The first step is to start the prep work on the pot we are going to use. I have some of these cool shaped containers from yogurt that I decided to use. Look through what you have and find a container you like.
I do want to take off the edge/rim at the top of the container. I don’t like how it sticks out so I used some scissors to simply cut it off. Once you get your scissors lined up with where the edge bends out it is really easy to cut because in that area the plastic is a bit thinner.
Since my container had a label that was removable I was able to remove it and I had a nice white pot at this point and I could have just used it that way. But I wanted to add some color to mine.
Since the container was very shiny I used a sanding block (you could use sand paper) to rough up the surface a bit. I then wiped it down with some Isopropyl Alcohol (you could use white vinegar) this removes any dust from the sanding process and any oils that might interfere with the paint.
If your container has printing on the surface instead of a removable label I suggest painting it with a coat of white paint then painting it with the color you are going to use. If you are going to make a really dark color pot you could use black for the base coat.
Now just paint the outside and down a bit on the inside at the top. You will most likely need multiple coats of paint to get full coverage.
While the painting is going on let’s work on the plant.
For the plant I have created a free downloadable pattern for you to use. You can find it here. You can make as many plants with the pattern as you would like, you could even sell or give away the finished plants just please don’t give away/sell my pattern. The download contains 3 items, a PDF if you want to hand cut the pieces as well as a PNG that can be used in your electronic cutting machine. The 3rd item is a text file with sizing instructions and tips for using the PNG with your cutting machine.
I did my best to try and place more of the palm fronds on a page but the Cricut cutting area wasn’t big enough for more that two, so for each frond of your plant you will need a separate sheet of paper. We are using printer paper, and mine is super cheap so it is pretty lightweight.
The pattern is designed with the two pieces on each sheet being a mirror image of the other one. So you will need to keep track of which side gets glued together.
You will also need a piece of 20 gauge stem wire for each frond cut about 9” long.
Start with a bead of thick tacky glue down the center stem area of each frond then coat the remainder of frond with a coat of Mod Podge.
Add the wire to the center.
And then add the other frond on top creating a sandwich with the wire in the center. Carefully lift this off your work surface and place standing up in a container so that the leaves are not touching anything. Allow to dry completely.
Once the glue/Mod Podge dries go over each frond and do any trimming you need to do to neaten them up.
Once you are happy you can gather some green craft paints (I also ended up using a yellow) and paint the leaves.
While the paint on the leaves dries we can move back to working on the pot providing the paint on it is dry.
The next step on the pot is to fill it with some foam. I’m using some floral foam from the dollar store but you could even use styrofaom packing, any kind of solid foam pieces that you can fill the pot with. Use some Tacky glue to hold it in place while we are working.
Once the foam is in place let the glue dry at least most of the way. Note I didn’t mention it in the video but you could use hot glue for this if you are very careful to not melt the foam.
Once you are happy with the way the top of the foam looks and you have most of the top filled in to the edge of the pot it is time to paint the top of the foam with any dark brown craft paint. Ideally we will never see this paint but just in case there are thin areas in our “soil” we don’t want to see the color of the foam through those areas. Just put on a nice thick coat of paint and allow to dry.
Once dry if you find you have been a bit sloppy with the painting job take a few moments to touch up the painting until you are happy with it.
Once the paint is dry we can add the “soil” and the plant.
We do need to add both the “soil” and the plant at the same time because once the thick layer of glue dries it is next to impossible to add the plant stems without damaging the plant.
So start by adding a thick layer of a foam friendly glue. I would normally use tacky glue but I am almost out of tacky glue and didn’t want to use it all up on this project. Instead I used some school glue. Basically any white glue will work for this.
Once the glue is added to the top of the foam spread it out as well as you can. Try not to have any bare areas. I use a toothpick to spread mine and for me that works really well.
Now we add the soil. For soil I used my go-to, very well dried used coffee grounds. The key things in that description are very well dried and used coffee grounds. As long as you follow that these will work really well. Just pour them over the wet glue, spread them out and pour of the excess.
Now we add the plant fronds, I’m grouping mine in the center of the pot since I have something like a palm plant in mind.
As for the number of fronds for your plant you could have made as many as you wished to, as long as they will fit in the pot and look nice.
Now let the glue dry somewhere that the pot will not get knocked down.
Once the glue holding the soil in place is completely dry you can arrange the leaves the way you want to make the plant look the way you want it to.
As always I do want to sincerely thank all of you for watching my videos and reading my blog posts. It means so much to me that you are supporting me in this way. If I could ask you all to do just a bit more by subscribing to the channel and liking the videos and leaving comments. Those help more than you can imagine. Also if you could pass the links on to your friends I would appreciate it so much.
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