Mini Floating Moss Gardens

Took a walk in the woods yesterday and could not resist coming home with a basket full of beautiful moss. A few years ago i made moss fairy garden inside jars. i'm always looking for interesting jars and containers to create them in.  i recently had the opportunity to review some Glass Bauble ornaments and i knew they would make the perfect terrarium/ moss gardens!! We have so many beautiful types of moss growing in our woods, i knew they'd be easy to make. 

The glass bauble/ terrariums i received come in a set of 4.  They were packaged well, wrapped in bubble wrap and separated inside a box.  They arrived in perfect condition.  They are very lightweight and have a thin hoop with twine attached. They also have a flat bottom, so they can either be hung up or placed on a shelf.

To make a moss terrarium you'll need - 

Glass baubles (you can purchase them here)

 - potting soil mixed half and half with vermiculite

 - Activated charcoal (You can get this at a pet store or garden shop)

 - Gravel, rocks or those pretty flat marbles for fish aquariums. (this is for drainage) 

- Moss, small plants or succulents

- Decorative items-  mini-toadstools (purchased at Michael's), crystals, stones, marbles etc.

These are super easy to put together. You put your rocks/gravel in the bottom, then put a thin layer of the activated charcoal over them. Then you want to add your soil.  Now add your moss down and plants and give it a misting of water.  i use a chop stick to push the plants/decorations in place. Long tweezers would also work. 

i like to add hens and chicks and sedum.  They are very easy to keep and require very little maintenance once they are set up. 

These are super easy to make and they really look pretty a long time. You'll want to place the garden in a spot where it will receive indirect sunlight and mist it now and again to keep it moist, but not too wet.  i love to make these, and they make wonderful gifts. 

i received the #HangingClearGlassBaubleSphere for free in exchange for my honest review.  i was not compensated.

Milkweed pod babies- Nature crafts revisited

i recently had the opportunity to re-visit these milkweed pod babies crafts.  My daughter and i had so much fun making them a few years ago, that i thought i'd share them again. We first came across the idea on www.ecomilf.blogspot.com.  The original tutorial is no longer there, so i thought i'd post one for anyone interested in making them.  They are very easy and so adorable!

All you need for this craft is some milkweed pods, pipe cleaners, wooden beads, wool roving and acorn caps.  One pipe cleaner makes 3 babies.

Cut your pipe cleaner in three equal pieces, that are approx. 4" long. Fold in half, and slide your bead on. Then fold down the very ends of the pipe cleaner and and add a bit of glue. You can glue your acorn cap to the top of the head now.

i used a small section of wool roving that was about 12" long.   Place the end of the wool on the pipecleaner, and begin wrapping the body.  Once you get to the bottom wrap it back toward the top, and finish it off by wrapping the end tightly at the neck or base of the bead.  Now you can add a face if you want, or leave it without.  

My daughter wanted to glue a little of the milkweed fluff inside our milkweed pod to make it more comfy for the baby. :) 

These are a great project for almost any age, and look lovely as part of a nature table or in a dollhouse with a bendy doll family. They would make a great project for a waldorf class or girl scout craft. 

Hopefully the tutorial is easy to understand, let me know if anything is unclear. Have fun!

Milkweed and Pinecone Bunnies

These simple little bunnies are a perfect  spring crafts for kids. Made from natural materials that can be gathered outside, and a few extras like craft pom-poms and googly eyes. 

We collect natural materials all year, and always have jars of dried milkweed pods, pinecones, acorn caps, seeds, flower pods etc.  Perfect for crafting on rainy days. 

For this project you'll need

 a pinecone

 two milkweed pods,

 4 acorn caps, 

pine needles. 

seeds or googly eyes for the eyes. 

craft pom poms or natural materials for the nose and tail. 

tacky glue 

Start with a medium size pinecone and 4 acorn caps.

Put a dot of glue on the tops of the acorn caps and set the pinecone in place.   Give it a few minutes to dry before attaching the ears. 

Decide where you want the ears, and then tuck the milkweed pods into the pinecone and add a bit of glue to hold them in place. 

Decide what type of face you want your bunny to have, and then attach them to the pinecone with a dot of glue.

We used googly eyes and a pom pom nose for this one.

Don't forget to add your tail. :)

This one was made using all natural materials. i used dried black beans for eyes, a small acorn cap for the nose and a flower seed head as the tail. My daughter prefers them with the googly eyes and pompoms, but i like them all natural too. 

These are very easy to make, and a great project for any age.