Crafts

If you have kids, grandkids, or just know any kids, you’re probably familiar with Melissa & Doug toys.  Not only are their toys great, but they package them in amazing wooden containers that are TOO nice to throw away!  Let me show you how I turned them into a DIY Indoor Vertical Wall Planter!   

And don’t worry – if you don’t have any of these toy containers lying around, you can use any wood box with compartments (I even linked one in this post for you)!

Supplies Needed to Make a DIY Indoor Vertical Wall Planter

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• Melissa & Doug toy containers (or empty wood box with compartments)
• Paint (chalky-finish paint, acrylic paint, or latex paint will work)
• Paint brush
• Scrapbook paper
• Mod Podge
• Foam brush
• Faux succulents
• Faux moss
• Hot glue
• Floral foam
• Sawtooth picture hanger

How to Make a Vertical Wall Planter

You’re not going to believe how quickly you can make a wooden container into a super cool vertical wall planter!

Step One: Get Painting!

First, paint your empty wood boxes however you like.  

I painted mine with black chalky-finish paint first, and then layered a turquoise acrylic paint on top for a slightly rustic look.  

Step Two: Add Decorative Paper

Next, cut scrapbook paper to fit the compartments in each container.  This may take some trimming and more trimming and even more trimming.  It’s okay – you’ll eventually get the size right!

Then place a thin coat of Mod Podge into each compartment and press the scrapbook paper on top.

Once dry, cover each piece of scrapbook paper with more Mod Podge.  This will ensure that everything is sealed really well!

Step Three: Get The Vertical Planter Boxes Ready to Hang

If you want to hang these on the wall, this is the time to add sawtooth hangers to the backs of your empty toy containers.  

If you want to set them on a table, no need to do this.

Step Four: Add Faux Plants and Moss

Next, put faux succulents or other small faux plants into small pieces of floral foam that are cut down to size.

Hot glue those into various compartments of the toy containers.

To hide the foam, hot glue faux moss all around the succulents.  Prepare to make a MESS.

Once all the moss is in place, you’re ready to hang your new vertical wall planters!

While these look great hanging on the wall, they’d also be super cute just sitting on a shelf or a table, too!  

The best part is that no watering is required!  Perfect for black thumbs like me.

If you have any of these Melissa & Doug toy containers sitting around, think about putting them to good use, even if it’s not as an indoor vertical wall planter!

– Bre

This post previously appeared on Kaleidoscope Living as a contributor post.  

Two things I love (like a whole lot), are succulents and super easy craft projects.  So when the two of these things came together in this project, it made my little heart extra happy.  

So this project came about because I had these cute little succulents sitting in very classy flower pots.
As much as I liked this upcycled coffee cup planter idea (so clever!), I thought it would be good to give my little succulent friends a home with a bit more curb appeal. So I grabbed some supplies I had on hand and got to work.

Supplies Needed to Make Newspaper Flower Pots

• Terra cotta flower pots
• Mod Podge or other decoupage sealer
• Newspaper
• Foam Brush
• Acrylic Paint in colors of your choice (I used Patio Paint in Coral Sunset and Coastal Surf)
• Twine or ribbon

How to Make Newspaper Flower Pots

First, cut up newspaper into various shapes and sizes.  You may want to skim the text of the pieces you’re cutting to make sure you’re not going to be decoupaging articles about murderers or other unsavory news items to your cute little pots.  I chose to cut up articles about fashion and booze.  But to each his own.

Next, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge (or other decoupage sealer) to the terra cotta pot.  Gently press pieces of newspaper all around the pot.  If pieces of newspaper are slightly overlapping, make sure to put a thin layer of Mod Podge on the under layer of newspaper.  
Once the newspaper has dried on the pot, apply a thin, even layer of Mod Podge to cover all of the newspaper.
After the topcoat has dried, paint the rim of the pot in any color you like!
After the paint has dried, tie a little twine or ribbon around the pot and you’re ready to plant your flowers or cute little succulent friend!
And if you want to be extra cute, make a little paper pennant and pop it in there.
Cute cute.

This is a fun way to use up a newspaper that would otherwise be tossed in the recycling bin, don’t you think?

Please pin this image to share this idea with others! 

– Bre

I am SO happy to be back in action with my bloggy friends on the Monthly DIY Challenge! For those of you who don’t know what that is, each month some of my favorite bloggers and I team up to create projects based on a common product or theme. This month we were required to use any type of paint on any type of surface. All of the different and creative project ideas are linked at the bottom of this post, but since I don’t like to keep you hanging, here’s a sneak peek!  

Now, before you head off to check out my friends’ posts, let me show you my DIY Watercolor Notecards!  
[Read more…] about DIY Watercolor Notecards

Over the past couple of years, I’ve developed a real love of scouring thrift shops for treasures that I can use in my home.  The prizes that I bring home almost always get a makeover.  Rarely do they go out on display in their original condition, although that certainly would lead to an interesting look in my home.

Picture frames are one of the best things to pick up at thrift shops because they are so easily modified to fit any style of decor.  With a little paint and plywood, I updated a simple square frame from Goodwill (complete with 1980’s seahorse art), and turned it into a beautiful boutique-style frame.  
[Read more…] about Thrift Shop Picture Frame Makeover

Every time I step into Target, my cart takes on a mind of its own and directs me to aisles and places in the store that I never intended to visit.  The Dollar Spot is one of those places.  Do I ever really need a cute new notebook for my daughter with the latest, popular Disney character emblazoned on the front?  Or yet another rubber stamp with the letter “B” on it (but this one has a quatrefoil background print, Bre!)?  No.  The answer is always NO.  But I go there anyway – all.the.time.

On one of those recent visits to the Dollar Spot, I found some cute fully-lined, linen pouches for $3 a piece.  They were the perfect size for inside my purse and I liked the metallic thread that was woven throughout.  
I easily could have left them as is, but come on . . . what fun would that be? With a little paint, I gave them a totally fun new look!  
[Read more…] about Paint Splattered Pouches {An Easy Dollar Bin Upgrade}