What to Plant for a Steady Supply of "Green" Craft Materials

Before there were craft stores, artists collected materials from nature to create decorative and practical items for the home. These wonderful crafts from nature could be as simple as a dried flower arrangement or as complex as a hand woven willow chair.

Making items from nature is both "green" and easy on the budget, especially if the raw materials you need are located right out the back door. For crafters with some yard space, the following varieties of plants can provide you with a steady supply of earthy friendly, green materials:

Lavender

Lavender is a flowering plant that belongs to the mint family and is prized for it's delicate yet highly fragrant pale purple blossoms. There are many varieties of Lavender, but not all are suited for all growing zones. For most regions, English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is an old fashioned standard that does well in zones 5-8.

Lavender can be used in dry floral arrangements and in making earth friendly, scented satchels to place in dresser drawers. A no-sew satchel can be crafted by cutting an old cotton shirt into 8" squares using a pinking shears, filling the center with two spoonfuls of dried lavender, and tying the bag with a piece of ribbon.

Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper is a perennial vine that can grow up to 60 feet in length, and is best used along fence lines where it can't interfere with a garden's bedding plants and shrubs. Unlike other types of invasive vine species, Virginia Creeper dies back in the fall, and can be easily pulled away from fences and trees to control its spread. In the summer, Virginia Creeper is filled with dense, dark green foliage which turn to a brilliant red in the fall. After the leaves have dropped, this very pliable vine can be used to create earth friendly Christmas wreaths and woven baskets.

Oregon Grape

The Oregon Grape ( Mahonia aquifolium ) is an evergreen shrub that produces lovely, green holly-like leaves, which makes it ideal for use in evergreen floral arrangements, candle arrangements, and live wreaths. Oregon grape is drought tolerant and can will grown in zones 5-8. After the holidays, Oregon Grape can be easily composted in a backyard composter.

Yarrow

Yellow Yarrow is a drought tolerant perennial herb with fine, feathery foliage and clusters that form almost a flat-umbrella like top. The Yarrow grows about 24-30 inches in height, and is very easy to grow for beginning gardeners. The flowers air dry quite nicely and adds "filler" to a dried flower arrangement.

Artemesia

With over 200-400 varieties of this plant available, gardeners shouldn't have any trouble finding a variety that will grow in their planting zone. This plant is characterized by it silvery grey, featherlike leaves which can be dried and shaped into lovely, natural wreaths. An Artemesia wreath is delightful by itself, or can be decorated with cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, or tiny pine cones. My favorites are the varieties of Artemesia known as White sage (Artemisia lud. 'Valerie Finnis') and Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) which grows to 18 inches in height and is hardy for zones 4-9. Artemesia can be highly invasive and should be planted in areas where it can be easily controlled.

Baby's Breath

Baby's Breath has long been a standard filler for bridal bouquets and other floral arrangements. Baby's Breath (Gypsophila paniculata) is an annual that grows in full to partial sun in well drained soil. A single plant will grow 24-30 inches in height and will provide a crafter with enough "filler" for three or four floral arrangements. Baby's Breath will air dry naturally when suspended.

Roses

Roses are one of the more versatile plants that can be used in crafting. Fresh roses make lovely fresh floral arrangements; tiny rose buds can be dried in silica gel for use in wreaths and dried arrangements. Dried petals can be used to create pot pourri. Do you have a large rose hedge? Collect a bushel of fresh rose petals to create rose petal beads following these instructions. Dark red and deep pinks roses varieties seem to be the best rose colors for crafting.

Mushrooms

In a yard full of old trees such as mine, fairy rings crop up from time to time with a delightful assortment of mushrooms. Rather than throwing them in the compost, we gather them up to make natural spore prints using these instructions. Creating spore prints is a craft that require a bit of patience, but the results are worth it.

Mushrooms can also be dried in silica gel or hung from the clothes line to air dry for use in shadow boxes.

Sweet gum Maple tree

If you enjoy working with leaves, be sure to plant at least one variety of deciduous tree that will keep you well supplied with a stunning assortment of autumn leaves. One of my picks is the Sweet Gum Maple which puts out a fabulous show of color in the fall, with star shaped leaves that turn natural shades of red, orange, yellow, and purple. Sweet Gum Maple grows in zones 5-9.

These are just a few ideas of garden plants that can provide crafters with "green" raw materials needed to create environmentally friendly gifts for the home. By using materials grown in the garden or collected on a nature walk, you will discover how satisfying creating art from nature can be.