Flower Pot for Mother's Day

Whether your mom is a fan of fresh cut flowers, or fake plants, you can't go wrong with this Mother's Day flower pot from Alyice Edrich! In just one afternoon you can create a handcrafted gift that is sure to keep your mother talking for weeks. And the best part is that you can customize the design to match your mother's home décor and/or hobbies!
 

Materials:

• 1 - Paper Mache Flower Pot
• 9 - 6 mm x 12 inch Chenille stems
• 1- White Gesso Paint by Liquitex
• 1 - Wallboard Joint Compound (purchased at local hardware store)
• 1- Acrylic paints: yellow, red, green, white
• 1- Acrylic Spray Sealer (Krylon is a good brand)
• 1 - Elmer's Glue (can also use Aileen's tacky glue)
• 1- Straight pin (or point tool)
• 6 - Tiny paper dots
• 1 - Silk flower plant
• 1 - Moss (or fake grass)
• 1 - Shredded paper

Tools:

• 1 - Artist's spatula
• 1 - Wire cutters
• 1 - Wide paint brush
• 1 - Thin tipped paint brush

 Instructions:

1. Paint inside, outside, and bottom of flower pot with gesso. Let dry.
   
   
    

2. Using spatula, spread joint compound on bottom half of the flower pot, creating up and down streaks.
   
   

3. While joint compound is still wet, carve floral design into it using a straight pin. Let dry. (For this project, I created a squiggly line as a stem with a triangle for the flower. Then while the joint compound was still wet, I placed a tiny paper dot into the center of the triangle.)

4. Paint outside of flower pot yellow. Let dry.
   
   

5. Paint inside of flower pot red. Let dry.

6. Paint floral design. Let dry.
   
   
    

7. Paint the grass. Let dry. (For this project, I used a light green, a dark green, and a white to paint overlapping strokes.)
   
   

8. Paint flowers in the grass. Let dry. (For this project, I simply took the tip of a paint brush, dipped into paint, and created dots to represent the flowers.)
   
   

9. While planter is drying, create pussy-willow-like branches out of Chenille stems.

10. Grab one stem and make a small bend at the top.
    
    

11. Grab a second stem and create a small loop on the right side of the first stem.
    
    

12. Twist the second stem around the first stem five times, making sure twists are tight and close to each other. Then make a second loop on the left side. Keep repeating this pattern until the entire first loop is covered. (You may have to use two stems on the first stem.)
    
    

13. Repeat steps 11 and 13 until you've created 3 pussy-willow-like branches.
    
    

14. Spray inside and outside of planter with Acrylic sealer.

15. While acrylic sealer is drying, grab a fake silk plant. Use wire cutters to separate flowers from the plant.

16. Pack flower pot with shredded paper. (This is a great way to use up that junk mail!)
    
    

17. Insert the pussy-willow-like branches.
    
    

18. Pour glue on top of paper.

19. Break up moss and place pieces on top of the glue, making sure you gently press the moss down into the glue so that it adheres.
    
    

20. Take flowers and arrange them between the branches.
    
    
     

Congratulations! You've just completed a lovely floral arrangement.

FTC Disclaimer:

Paper Mache Flower Pot (Item 2839-04) and Chenille stems (Item 10166-64) was provided, free of charge, by Consumer Crafts.