Spring is here and there are countless flowers awakening from the cold winter slumber. When it happens you can pick some blooms and turn them into easy gift ideas. Today I’ll show you how to make easy pounded flower art.

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Easy Pounded Flower Gift Ideas

The results can be used for a framed quote, a paper-wrapped vase, notecards, and much more! I’d go so far to say, the results are close to high end (and expensive) handmade pressed flower paper.

Ready to make some beautiful pounded flower paper? I am (because I could also use an activity to get a little frustration out 😉.)

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

materials

Instructions:

First, you’ll want to collect some flowers. Smaller colorful flowers work best. But, you can collect larger ones and experiment.

Lay one sheet of paper on top of the block of wood. Arrange your flowers on top of the paper and tape down any strands that don’t cooperate. (The flowers I picked are from a money plant that grows in our woods.)

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Lay a second sheet of paper on top of the flowers.

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Pound the hammer around the paper until you have squished all of the flowers beneath. (This doubles as a stress relief exercise, trust me!)
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Peel apart the papers and you’ll have a pulpy mess.

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Remove the flowers and wipe off the excess bits and pieces with a clean chip brush.

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Look at that! You got two prints that are a mirror image.

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Print out a quote or type a message on coordinating paper and tear around it. Tape it onto flower paper.

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Put your verse artwork into a frame for a sweet gift to your sister, your mother, or a friend.

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Take the other sheet and wrap it around a can, mason jar, or vase.

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Wrap some twine around the paper to hold it in place. Add water to the vase and pop some fresh flowers in it.

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Quick and easy gift idea, right?! Give a vase to brighten someone’s day. The best part of this gift is it only cost a pound! (Get it? Like a British £? I know, I have a corny sense of humor. You can blame it on my Dad, it runs on his side of the family.)

Maybe I’ve also been hammering a little too much lately. Leave me a comment if you have any corny jokes to share!

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Do you have any creative ideas for using this pretty flower paper? I set some up for the kids and they had a blast pounding flowers.

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Make your own faux succulent wreath and add a little greenery to your home. Use a few supplies from the dollar store and this simple tutorial to make this beautiful DIY Faux Succulent Wreath!

DIY Faux Succulent Wreath

I’ve been itching to add a little more greenery to our home lately. It’s finally green outside, so I wanted to bring some of that green into the house too! I was digging around in my craft stash and found a whole bag of faux succulent stems. These were leftover from another DIY project from long ago and were taking up space in my craft closet.

This past weekend was the perfect time to use up those supplies and add some greenery to our home by creating a simple wreath. Let me show you how easy it is to make your own DIY faux succulent wreath with supplies that can be found at the dollar store or online (or in your stash)!

faux succulent wreath supplies

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

I am using a grapevine wreath that I picked up several months ago from the dollar store, but I decided to paint it white for this project. If you prefer to leave yours natural, feel free to skip step 1.

Instructions:

Step 1- Spray paint grapevine wreath

Spray paint wreath form using a quality spray paint in the color of your choice. The best tip for painting a grapevine wreath is to spray from different angles, using short bursts of paint. This will help get the paint into all of the nooks and crannies. Keep in mind it may take several coats to get good coverage.

spray paint grapevine wreath

Step 2- Attach succulents to wire

If the succulents you are using have long stems you may not need the floral wire in this step. However, the wire does help secure them to the wreath form better.

To attach, simply wrap a piece of wire around the base of an artificial succulent. It may be necessary to use pliers to help with this step. Snip off excess wire with wire cutters. You will be left with something that looks like this.

attach faux succulents to floral wire

Step 3- Arrange larger succulents onto the wreath

Attach the succulents to the wreath by either tucking the floral wire into the grapevine wreath or wrap around to the back of the wreath.

wrap floral wire around grapevine wreath form to secure

It’s best to place the larger succulents first to create a good foundation layout to work with.

Arrange larger succulents on wreath form

Step 4- Add smaller faux succulent stems to fill in empty space

Once the larger succulents are placed, fill in any gaps with smaller succulents. You could also add in small sprays of artificial eucalyptus or even some moss. Be creative!

Smaller succulents used to fill in gaps

Step 5- Finish with a ribbon to hang

To finish off your faux succulent wreath, choose a ribbon to hang it with or just simply use some jute twine. Since my wreath is hanging on our DIY chalkboard, I chose just a simple organza ribbon with no bow. Finish it off how you’d prefer.

Finished DIY faux succulent wreath over chalkboard

Personally I prefer my wreaths to be simple, so less is more. If you prefer filled out wreaths, then by all means, fill that baby up with all of the faux succulents!

One side view of finished succulent wreath

Using multiple colors and styles of faux succulents will give you the best contrast and wow factor, so stock up on several varieties!

Side view of finished succulent wreath

What do you think? Will you be making your own faux succulent wreath for your home?

