20 Minute Fall Wreath

Mamma’s Fall Wreath

In our last posting you saw the grapevine wreath my daughter created using vines from her garden. No grapes in my garden but I did find a 30 inch diameter, basic vine wreath in Portland, Oregon’s City Liquidators store for $2.99.

I have a basement full of silk flowers and floral supplies so I tend to use what I have handy. I also have a wedding cottage and dead twigs, even in the fall, are not what most brides want to see. And then, there is the age thing; my age specifically. I’m almost 65 and my tastes differ greatly from my daughter and her age group. So there you have it, a post for those who like more than the minimal, natural look.

I began with a basic dried vine wreath and a bunch of eucalyptus that I had cut. I added it to the wreath by just shoving the branches into the wreath.  I did the same thing with silk  flowers and foliage. You can also use floral picks, pine cones, and dried fruit.

Eucalyptus can be cut and hung upside down or added to arrangements right after cutting. The scent will fill the room.

Cut stems to fit. You don’t have to use the whole branch. Snip the leaves from the bottom of the stem and it will be easier to insert into the wreath.

Cut stems to fit.

For stubborn stems that don’t want to bend a little wire can be used to secure them where needed.

Cut wire the length you need and bend to create your own U-pin.

On some flowers I added picks so I could secure them in the wreath and have them stand out a bit. You want to create some depth to give the wreath dimension.

I use a simple wooden skewer and cut it to the length I need. With smaller flowers a round toothpick works well.

Work your way around the wreath adding flowers and foliage, picks or other materials until you’re happy with the look and shape. Don’t be afraid to pull something out or cut some off if it doesn’t look right.

For this wreath, keep adding the the eucalyptus until you have covered the front and sides.

Sometimes when you add a large flower like this mum, your first reaction is “Holy Cow!” and you think it’s going to be too much. Hold on for a bit and keep adding to the wreath, you can always remove it later if you still don’t like it. You want to have different sizes and textures in the wreath so it doesn’t look flat and uninteresting..

To add flowers, just stick the stems into the  wreath. Normally it isn’t necessary to wire or glue them. However, if your wreath is in an area where there is heavy traffic and it may get bumped, by all means wire and glue as needed.

Well, that’s it! From beginning to end it took about twenty minutes to create. No talent or skill needed. You can make your wreath as full or as sparse as you like depending on what works for you and your decor.

Have fun and enjoy!

Mamma

DIY Large Patio Fountain In One Day!

This week, I decided to redo my water feature.  Last year, I built a fountain using cinder blocks, a water globe I found on Craigslist, and a glass art hanging I painted. Over the last year, the glass art fell into the fountain, breaking both the glass and the globe, the rope accent lights I put up burned out, and the wood fence that held the art and lights was replaced with a new white vinyl fence.

Summer 2012

A year later.

First, I had to clean up the area. Crocosmia Lucifer, a plant I love, had taken up residence in my fountain area along with some elephant garlic that I’ve been trying to get rid of for the last 20 years. (Last year, I had filled the area with sand and covered it with river rock, leaving only a small circle in the center for the water fountain and no liner was used.) This clean up took about an hour.  

create a cinder block frame

This year, I want the water to fill the entire space so I removed the rocks and dug out the sand to a depth of about 8 inches.

Digging out the gravel.

You can’t put a fountain pump that fits that big of an area (6′ x 6′) in 8 inches of water. So, in the center of the fountain, I dug a hole big enough to hold a 3 gallon bucket.

The pump bucket goes here.

After the hole was dug, I cut 3 mil plastic from Home Depot to use as a liner. Using 3 mil plastic sheeting was a big mistake! The next day I got up to find the fountain empty, I had a leak. The 3 mil plastic is just too thin, and will puncture so easily. I ended up using 6 mil instead. 

Make sure you cut the plastic so you have plenty of extra; you can trim it later.  I positioned my liner, making sure there was extra on all sides of the fountain. I pushed the liner into the hole using the bucket. You’ll want to fill in any gaps there might be around the bucket. To do this I lifted the plastic liner, leaving the bucket in place, and filled in the gaps with sand.

Fill in the gaps

When that was done, I smoothed out the liner as much as possible; don’t worry about the folds the rocks will hide them. Next, I secured the edges by draping them over the cinder blocks and placing pavers on top. The pavers on top of the cinder block not only keeps the liner in place but gives the fountain a clean ledge.

