
Chives
Turnip
Radish
Okra
Viola
Collards
Smoky Fennel
Celosia
Cantaloupe
Marigold
Zinnia
Chili pepper
Hollyhock
Moonflower
Dill
Peas
Purple Hyacinth Bean
Columbine
Cardinal Vine
Cress
Papaver Somniferum
Carrot
Hibiscus
Tomato
Beets
Purple Coneflower
Bush Bean
Yucca Filamentosa

Come and get them while supplies last!