Teacher Appreciation Planter

My son completed his gifts for Teacher's Appreciation day coming up next week.  He chose to give them Aloe Vera plants and I guided him along with the planter crafting. 

We started with two floral vases. 

Spraying them with Chalkboard paint.

One coat seemed to do just fine.

Wooden rulers from a dollar store.

I cut them to fit around the vase. 

My son glued them around the top rim.

Mini clamps were used to hold the rulers in place while the glue dried.

We gathered plastic numbers from the dollar store.

He glued on 2x2 to equal 4. 

Then added chalk writing for 2nice 2be 4gotten.

Rubber letter stickers; also dollar store crafts.

He added the teachers names on the opposite side of the plastic numbers on the vase.

We pulled a couple of other plants to add to his aloe vera plant.

We used chalkboard sticker labels from Michaels for To/From tags.

His photo was added to the back of the To/From tags and covered in wide scotch tape to protect the picture.

We attached the photo tag on an artificial flower and added a couple more of the flowers for color. 

(His photos are purposely blurred.)

Then we added a "Thank You" note. 

Then he did a drawing on the remaining side of the vase with chalk.  (A cup of coffee and donut, one of the teacher's "faves".)

He's really excited that Ms. T and Mrs. F are going to love his planters. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trash to Treasure Tuesday

Last week I introduced my new weekly post, Trash to Treasure Tuesday, where I choose to feature some fantastic upcycles.  

Changing it a bit,  I'm inviting you to link up your Trash to Treasure posts.  I'll continue to feature from the ongoing posts each week. 

Before we get into the link up, let's take a look at a few amazing salvaged pieces of work that caught my eye this week:  

Once upon a time there was a stately ice box residing in a general store.  After many years, it wasn't used anymore. In a public post with intent to be rid of it, a woman rescued it. 

   

The ice box sat in the garage for over a year until one day the woman had the brilliant idea to convert it into a vanity for her farmhouse bathroom... AND DID SHE EVER!  Rachel of The Olde Farmhouse on Windmill Hill turned the old ice box into a gorgeous bathroom vanity.  You must see her before and after transformation!

Jennifer at Decorated Chaos snagged this crate up from a pile on the side of the road.

She was on a mission for a rich color for a beautiful fall display. She did it! 

This dresser was found at the road in front of a house for sale. 

And what a difference the details make! It's hard to believe it's the same dresser, by Cristin at Eve of Reduction

It all started with a discarded coffee table top at the side of the road... 

Linda at Hymns & Verses decided it would be perfect as the base for an upholstered ottoman in the living room. 

~ Now for the link up and the boring rules ~


1.  Please post your Trash to Treasure themed project links.  

Please link posts, refraining from linking giveaways or shops. (My blog goal is to inspire and share how to tutorials.) 

2. Links must be your own work.

3. Please Grab the Trash to Treasures Tuesday Button and display on your blog either on your sidebar or post linking here to share the party and everyone's links.

4. I'll probably brag about you. By linking up here, you're allowing me to show you off on Redo It Yourself Inspirations blog by using your linked photos in featured posts along with my social media outlets. Photos will be linked back to your site and posted as the original creator where full credit is due to your craft and cleverness.

<div class="redo-it-yourself-inspirations-button" style="width: 250px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://redoityourselfinspirations.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TWYmVW1uryjcj1hNGIbZWKBr6wey0AF52UK7LCcUrcDfDji18G9OLF5xpvyXexr-NssgUpY_lCEyVLQvHgmPX3fp5tNlhimjrZXLuXdSM0fW2kEyVTUcIZ2Njzu9qITZ1Th2K3wEBhc/s1600/Trash+to+Treasure+Tuesday+redoit.jpg" alt="Redo It Yourself Inspirations" width="250" height="150" /> </a> </div>

To upload button:

Right click the button above, copy image and paste into your linked edit post and apply this post’s url as a link to the picture.

Or right click the button image, save to desktop, upload into your blog post as a photo, and apply this post’s url as a link to the image.

An InLinkz Link-up

Trash to Treasure Tuesdays

I'd like to introduce you to my new weekly feature, Trash to Treasure Tuesdays. Today, on Earth Day,  I'll visually show you how to reuse your...mind.  

Recycling and reusing is vital to our environment. We all know that.  And, we can be guilty of not following through with reducing waste.  I am, as much as I try not to. 


Whether something is broken or no longer desired, it generally requires a little bit or a whole lot of changing it out rather than tossing it out. If you follow me, you know I utilize that theory often.  

Before you toss out that old chair in the garage or shed, or before you pass by that chair on the side of the road, think about what it could be if you put your mind to it.  What do you like about your trashy piece? What needs to be done to it to repair it or change it to the new life for you have in mind for it?  Don't be afraid to use your favorite colors or textures.  If you aren't accustomed to repairs, take your time with it. Look for resources or inspirations to help you along your creative way. You may find while doing one step you could totally change your first idea to another anyway. And that one afterthought could be the best idea yet! Don't rush yourself. Ask for help when you are stuck. 

I promised some visual enticements, so let's go ahead and expand our minds with these inspirations: 

BEFORE:  Kate and Joey's curbside find... 

AFTER: and isn't it darling?  You can find their tutorial at Mr. Kate.  I truly love how they added the branch pieces!  

Margaret reused this gate (in its former life), and now hangs between two 8-by-8 posts she had lying behind her barn the last who knows how many years. It wasn't her first attempt at this type of structure in her garden glory...

...this was. Some 25 years ago, when she first bought her place, she explored the woods around it and found two home foundations and an iron bed a decorative headboard and footboard rusting among collapsing stones. The headboard became a beautiful gate  posted by Margaret at A Way to Garden. 








BEFORE: Would you pass by this pile at the curb?  Tami didn't. 






AFTER: And this is why she didn't.  
Tami of Curb Alert saw a new functional life for that patio set. 











BEFORE:  Annie of Unexpected Treasures salvaged this dresser from getting tossed out.

AFTER:  And she wasn't afraid to use a some paint and design after she recreated a whole new transformation of that beat up dresser. 

If you are new here, this is one of my road rescue pieces. 

With a little determination, what was trash is now treasure. 

Hopefully with these ideas,  and many more coming up each week, you've been inspired to enough to start  your own "Before and After" creations.  It can be anything from a photo frame to a massive armoire! Be brave; you can do it.