I removed all the sand and dirt that had fallen into the bucket, making sure the pump bucket was clean. I placed the pump in the center of the bucket. The black tubing I wanted to use was too small to fit the pump. After trying to soften the rubber tube to make it fit and failing, I made a coupling using a small piece of larger tubing I had and attached it to the pump.

I want my pump bucket to remain free of debris so I cut a 3′ x 3′ piece of black fabric screening used for screen doors, and made a very small hole in the center of the fabric to force the water tube through.

Because I want the entire fountain to have a rock bottom, I placed a clean grate over the fabric screen. The grate not only holds the fabric in place but it also supports the rock and hides the bucket and pump. Working from the center of the fountain out to the sides, I covered the entire bottom of the fountain floor with rounded river rock, hiding the fabric screen, the grate, and the pump cord.  Here’s a tip: To hide the electrical pump cord, tuck it between the sides of two top pavers. Make sure it will reach the electrical outlet.

Fabric and grate in position

Almost done! All that was left to do was to put larger rocks around the sides to hide the plastic and then fill the fountain with water. Wait until the fountain is completely filled before plugging in the pump.

This project took me 2 days but I don’t like to work in the sun so it was a couple of hours each day. If you’re building a cinder block fountain it will take an afternoon if you have all the supplies on hand. The important thing is to have the fountain deep enough for your pump to work properly; check your pump specifications for the needed depth.

If you want a pond or fountain that will last for years, use a pond liner. I didn’t. Next year I may want something entirely different and I don’t want to spend the money on a liner I may not be able to use later. Make sure you avoid anything that has sharp edges that can puncture the plastic liner.

Safety! I don’t have small children running around my patio, so child safety was not an issue. I’m not worried about securing the pavers, I can lift them right up. If you have young children, you’ll want to make sure your fountain is safe. We know it’s not a wading pool but kids may think differently.

A fountain can make a huge difference in the way a space makes you feel. The sound of water is calming and the visual goes without saying. Toss a couple of glow sticks into the fountain for a party or float a few candles and you’ve set the mood for romance. Enjoy your outdoor space, whether it’s a small apartment balcony or a backyard patio.

Mamma

Stay Lit Candles – Let The Wind Blow!

Some time ago, I started looking for a way to keep candles from being blown out by the wind. Here is the great solution I came up with; yes, I said great! A solution that costs just a few pennies. I originally used this for outdoor wedding ceremonies but it works fabulously for outdoor parties or just romantic evenings on the patio.

 

 

 

You’ll need the following:

Pillar candle
Box of trick birthday candles (the kind you can’t blow out)
Drill
Small drill bit
Estimated time to complete project: 5 minutes

Cut the wick in your pillar candle down as far as you can. If you’re using a votive candle, just pull the votive wick out and skip the drilling step. Drill a hole about 2 inches deep next to the existing wick. The average trick birthday candle is 2½ inches long. Insert the trick candle; there is no need to remove the wax from around the trick wick. If you find the trick candle is slightly larger than the hole you drilled, dip it in warm water and gently roll it between you fingers, the warm water will soften the wax. You want the trick candle to go down about 2 inches, leaving about a half an inch at the top to light. Now remove the wax from the tip of the trick candle that is sticking out, leaving just the wick showing. This works very well in pillar size candles, however, it is a very good idea if you’ve never used a drill before to practice on an old candle first.

If the hole you’ve drilled is too large for the trick candle, dip it in melted wax that has cooled enough to coat the candle but not hot enough to melt the existing wax. It’s not the wax that keeps the flame from going out on a trick candle. It is magnesium in the wick which has a very low flashpoint (the temperature where it will ignite) that allows the flame to ignite after just a second when it’s blown out. Here’s the thing about drilling a hole in wax, if you screw up, all you have to do is melt a little wax fill the hole, let it set, and start over. It is possible to do this with tapers but the small diameter of the candle makes it a little tricky. If you’re not right in the center, you can shatter the side of the taper. My suggestion is to pass on skinny candles.

A box of trick candles can be purchased for around a dollar in most stores. Changing out wicks can be done several months ahead of time, and requires no practice. So, start now and you’ll have outdoor candles ready for your next evening BBQ or patio party.

Just remember, to extinguish the flame you’ll need to dip the candle in water. Safety first!

Mamma