Just Jen

Mini Birdseed Wreath Tutorial

Mother's Day is in just a few days, and this year I decided to make little gifts for all the moms on our block. After all, they've all watched my kids at some point... It takes, a village, ya know? These are simple to make, but it does take a little planning ahead. You don't want to try to start these on Saturday night.

I followed This Moment is Good's recipe and tutorial for the birdseed mixture, and it worked really well for me. I used this mini bundt mold for the wreaths. The silicone makes it really easy to pop them out once they set up. I let them sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before removing them from the mold, then I let them dry out on the counter for about 48 hours. You don't want to rush this part, or they could fall apart on you. Be patient! (Just like mom ;) Once they're all dried out, you are ready for the fun part!

What You'll Need:

tulle (or ribbon - you don't want to use rope or wipe because it will cut through the wreath)
scissors
hot glue gun
bird seed wreaths (see tutorial)
artificial flowers

Cut the tulle into 36" lengths. Cut a piece of cardboard about 9" long (taller if you want a bigger loop to hang from). Tie the tulle in a bow around the cardboard, trim the ends of the tulle, and slide off.

Insert the loop end of the tulle through the BACK of the wreath.

Pull the loop all the way through the hole so the bow end is near the back of the wreath. Take the loop up and over the top of the wreath, thread it back through under the bow, and (gently!) pull to snug everything up.

You should end up with the hanging loop caught under the bow facing the front on the top of the wreath.

Finally, hot glue your flowers on top of the knot in the bow to finish it off. I clustered 2 hydrangea blooms on each of mine, but you can use any flower you'd like. Done! They are ready to give away. Happy birds + happy mommas = Mother's Day success!

Visitor

Caught this guy hanging out on my butterfly bush this afternoon. Completely in awe of the beauty of God's creation and happy to know the bush actually lives up to it's name. :)

Welcome back anytime, friend!

Well Hello There, Sunshine!

This little guy popped up in the middle of my Morning Glories this week - courtesy of a passing bird, I'm sure. Welcome to the garden, little buddy. Stay as long as you'd like!

Flower Love

Every summer I wait patiently, or not so patiently for my favorite flowers in my garden to bloom. This week it was finally time. Behold the glory of the purple and white coneflowers. I love them. I love that I can see them from my comfy chair while I'm watching TV. I love that they'll bloom like this all summer. I love that every year they multiply so there's even more of them to love. I especially love that they're hard to kill. Even if I forget to water them for a day...or three. 

 

Heirloom Flowers

Last spring I planted some Hollyhock seeds that my grandma harvested from her plants. She's grown them for years - my mom says she remembers them always being in the garden when she was growing up. Last year my seeds sprouted but never bloomed. They somehow survived the winter (and total neglect during my pregnancy) and took off this spring when the weather turned warm. They finally bloomed this week! I love them because they are old fashioned looking and pretty and make me think of my grandma. My plan is to harvest the seeds so that no matter where we live, I can always grow her Hollyhocks in my garden!

Sprouts

We've come full circle this week with the weather - from spring to snow and back to spring again. I walked outside today in short sleeves expecting to feel a chill in the breeze, but surprisingly, the sun and the air were warm. Up go the windows again! I love this time of the year. I decided to check on my tiny little garden to see what was starting to come up. I was excited to find that the Purple Coneflowers I planted last year have returned. They are by far my favorite garden flowers! My Lantana, Mexican Petunias, Cannas and Ginger have all started to grow again as well. When it's closer to Easter and we've had our last frost, I'll put some Morning Glory seeds in the ground - my other favorite. I'm sure I'll saturate my blog with garden pics all spring long!

Bloom

My paperwhites finally bloomed! And they smell lovely, I might add. Just like spring. Which is a welcome thing in the winter when outside it's anything but. So easy to grow, too. No dirt required, just water and sunlight!