The Friday Tutorial

An Easter flower arrangement

Are you having dinner guests at Easter? Why not impress them with a flower arrangement on the dinner table. It’s dead easy really ! I made two…but I will show you the other one next Friday.

You need:

Twigs, tulips – I used birch, apple tree and parrot tulips (my favourite). You also need oasis and something to build your arrangement in. I used an old tin bowl, a jumble sale find.

First soak the oasis in water and then place it in the bowl.

Add twigs around the rim of the bowl.

Then add tulips in-between the twigs.

I always use an uneven number; I think it looks better that way.

Finish the arrangement by placing one tulip in the middle of the bowl and four tulips around it. Keep the first one a bit taller than the other four to get a variation in height. Finally add a few more twigs but this time in a more upright position.

Done! I think it will look stunning once the tulips are in full bloom and the twigs has got tiny little leaves.

Now I leave you for the weekend. Hope you have a creative one!

Jeanette

PS If you look closely at the last photo you can see the pillow cover I made using celery. The turorial from two Fridays back.

The Friday Tutorial

Tin can flower pot

I love tin cans as you may know by now! I have a big collection and use them often in my creative work. Today I was dreaming about spring flowers ( it`s snowing outside...) and that gave me a great urge to create a flower pot. From a tin can of course.... Some of my collection....

You need: A tin can (of course), a heavy duty nibbler for dismantling the tin can and a not so heavy duty flush cutter for cutting out the pattern. You also need a sanding paper.

1. Make a template. I made a crown.

2. Trace your template to the tin and cut it out. Use your sanding paper to soften the edges.



3.Paint your tin in any color you like. Depends a bit on the flowers you are going to put in it I guess. If you want to you can paint it on the inside too.



4.Decorate you tin. I used printed photos and decoupage glue. I also glued on some text. If you plan on giving it away you can personalize it to fit the receiver.


Just plant some flowers in it and voila - finished. I plan to put some spring bulbs in mine.

Now I leave you for the weekend. Hope you have a creative one!

Jeanette

The Friday Tutorial

Brooch from tealight metal cups

Do you throw the metal cup away when your tealight has burnt down? Don’t! Use it to make a brooch instead. The soft metal of the cup is very easy to work with and you can cut it with an ordinary scissor.

This is what you need: metal cups, a knitting pin, and a a pair of scissors. You also need a rolling-pin, some scrap fabric, embroidery yarn, a needle and buttons.

Start by cleaning the cup from candle-grease and remove the tiny candle wick holder. Cut the cup with the scissor to resemble a flower.

Flatten it with the rolling pin.

Make a second piece but this time just a circle.

Make a pattern on the backside of the flower and the circular piece by using the sharp edge of your knitting pin. The metal is so soft that it feels like drawing with a pen.

Cut a piece of scrap fabric into a circle that is 1,5 cm larger than the flower. I used felt. Put the two pieces of metal on the fabric and secure it with a button. Add some embroidery if you like.

Finish it all off by sewing on a brooch needle on the back of the fabric.

Wear it with pride.

Now I leave you for the weekend. Hope you have a creative one.

Jeanette

39 days

Hyacinths are my favorite winter flowers. I am a Christmas freak and buying hyacinths are the starting shot for my Christmas preparations. I usually try to keep myself from buying them until December but just couldn’t resist when I saw these in my flower shop today. I only like the white ones though but on the other hand I am almost obsessed with those. I love having them in hyacinth glasses so I can see both the beautiful bud and the delicate roots. When they have almost bloomed over I sometimes pick the flowers and make a wreath by treading them on a piece of wire. I have them all over my house and coming home to the smell of hyacinths well that’s Christmas for me.

39 days and counting……

Take care

Jeanette