Fun Springtime Crafts and Projects

It's that time of year again...a time of renewal some might say. A time many look forward too after a long cold winter. To welcome spring back, I thought it would be nice to introduce some spring time crafts!

This first project is very simple, a beginner could do this easily! You will need about ten limes and lemons, (total), spray adhesive, white sparkling sugar sprinkles, an oblong serving dish, and fresh flowers of your choice. Working with one lemon or lime at a time, spray with your adhesive and then immediately sprinkle generously with the sugar sprinkles. Repeat with remaining lemons and limes. Next you will arrange the fruit onto your serving dish. Trim all the stems off the flowers as needed to achieve the desired length. Then just insert the flowers between the lemons and limes to fill in the spaces. This simple project will make a stunning center piece for any table!

This next project is called a floral pomander. You will need plastic foam balls, 4 to 5 inches in diameter, (as many as you want to make), sheet moss, potpourri, scissors, hot glue and glue sticks, and some candlesticks. The first thing you will need to do is to hot glue the sheet moss onto your plastic foam ball. Completely cover the ball with the moss. To attach the potpourri, apply hot glue to a small area of the ball. Immediately roll the glued area of the ball in the potpourri. Continue this process until the ball is completely covered with the potpourri. Next just place your potpourri covered ball on top of your candlestick, and viola, your floral pomander is done!

This next project is a living wreath. The materials you will need are a grapevine wreath, assorted silk greenery and small flowers. 3/4 inch ribbon, (in green and white checks), florist's wire, assorted seasonal elements such as eggs, bunnies, chicks and butterflies, hot glue gun and sticks, bead sprays, 3 mini terra cotta pots, acrylic paint in desired colors, sponge brush, potting soil, and spider plant babies. The first thing you will need to do is cut pieces of the assorted greenery. Visualizing the wreath as a clock face, position greenery ast 11 and 2 o'clock, and from 5 to 9 o'clock on the front surface of the wreath. Hot glue the greenery in place. Next you will need to weave the ribbon around the wreath and use your floral wire to hold it in place. Hot glue or wore the seasonal elements onto the greenery. Cut small pieces of flower heads, and hot glue these around the seasonal elements. Tuck the bead sprays into the wreath and secure with hot glue. Next, using the sponge brush, paint the outside of the terra cotta pots with the colors of your choice, (I used pastel colors, for the springtime theme). When the paint is dry, hot glue the pots to the wreath, (towards the bottom). Use a small amount of potting soil to plant the spider plant babies in the pots!

The final springtime project is a butterfly shadow box. The materials you will need are a shadow box, acrylic paints in purple and cream, sponge brush, sandpaper, clean cloth, two different sizes of skeleton leaves, (which you can find at the craft store), paper plates, hot glue gun and glue, dried lagurus, (which may also be called rabbit tail grass), yellow food coloring, small plastic container, and paper adhesive. First remove the glass and backboard from the shadow box. Using the sponge brush, paint the outside surface of the shadow box with the purple paint. When the paint is dry, sand lightly and wipe off the dust with your cloth. Use a sponge brush to apply a coat of cream colored paint to the previously painted surfaces. Let that dry. Use your sandpaper again to distress the shadow box, lightly sanding to remove some of the cream paint and allowing the purple to show through. Next you we ill need to plant the position of the leaves for the butterfly and decide on colors. Use the sponge brush to paint the leaves in various colors. You can paint these on your paper plates. Let the paint dry. Hot glue the leaves together to create the butterfly, applying glue to the stems only, Let the glue set. Next, trim the stem from the lagurus just below the flower head. Add enough water to a container to cover the flower head. Use your yellow egg dye to color the water. Remove the flower head when it is completely yellow, and let dry. Hot glue the flower head in place on the leaves to make your butterfly's body. Let this dry.The last thing left to do is to cover the back of the shadow box with scrapbook paper and adhere with you paper adhesive. Then just center the the butterfly and adhere with the hot glue onto the scrapbook paper. Then just put the back on the shadow box.

I hope you will enjoy making these simple crafts, and showing them off!!