I’m Amanda, and I am the creator and voice behind the food and DIY blog, Domestically Creative. What started as a place to share updates with friends and family after we moved from Illinois to Tennessee and then to Texas, turned into a passion for finding creative and frugal ways to feed us and decorate our homes.

I have always had the “make it myself” attitude and I’m not afraid to bust out the power tools or get creative when it comes to decorating our home on a budget. You can usually find me scouring the local thrift stores, garage sales and estate sales looking for my next makeover (like this litter box cabinet), or dreaming up ways to make our new house feel more like home. My most recent project was giving my home office a much needed facelift. Some of the plans included creating a fun inspirational accent wall and adding pegboard to store my craft hoards.

I currently call Missouri home, where I live with my husband, dog, and 2 cats in a pretty dull, late 90’s split level. My husband and I both love to travel the U.S and recently purchased a small travel trailer to tag along in our journeys. In our free time together we can usually be found working together on a home project, exploring a new place, or just lounging with our pup, Delilah.

I’d love for you to connect with me on social media via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter!

See all of Amanda’s tutorials HERE.

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

Look around your house or the next time you’re at a thrift shop. Find either an unpainted tray or a tray that needs a makeover. This is a quick project to create a Painted Trays with Scrapbook Lining for a beautiful and elegant tray to display or organize things in your home.

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

Painted Trays with Scrapbook Lining

Today I have a really adorable and easy DIY idea for you! Scrapbook paper-lined and painted trays. These trays are so versatile, they can be used in the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, or anywhere you want to corral items or have a flat surface available. They also make a great gift if you want to load them up with some smaller gift items. But best of all, you can change their look in a snap.

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

As I mentioned above unfinished trays can be purchased at many places. If you want a new one, look at your local craft supply store or order one online on Amazon for cheap.

You’ll also want some decorative scrapbook paper, gift wrap, or fabric to line the bottom of your tray.

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

Materials:

Instructions:

Lightly sand and wipe off tray with a damp rag.

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

Prime tray (if using non-chalk paint.) Paint tray desired color. For this tray, I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen.

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

After the paint has dried, brush antiquing wax onto your tray if desired. Buff off excess with a dry rag.

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

Cut scrapbook paper to fit inside the tray. When overlapping paper, make sure to line up the repeating pattern.

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

For the best durability, line the tray with a piece of glass or plexiglass cut to fit inside the tray. (Ask your local home improvement store to cut or order online.) If you want it to be permanent, seal the edges of the glass with clear silicone.

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

The paper you use to line the tray doesn’t have to necessarily be scrapbook paper. I got this paper from Ballard Designs. It’s actually cheese paper, but I loved the design. It doesn’t quite match up, so I just rotated the paper.

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

When you put something on top of the tray, you hardly notice the seam.

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

The nifty thing about these trays is the decorative paper can be swapped out when you bore of the design. (Unless, you seal the edges.)

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

Once again, I’m loving this idea too much…I might be keeping this one for myself ;-).

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

Do tell me if you love this idea or have any unique ideas for lining the bottom.

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Pin for later!

DIY Painted Trays with Scrapbook Lining | Pretty Handy Girl

Need a quick gift using scrap wood? A Creative Block Desk & Art Utensil Holder is an easy and fun gift to make and certainly a project that you can customize to meet your needs. Best of all, the kids can help with the painting step!

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Creative Block Desk & Art Utensil Holder

Mother’s Day is this coming weekend! Have you decided how to show her your appreciation and love?! I did! My mother is a professional artist. She creates amazing paintings that inspire others and brightens their homes. For Mother’s Day I wanted to brighten her studio with these art utensil holders. I call them “Creative Blocks.”

Go ahead and raid your scrap pile and join us as we make these colorful and fun Creative Block Desk & Art Utensil Holders.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

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Instructions:

1. Block assembly: Select two 2×4″ scraps cut to the same length. Spread glue on one board and sandwich them together.

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Clamp the wood together and drill two small holes to countersink the heads of the screws. Drive two screws into the bottom of the wood to hold the pieces together.

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Use a band saw, jigsaw, or table saw to trim off the rounded edges of the wood so you have a square block of wood with straight corners.

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Putty any cracks or holes. Sand until smooth.

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2. Creating the mask:

If you have a craft cutter (Silhouette or Cricut) you can create a mask in vinyl easily. But, if you don’t you can use the computer to print out your words. Lay the print out on top of a strip of Painter’s Tape. Use a few pieces of tape to secure the corners.

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Trace around the words with the X-acto knife (be sure to have a few fresh blades on hand.) Transfer the resulting cut-out tape onto the block of wood. Press the edges of the tape mask to secure the tape.

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3. Painting the block: Paint a base color onto the block. Then use a brush and/or palette knife to dab thick paint over the block (minus the base.) Use the X-acto knife to gently peel off the tape mask. Let the paint dry thoroughly overnight.

