Kids Crafts - Clothespin Flower Planter

A few months ago my little grand daughter made these adorable flower plants at school. All you need are a few simple supplies (you probably around have them on hand) and within 30 minutes, a new little flower or garden planter.

Kid's Crafts - Clothespin Flower Garden Planter

1 empty tuna fish can (clean and dry)
14-18 wooden clothespins
washi tape or decorative self-stick ribbon
scissors

Make sure the tuna can is clean and thoroughly dry. Have your child clip on the clothespins going around the entire circumference of the can. You want to use clothespins that are new or fairly new (nice tight ones). Once done, let them decorate their new planter!

She used decorative Washi tape but you could use self-adhesive ribbons, lace, etc. If you really want to keep them occupied let them paint the clothespins different colors with acrylic paint and let dry before clipping them around the empty tuna can.

An inexpensive & quick kid's craft project that is perfect for the classroom (school), church youth groups, daycare centers, girl scout groups, etc. You can find the wooden clothespin at the Dollar Store to keep costs down.

DIY How to Repaint Metal Patio Chairs

Finished New Patio Chair Set

We picked up two black wrought iron patio chairs at the flea market for $5.00 each. They were in great condition but I didn't like the black color since I decorate in a beach and coastal theme. I brought them home and decided to give them a nice paint job and paint them white!

I hosed them down with our garden hose and towel dried them. I left them sit out in the sun for a good 2 hours to make sure they were 100% dry. I picked up 3 cans of white outdoor spray paint that included primer at my local Lowe's store.

Re-Painted Chair - Black to White

I lightly sprayed one coat on the chairs and left them dry for 12 hours. The next day I hit them with a second coat and left them dry for 24 hours. I also picked up 2 cans of a clear outdoor sealant and sprayed a coat of that on each chair to protect the paint finish and left them dry for another 24 hours.

At my local Christmas Tree Shop I picked up 2 round coastal print bistro chair pads which I just love! If you have never shopped that store, I highly recommend it! I get all kinds of beautiful home decor items and garden items for an affordable price every time I go in there!

New Patio Coastal Chairs!

Overall, I am very pleased with how my DIY re-painting patio chairs project turned out. For less than $40.00 I got brand new looking (and sturdy) patio chairs and chair pad cushions! Like the bird bath? Well, check back in a few weeks to see how I turned that into a patio table!!!

Baby Gender Reveal Party - The Balloon Box

My daughter is pregnant with baby #2 and is due late this Summer. Recently they held a baby gender reveal party at their home and revealed the sex of their new baby to all of their party guests (family and friends). She found a really cool idea online and used it at the party.

She took one of her best friends along with her to an ultrasound and had the technician print out the photo and label it if it was a boy or girl on the back. The technician placed the photo into a sealed envelope which her friend kept with her. In other words, my daughter had no idea if she was having a boy or a girl until the party!

The Balloon Gender Reveal Box

1 large cardboard box
Pink, Black and Blue Markers
Pink or Blue Helium Balloons
Pink or Blue Ribbon

The box needs to be decorated in a baby girl and baby boy theme. Her friend kept the box simple as you can see in my photo. In private...she read the contents of the envelope and place the photo back inside a new sealed enveloped and tied the envelope around one of the ribbons on one of the balloons. Depending on the sex of the baby...that will determine the color of your balloons and ribbon. In our case...all of the balloons were blue!

Seal up the box...you can either just fold-over the flaps on the top or use a little bit of clear shipping tape but you definitely want to make sure that the balloons are securely inside the box. We also recommend that you fill up the balloons no more than 10 hours before the party as you don't want them deflated.

The box is now ready for the party and it is best to take the box outside and let the new parents open it up in front of their party guests to learn if they are having a baby boy or a baby girl! (or in some cases, one of each!).

Very inexpensive and fun! The parents loved this idea and all of the guests enjoyed it too! Most importantly, have fun at your gender reveal parties and don't stress yourself out by having elaborate & fancy parties where people can't have fun and enjoy themselves.

DIY - Turn an Old Bird Bath into a Patio Table

A few weeks ago we went down to the local Flea Market and I picked up a 2-piece heavy cement bird bath (used) for $5.00. This bird bath had some wear & tear since it had sat out in the elements (unfinished) for the past 2 years. Regardless, I thought it was a "steal" for $5 bucks!

My original plan was to refinish it and put it out into the yard as your typical bird bath. However, my plans quickly changed and I decided to turn it into a small patio or porch table. The reason I decided to do this was two things: it's on the smaller side and second...it has a flat bottom (in the bowl portion) which makes it a great table!

DIY - Turn an Old Bird Bath into an Outdoor Patio Table

We hosed it down and took some scrub brushes & bleach to it to remove all of the debris and moss/mold that was growing on it. We left it sit out in the hot sun for 24 hours to thoroughly dry. While it was drying, we headed over to one of my favorite stores...Lowe's.

At Lowe's I picked up 2 cans of outdoor spray paint that has that textured rocky finish to it in a natural color. I forget the brand but it's really nice spray paint at $10.00 a can. I also picked up 1 can of clear acrylic sealer at $7.00 a can.

When spraying your projects don't stand too close to the item when spraying or you will get drip & run marks. Make sure you stand back a bit and spray lightly!!! We covered both pieces of the bird bath with one can and then waited to the following day to add the second coat with the final can. It did indeed take BOTH cans!

We left the pieces dry for 24 hours out in the sun and then sprayed them with the clear acrylic sealer. I only used one can of sealer because the new bird bath table will be sitting under large front porch where it is partially sheltered from the elements. If you are sticking it out into your yard, I would suggest adding 2-3 coats of the clear sealer to it.

Since it has a flat bottom (in the bowl portion) I can use it as-is as a small patio side table. However, I decided to order a piece of thick clear glass cut into a round shape and I will be placing that glass on top of the table once it arrives. I am also thinking about adding some beach sand, seashells, sand dollars, coral and a star fish underneath the glass top to give it that coastal and beachy feel.

I will update this blog post once my glass top arrives and let you know how I decided to finish off the look...in other words, I might just add the glass top or I might add the glass top & the beach accessories underneath it. Overall, this was a fun project to complete!