Flower Garden Plates

Hey!  Hot enough for you yet?  Here in Texas we are already seeing triple digit heat!  As many water restrictions as we have had in the past few years...flowers are just really hard to keep growing.

As you saw in the last posting's photos, I keep only the heartiest flowers around.  Four o'clocks have proven to be very easy to care for.  My sweet MIL got me started and they have done so well that I am sharing them with my friends.

But, there's a new craft where you don't have to water your flowers or even keep them alive.  These are SO very easy to make!  Just gather some plates at yard sales and flea markets.  If nothing else, visit the Dollar Tree and get plates there.

First things first!

Some of the plates are not going to stack properly without some sort of spacer.  To explain, when you stack the plates, they may not have enough flat space to glue the plates together. You might have to insert something glass between your plates to create enough space to attach the plates to each other.  I use small trinket boxes and candle stick holders.

I also liked this little cup and decided that it would make a nice center piece for one of the flowers.  The plate under it is ruffled around the edges. The final plate is completely flat.  Make sure to find pieces you really like and stack them as you buy, you'll come up with some great ideas and combinations!

This candle holder will make one of my stacks look like a daffodil.  Just have to be sure that they don't get too heavy.  Found some more beautiful pieces with ruffled edges, but they were way too heavy.  Be mindful that you're suspending these on something in your backyard, they need to be sturdy and not so hefty as to tip over.

These are the last of the candle holders and plates I got, and yes, those are the prices that I paid for them!  I try to get all the plates at the same stop or at least the same day so that I am able to stack them and know that they are going to look right when I am finished.  I think it goes without saying...but, you need realize that depending on where you live, you might not be getting them at these prices.  I run with some ladies that love to shop and we haggle for the best deal around.

IF you have been with me long on my blogs, you know that I keep E6000 on hand in my supplies box!!!  This stuff is great and will hold up in the Texas heat!!!  Wondering why I have a plastic bag here?  Pro tip!  When the lid starts to get goopy and stick to the tube, you can put a plastic bag on before the cap and it keeps them from sticking together.

For this project, you will also need a single long vase, tall shot glass or S&P shaker.  I went to the Dollar Tree and grabbed a couple sets of the S&P shakers.  These eventually go upside down on the back to provide a way to mount the flowers.

Don't skimp on the glue!  After you've decided how you want your finished flower to look, glue your stack together and leave it set for a minimum of 24 hours!  It needs to totally cure so that it doesn't slide when you put it upright.

Here is a picture of one of my flowers from the side... You can see the space between the second and third plates.  That is where I had to put a spacer (here it's a heart shaped trinket box lid) to make sure that the glue would get a good grip.

I loved the plates that I had gotten, but they need some color.  I am going to eventually grab my enamel paints and put a couple layers of color on them.  For now, I just wanna get them made.

This is the back of one of the smaller ones I made.  You need something on the back to slide over your post in the garden (this is where those S&P shakers come in).  To stake them, I used re-barb, sprayed green, and just slid the flowers down on it.  I really hope you are following this, they are easy to make.

These are the finished plates that my friend made and put in her yard!  Great job, Linda!!!  Mine are mostly made of clear glass (be warned, the mount on the back has to be clear as well for these!) and need paint.  Eh, they'll get finished eventually.  

Well, this is bout it for now... Oh, I do have to show you another spray painted project that I did a couple weeks ago....

Bought this on sale at Harbor Freight for $39.99.  I needed something for my paints, yes, I have a lot of paints!  I sure didn't want one in red, and you know how I have come to like teal...

I laid all the pieces out in the garage on a large tarp and took to spray painting again.  Let it dry, really dry, and cure before you put things together.  Then, I let it dry another three days before I loaded it up with my paints.  Guess that wasn't long enough though...lol.  I picked up some of the paints to use, there are little rings on the surface from where the paints were setting.  But they didn't stick, so I am good with that.

I do love my new teal cart.  Wondering if we should let the hardware stores know how much crafters like the products there?  Would they add another color to pick from or just jack up the prices?  For now, I guess it is our little secret!  

Be sure to check out these links... E6000  Eclectic Products 230021 E6000 (Google Affiliate Ad)  and Luxor MTC30-N-B General Purpos (Google Affiliate Ad)  The cart on the link is not quite like mine, but you get the idea.  

See ya back here in a couple weeks or so.  I am on vacation this week and plan to do some shopping.  I just got some new batteries for my camera, so I hope to have lots to share!!!  I am also making some new curtains for the playroom, lots of ruffles.  Never a dull moment here.  Gotta run, take care and PLEASE leave me some comments!!!