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4. Drilling Holes:  After the paint has dried completely, mark the location of the utensil holes with a pencil. Put a piece of painter’s tape on the drill bit to mark the depth of your holes. Clamp the block and drill holes at each pencil mark.

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Dump sawdust out of the holes.

Wrap up the blocks in gift wrap and enjoy the look of joy as your Mom opens her Creative Block Mother’s Day gift!

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You know, as an artist myself, I almost loved these too much to give them away. But, my Mom is worth it. (And I can make another set if I want ;-).)

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For more last-minute Mother’s Day gift ideas and many other creative projects, check out the Gift Ideas section here on the blog.

PHGFancySignIf you liked this project, you’ll love these floating picture frames using more 2×4 scrap wood.

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An idea for making your own hummingbird feeder! Great kids craft and perfect for Spring.

Happy Spring Everyone! What a difference a few weeks can make. Like many of you, I am grappling with the uncertainty of this challenging time. My children are now home with me every day, for the foreseeable future. In Seattle, life has completely changed. Almost everything is shut down, even playgrounds are closed at the moment. And so, I’ve been focused on creating little projects that my kids and I can do while stuck at home. Let’s talk about DIY Hummingbird Feeder.

I came across these DIY hummingbird feeders with jelly jars and was instantly inspired! I’ve had a hummingbird feeder on my Amazon wishlist for quite some time. I’m not sure why I never considered making my own instead. This turned out to be a very kid-friendly project and they even learned a little bit about hummingbirds.

Make your own hummingbird feeder out of spice jars

The only issue was, I didn’t have jelly jars. So I improvised a bit and used these 1oz McCormick spice jars. I emptied out the contents and washed them out thoroughly. These little spice jars are the perfect size for those dainty hummingbirds.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

DIY Hummingbird feeder from little spice jars

Instructions:

Follow these steps to make your own hummingbird feeder.

Step 1: Prepare your spice jars

Wash your spice jars with hot soapy water - they are the perfect size for little hummingbirds!

Thoroughly wash your spice jars and lids with hot, soapy water. You don’t want any lingering spice odors or tastes that will turn off potential hummingbirds. I also removed the stickers from the jars with a little goo gone.

McCormick spice jars have a lid with holes in it, covered by a snap-top. All you need to do is rip off the snap-top section, we don’t need it. Hummingbirds will use their long beaks to drink the nectar from each hole.

Step 2: Make Hummingbird Nectar

Make Hummingbird nectar - recipe in post - then pour into your jars!

The recipe for making Hummingbird nectar couldn’t be easier. It’s just sugar water – but you need to know the correct ratio. Too much sugar can be harmful to hummingbirds and too little sugar doesn’t provide enough calories for them.

I followed the recipe from the Audubon website.  It’s ¼ cup of refined white sugar and 1 cup of boiling water. Mix until the sugar dissolves. Cool the mixture and then fill your spice jars to the top. Now, just replace the lid with holes in it.

Replace the spice lid on your jar - hummingbirds feed on the nectar through the holes.

Step 3: Attach Jute Twine for Hanging

Tie some string or jute twine to your jars for hanging on a tree!

I used some jute twine to create a little loop for hanging. Tie your knots tight and make sure the lid is secure.

Cut excess string from hummingbird feeder jars before hanging.

Now just hang it up somewhere outside and wait for those hummingbirds!

These spice jars make a great hummingbird feeder and it's the perfect activity for kids

Hang your feeder from a tree, where you see hummingbirds visit

We haven’t had a visitor yet that I could photograph, but I know those hummingbirds are on the way.

Hummingbirds love the nectar that you put in these jars

DIY Hummingbird Feeder from old spice jars!

Thanks so much for reading and being here today. Stay safe, stay healthy!

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~ See More of Karen’s Tutorials ~


karen from decor hintHello!  I’m Karen, the creator of the Home Decor and DIY Blog: Decor Hint. I’m a Native of the East Coast, but I currently live in beautiful Seattle with my hubby, our two wonderful children, and our spunky wheaten terrier.

You can usually find me with some sort of craft in one hand and a coffee in the other. And I’m always rearranging furniture or moving lamps from room to room. I have a passion (read: obsession) for decorating, DIY, and gardening. In short, I love making my house into a home.

Like many, I’m inspired by what I see in home decor magazines, but I’m not so inspired by the price tags.  Consequently, I love finding and creating beautiful budget-friendly home decor items. In a head to head competition, I bet you’d never know the difference between the designer items and my DIY creations!  Many of my DIY projects focus on sewing, crafting, upcycling and organizing. Some of my favorite projects have been making pretty wreaths, sewing my own tassel hand towels, and crafting these trendy wood bead garlands. I can’t wait to inspire you and spark your creativity through my DIY projects.

You can always connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

 

Liked this project? Check out these DIY Hanging Beaded Vases for another upcycled craft!