DIY Spring Flower Box

I know it's no where near Springtime, but oh how much I miss color in my home! I enjoy the coziness of Winter, but it has come to that time in the season when I become desperate to see flowers blooming and trees budding. My first project for Spring focuses on my flower trough. I will link my tutorial on how I made my flower trough for **ONLY $2** if you're interested HERE >> http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/07/diy-wood-flower-trough-box-under-2.html  For a few weeks now, I have envisioned recreating a mini-flower box that incorporates cascading vines, a mixture of wild flowers, and succulent-looking leaves. This is what I came up with :)

You will need the following materials:

Pink & Yellow flowers - Michael's - Full Price: $3.99 each - On sale: $2.39 each  |  Vines - Hobby Lobby - Full Price: $3.99 each - On Sale: $1.99 each  |  Lilacs - Michael's - Full Price: $1.79 - On Sale: $1.07

Left - Michael's - Full Price: $4.99 - On Sale: $2.99  |  Right - Hobby Lobby - Full Price: $3.99 - On Sale: $1.99

Flower trough  |  Flower foam  |  Moss  |  Glue  |  Sponge  |  Wire Cutters

 First, apply glue to the top of your foam - spread evenly across with a sponge brush. Add moss atop the glue and cover as much of the exposed foam as possible. Don't worry if you can't get everything - the flowers will cover up the rest.

Let dry for an hour. Turn over and shake off the excess moss. Place your flower trough over it. Then, begin adding the vine pieces one by one. Insert in the space between the foam and the wood box. Cascade them down the sides of the box for a natural effect.

 Finally, insert the rest of the flowers into the foam. Make sure the flower placement is random in order to keep with the "wild flower box" theme. Adding a lot of greenery gives off the appearance of weeds, which is one of the main characteristic of wild flowers - so don't underestimate their influence! Also avoid making all the flowers the same height in order to add depth and dimension.

5 Ways: Repurposing Cedar Fence Wood

Today on my blog I wanted to share with you some of my creations using plain ol' cedar fence wood.  I had a great time incorporating this particular kind of wood into various projects in my home for many reasons.  First, it is easily obtainable & ridiculously inexpensive - found at The Home Depot or Lowe's, ranging from $1.55 to $2.55 a pop!  Second, you can incorporate it into your indoor and outdoor decor.  Third, it is moderately rot resistant, making it great for prolonged outdoor use.  Fourth, it exudes that farmhouse | rustic | cottage style I've just been obsessing over.  Fifth, each project is so customizable - you can tweak the size, shape, color, & finish to fit your tastes! I love sharing how to create pieces that are one of a kind without having to break the bank. My intent behind JessicaRoseHomeDecor has always been to help you make your house a home in an easy, affordable, yet tasteful manner, and all of these tutorials definitely achieve this :)

http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/07/farmhouse-inspired-diy-cutting-board.html

http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/07/diy-wood-flower-trough-box-under-2.html

http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/05/diy-wood-flower-box.html

http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/07/diy-weathered-wood-picket-fence-rustic-cottage-antique-tutorial.html

http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/06/diy-garden-series-raised-garden-box.html

DIY Wood Flower Trough UNDER $2!

If you feel like there is an area in your home that is missing that little something and you're on a budget, then this is project for you! My kitchen bar has been bare for quiet some time. Since it's such a small, narrow space I have been indecisive as to what to place there. And because it is the divider between the living room and kitchen, I wanted it to compliment the decor & themes of both rooms and to be able to switch it up when the seasons change. I present to you my design solution, which only cost me $2!!!!! I love the warmth & comfort it brings to both my living room and kitchen. The toned-down nature of this piece goes to show you that less truly is more :)

You will need the following materials:

1 - 5/8 in. x 3-1/2 in. x 6 ft Cedar Dog Ear Fence Picket - $1.28 at Lowe's - (Link Here)
hand or power saw
gloves
eye protection
Finishing nails
wood glue
sand paper
floral dry foam

Prop up your wood plank and place whatever you plan on placing in your flower trough up against it, like shown. This will give you an idea of what the dimensions of your box should be. I also measured the width of my bar to determine an ideal width for the box. Once you have determined your dimensions, cut your pieces and nail them together.  I made sure knots were visible to add the the weathered look we are going for.

