Introducing my Sis, Tavia.....but, for blog purposes, mamaTAVE. Tave is wife to Jason, and mom to my gorgeous niece, Anastasia - you would pay for her curls! I am happy to have her as a guest blogger on my freshly-hatched blog. After you check out her post here, swing by and say hi on her very own BLOG!
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I may have had too much fun with this project… Is that possible? It provided an excuse to get outside and kept my daughter happily busy right alongside of me. It just doesn’t get much better than that. And, the cost of the project (about $5 per basket) fit right into my budget as well. Had I been able to find a larger basket, I could’ve even used plants that were already growing in my yard, making this project even more economical. Nevertheless, out of this project I am getting an Easter decoration and a fresh supply of basil for a few months… totally worth the cost!
I know Easter is only a few days away (which reminds me, I need to go refashion a skirt into a dress for the little one….!), but if you would like one of these baskets for your own home you still have plenty of time. Here’s how you do it:
Gather your supplies of an Easter basket (I chose plastic and will explain why below), a bit of burlap, potting soil, and plants (we quickly found pansies, wheatgrass, and basil at the grocery store down the street).
Cut the burlap to fit inside and cover the bottom and sides of your basket. Put a bit of soil in the bottom of your basket, as it will get tight in there once the plants are placed inside and you won’t want a big air pocket at the bottom.
Place plants in the basket until they are pretty well squished in and you have achieved a look that suits you. Fill any gaps within the basket with more potting soil. Trim any burlap that is still peeking over the edges of the basket. In a few days, the plants should settle in to their new home and hide the edges of the burlap and the basket.
Ta-Dah! My daughter’s basket is the one on the left, and I have to admit that I am rather jealous of the way her grass falls over the edge of the basket like that… Nice.
A couple of things…
…I wish I had done this a week ago, so the plants would have already settled in nicely and look more “at home” in the basket than they do today. Sorry about that.
…I hate to buy plastic things, but I wanted to be able to leave this basket outside and enjoy it for as much of the Spring as it (I) will stand. Another option would have been to use one of the rattan baskets I already had on hand and line it with a plastic bag instead of burlap. Then, the basket could be an indoor decoration. The problem with this (for me), is that the roots could rot if the basket received too much water (which is what I tend to do, if I don’t forget to water it altogether… I’m not great with houseplants).
…If you are not sporting a green thumb, or you just don’t want to have to remake this basket every year (I am looking forward to that!), then you can buy a few sprigs of fake flowers while you’re getting your basket at the dollar store. You will still spend about the same amount of money, and you can store your ready-made basket year, after year, after year…
…You may have some wheatgrass leftover. If you do, plant it for your favorite indoor cat. She will thank you for it.
This is a great project for kids, too. After all, kids like getting out in the sun and getting their hands dirty (me, too!). My daughter enjoyed making one to bring to her grandparents’ house on Easter. If the Big Bunny is smart, he’ll hide an egg or two in there…
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Thanks, TAVE! We'll see you on Easter!
