Propagating Mums

First off, let me note that I have never attempted to propagate mums, so I am not sure if this endeavor will be successful. I did receive two beautiful potted mums from a coworker who assured me that this process is quite easy.

There are a few reasons why I prune mums:

1. The plant is already huge and if I continue to let it grow unchecked, it will flower long before fall.

2. Pruning keeps the plant looking full and bushy.

3. I can use the clippings to grow new plants! 

I have pruned my mums over the last few years and I haven’t had any problems. Since the plant is already huge, I will probably have to trim it a few more times this summer. 

The hacked up mum.

After making a fresh cut, I soaked some of the plants in water. 

(I will let you know if this makes a difference.)

I planted the mum branches an inch deep in potting soil and topped it all off with fertilizer. Finally I soaked everything with water in hopes of growing sturdy roots.

In May I am going to try to propagate rose bushes from a single branch. I will keep you posted on my success. 

Monday ~ The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday  ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Its So Cheri ~ thegingerbreadblog

Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft  ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~  A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse

Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims   ~ itsoverflowing ~ theletter4

Thursday ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue

Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can't Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Answer is Chocolate ~ oneartmama ~  fivedaysfiveways ~ amynjesse

DIY Chalk Painted Flower Pots

I have been whining ever since we put our house up for sale that I do not want to leave behind my plants. Although it is against the rules to dig up all of the landscaping before we leave, I decided to transplant some starters for our new house.

To go along with my garden contraband, I needed new pretty pots. I have used No Minimalist Here's recipe for homemade chalk paint once before and it is pretty easy to whip up. I used two parts latex paint and one part Plaster of Paris. 

I bought this intense blue-teal color from the oops section at Menards. The paint only cost a dollar!

After eyeballing the paint to plaster ratio, I added some white acrylic paint to tone down the blue.

I mixed the paint in a leftover airtight container so I can use my mixture again.

 After the chalk paint dried it was brighter than I expected.

I used a sanding block to distress the paint. I focused on the edges where the paint would naturally wear down. 

I like the finished texture and color, but I am not sure how well the paint will hold up with repeated watering. I will have to wait and see. 

My garden contraband: Sedum, Chinese Sedum and two varieties of hens and 

chicks. 

A few other flowers may end up making the journey with us too! 

Monday ~ The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday  ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Its So Cheri ~ thegingerbreadblog

Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft  ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~  A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse

Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims   ~ itsoverflowing ~ theletter4

Thursday ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue

Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can't Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Answer is Chocolate ~ oneartmama ~  fivedaysfiveways ~ amynjesse

Baby Shower Decor

I helped my aunt and cousin’s mother-in-law coordinate a baby shower last Sunday for the upcoming addition to our family. The colors were green and yellow and we had an animal theme to coordinate with their nursery. For the centerpieces we used baby’s breath and a bit of alstroemeria that my flower shop lovingly bestowed upon me. I found the free customized monogram via Pinterest at weddingchicks.com. We used burlap, bakers twine and raffia to tie it all together. 

I made the circles scattered on the table using two different paper punches. The circles were made of scrapbooking paper and sheet music I purchased at Goodwill. 

The party favor boxes were purchased at the Dollar Tree. We filled them with chocolates and frosted animal crackers. I created the gift tags using a free image from Karen’s Whimsy and Picnik. The gift tag says, “Baby McGee is on the way! Its birthday will be a joyous day!”

My cousin is not a big fan of cake, so my aunt hired a local bakery to make several delectable treats for the shower guests. The bear claws were my favorite. (I know this because I tried ALL of them) We displayed the baked goods on various cake stands and vintage platters. 

We made banners using paper doilies and bakers twine to adorn the treat and gift tables. I could not find pink or green doilies. Have you seen colored doilies at any retailers?

I found this tree idea on Pinterest. I painted the tree on the canvas using acrylic paint. All of the guests were asked to make a thumb print onto the tree and sign their name. I did not manage to take a quality photo at the shower. Unfortunately I did not give the ink enough time to dry and several of the prints smudged. (…onto my cream wool coat) If I ever do this project again, I will allow the ink to dry and then spray it with an acrylic topcoat. Once the baby is born, I will add the name and birth date to the baby’s tree.

The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday  ~ The CSI project  ~ Menu Plan Monday ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ Dittle Dattle ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Sew Stylish ~ Its So Cheri  ~ Bath Bomb Creations ~ Get Your Craft  ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~ Me & my Boys ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia ~ Coastal Charm ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ Under the Table and Dreaming ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Midweek Fiesta ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims  ~ thethriftyhome ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ The Frugal Girls ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue  ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ Family Ever After~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Addicted to Decorating ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can't Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Shabby Art ~ Answer is Chocolate ~ I heart nap time- Sundae Scoop ~ Tatertots and Jello ~ Be different Act Normal ~ Funky Junk ~ 2805 ~ Making Lemonade Blog ~I am Along for the Ride  ~ Lolly Jane ~ Homemaker on a Dime ~ Sunday's Best ~ itsoverflowing

DIY Christmas Flowers

I started working in a flower shop three weeks ago. I decided to put my new skills to work by making our moms Christmas flower arrangements. (Hopefully neither of them read this post before I get the chance to hand deliver my creations.) I did not take any photos before my work was done. I’m sorry I was too busy creating and not thinking of blogging.

Besides, my boss probably would not be happy if I divulged all of the insider flower shop secrets I just learned. Instead of explaining how to arrange flowers, I will share a few tips on reducing the cost of DIY arrangements. Each of these arrangements cost me $5 each and I did not receive any sort of employee discount.

My first tip is to repurpose old containers. I patronized Goodwill. The green vase cost twenty five cents and I splurged on the stainless steel container by paying a whole dollar.

The flowers came from a local shop that often has unarranged flowers on special. You can also buy flowers like these from the grocery store. The greenery was free for the taking when we bought our Christmas tree. I also scavenged our yard for a variety of evergreen branches.

To save even more money on my DIY Christmas arrangements, I wired the pinecones myself. In addition, I used sparkly picks that I found for less than a quarter a piece last year at Michael’s.

Although the DIY Christmas arrangements did not cost much, I did make a huge mess across the kitchen floor. It took a considerable amount of time to put everything together and clean up the mess.  

I really hope one of my wonderful family members bought the handheld pruners that were on my wish list. (Just what every girl dreams of…) The giant limb loppers are awkward and the kitchen shears have been taking a beating.

One last tip, I bought the wet floral foam at Joann Fabric with my online 40% off coupon. The flower shop was out of inexpensive red flowers. I enjoy the fact that the arrangements have flowers that are not traditionally associated with the holidays, yet they still have a Christmassy feel.

The Shabby nest ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ Family Ever After~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Addicted to Decorating ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can't Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Shabby Art ~ Answer is Chocolate