For this portion of the tutorial, I will guide you through my weathered/distressing painting process. For a more in-depth explanation with pictures, I will link my **Distressing: How-to Make Anything Look Antique** blog here. I highly suggest using a sponge brush for this portion. I find that it helps to soak up any excess paint to ensure a light application.

Feel free to skip this part if you have a paint of your own in mind :)

I used the following paints - all purchased from Michael's:

First, apply 2 coats of the white paint letting it dry in-between each coat.

 On top of the white paint, lightly dab your brush into Oyster Beige. Swipe random strokes of this color onto each side. Take a paper towel and wipe off the excess. Let that dry. Then lightly dab your brush into Parchment and again swipe random strokes of this color onto each side of the box. Again, wipe off the excess & let that dry as well.

As you can see, the subtle layering of different color paints has now given the wood dimension (as oppose to just using one color, which makes it look flat). And, as you sand, there will be even more dimension added - The wood will peak through the white paint, which will peak through Oyster Beige, which will peak through Parchment. This painting and sanding technique is the best way to truly make something look weathered.

Without sanding

With sanding

Insert your floral dry foam, place your flowers atop, and you are DONE! Easy-peasy!

Front

Back

Left Side

I love the warmth & comfort it brings to both my living room and kitchen. The toned-down nature of this piece goes to show you that less truly is more :) Crazy to think that in a few weeks I will probably be switching out these hydrangeas for Autumnal decor...WHAT?! But that's another aspect of this piece that I love - it is so customizable!! I don't have to just stick with flowers - I could put jars, candles, fillers, add knobs...the possibilities are endless :)

DIY Garden Series: Repurposed Pallet in 6 EASY STEPS!

Last summer I acquired 3 pallets from a pave-stone order & have been dying to use them in my garden. There's definitely a hype around recycling old wood pallets at the moment. You've all seen them - the numerous Pinterest tutorials on how to go about re-purposing a pallet into many, many things. So for the past year I have been Pinterest-pinning like crazy anything pallet-related. However, none of the tutorials were very helpful. I found that my pallet was different from most, specifically the way the back was structured - to hold heavy duty things. If you find that you also do not have an ordinary, standard-built pallet as portrayed in most other tutorials, I hope this tutorial helps you :) This is also perfect for utilizing the most amount of space in a small backyard!

I plan on using the first pallet as a herb garden, the second for cascading vines, & the third for succulents. I will post updated photos when growth actually occurs, but I didn't want to wait till then to get this tutorial up knowing my green-thumb gardeners will be seeking out this tutorial right about now! So without further ado, lets jump right in!

You will need the following materials:

Safety goggles - wear throughout the entire project!!!

Gloves - wear throughout the entire project!!!

Hand saw - use caution!!!

Hammer - use caution!!!

3-1x5 Cedar Planks (Cedar is moderately rot-resistant & very inexpensive)

Nails:

Step One: Using a hammer, remove every other panel.

 

Front - Before

Front - After

 Step Two: Remove the 2nd and 4th panels. Also remove the middle beams using a saw.

Back - Before

Back - After

Step Three: Take the panels that you discarded in the previous step and place as shown in the 2 images below. If you could not salvage any panels, using a 1x5 cedar plank & trimming it to fit the corresponding area will work just as well.

Step Four: Now for the bases. Since I ran out of scrap wood, I trimmed & used 3-1x5 cedar planks to act as the base for each row.

Secure each base to the pallet by driving a nail through each side, as shown:

Can you see the nail-head? :)

Step Five: There will inevitably be some gaps within each row of the pallet. Since you don't want any soil to fall through, stuff these gaps with plant liner. Tiny gapes are find & don't need to be stuffed since there does need to be some drainage. You can use landscaping fabric, but I find that plant liner looks the most natural & earthy.

Step Six: Choose your herbs, fill each row with potting soil, sow your seeds, and the waiting game begins!

Link me to pictures of any pallets you've repurposed & comment below telling me if you found this tutorial useful :) Happy gardening!