Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts

DIY Succulent Planters
7.31.2015

When we were in California, I of course had to stop in my favorite Anthropologie store (in Carlsbad at the Forum)! I obviously couldn't leave without buying a few small things to satiate my Anthro cravings (the thirst is real y'all), one of which being the gorgeous little distressed silver pot below. I've been wanting to do a succulent centerpiece for our kitchen table for quite some time, but I was holding out for the right pot. Well, this was it. So pretty and only $14! And it comes in gold if that's more your thing :) It goes well with our decor and I love that it has rustic glam vibes.

I'm no expert on house plants, but I do have quite a few of them and have been generally successful so far. I really want a huge fiddle leaf fig next! We just don't have the right spot for one in this house though. But with succulents, it's generally recommended to put them in a pot that drains, as they don't like sitting in water. So, I'm taking a bit of a risk with putting them in this pot, but I think I took the right precautionary steps, which I'll outline below.



I bought succulents with this pot in mind and spent an embarrassing amount of time in the Lowe's garden center choosing which plants to buy! I am so indecisive. Ultimately the plant on the left didn't make the cut space-wise. I still need to find a home for him!



From the research I had done I found that having a thick layer of rock in the bottom of your succulent planter really helps with drainage. I also bought specific potting mix that is quick-draining! You can't quite tell from the picture, but I filled up between 1/3 and 1/2 of the pot with rock. I bought some cheap aquarium gravel at Wal-mart because it's small and white. More on that later as well!



And then the aftermath of scooping in very powdery soil around very prickly and delicate little plants. I put a small layer of soil on top of the gravel, and then placed the plants with some of the soil that came in their individual pots, filling in with more potting mix as I went. I found it was really hard to get soil in the crevices with gloves or without getting pricked, so I ended up 'shoveling' it in with a plastic spoon and it worked perfectly!



Then I finished up by covering up the soil with another layer of the gravel! I used the plastic spoon again for this so that I could fill it in between the plants really well. The smallness of the gravel allowed me to nestle it in, and I love how the white makes the pot look clean and crisp. You can see a couple of photos up that I also potted a bigger succulent in a classic terracotta pot, which I actually love the look of (in addition to their cheapness).

The number one tip for succulents is to not water them much! In fact, two weeks later I still have these outside by our front door so they're covered from the rain, but can enjoy all of the heat and indirect sunlight. They're loving it! I figured I'd might as well not mess up their flow until it starts cooling off, even though I made them as indoor planters/decorations and really want these little cuties making my house look cooler.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I know it's a little different for me, but I'm looking forward to including more lifestyle and home/decor posts as time goes on and as our house gets more finished.

xo,
Jacy


Here are some of my favorite pots and planters I found online! My pot is linked through the first photo :)

Wedding Centerpiece DIY
6.09.2014

As many of you know, I'm getting married this summer (in 47 days - ahh!), and I've been sharing bits and pieces of my wedding planning along the way! Weekend before last my sister visited for a little DIY Day and we knocked out nearly all of our wedding decorations (with the help of Trey's mom and aunt) in one afternoon. 

I am not at all a crafter!! Seriously...not at all. I don't even remember the last time I tried to DIY or craft something. So, I will readily admit it was pretty insane of me to plan to DIY nearly all of my wedding decor with just over a month to spare. Fortunately, everything has turned out even better than imagined so far (cue the "Hallelujah Chorus"), and it's been a huge weight off of my shoulders (and something big to cross off of my to-do list)!

My wedding colors are lavender/lilac, gray and silver. We'll have a few dark purple accents, but those are my primary colors. I wanted centerpieces that were chic and glamorous, but inexpensive. And these proved to be the perfect fit.


Going into wedding planning, I knew I would be picky about centerpieces, but also knew there wasn't a lot of room in our budget for them. Where centerpieces get pricey are flowers and buying vases, etc., so I knew this was something to avoid. The pictures above show a bigger grouping than what will actually be on each guest table, but I just wanted to show off some of the different things we did.

Step One: Collecting Bottles & Jars
As soon as I came up with this idea back in February or so, I asked several people to start saving wine bottles, mason jars, and other pretty bottles and jars for me. Fortunately, both my dad and I love drinking wine, so this helped speed up the process ;) We needed A LOT of bottles though, so everyone's help was so appreciated. The best part? These supplies were 100% free to me!

Step Two: Supplies
  I ended up using 3-4 different silver spray paints because I wanted there to be a bit of variety. Rust-oleum spray paints are great, and are pretty inexpensive at Lowe's and Wal-mart. Here were my two favorites:
 The one on the left was purchased at Hobby Lobby and was over $8. Despite the slightly heftier price, this one was my favorite and had a slightly translucent, shimmery finish. The one on the right was purchased at Lowe's for $3-something, and had a high-shine almost-chrome look that I loved. All in all I spent about $20 on spray paint.

Other supplies:
Modge Podge - $5-$7
A paint brush (to paint on the Modge Podge) - already owned
Silver glitter (purchased at both Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby) - $6 x 2
Thin painter's tape (to make a straight line for glittering) - already owned
Clear spray lacquer to seal/protect the spray-painted bottles - $3-$4
An extra case of mason jars purchased at Wal-Mart - $9

Total cost for centerpieces = right at $50!

Step Three: DIY Time
We set up a couple of folding tables and covered them with plastic (newspaper would work too - just make sure everything is covered that you want covered). Spray painting is pretty self-explanatory, but just make sure you don't put on too thick of a coat as the paint can run. I learned it was much better to go over a bottle with a light second coat than to worry about trying to perfect it and then over-painting. As for the glittering... It was messy but fabulous! I just love the glamour and drama the glittered bottles and jars added, especially with a tea candle inside. For the jars and bottles that went halfway up with glitter, we used the thin painter's tape to make a straight line, and then painted below with modge podge. I found an empty shoe box to pour glitter over, and this made it easy to pour the excess glitter back into the glitter jar (and to keep it in one place).

What's left?
Our florist will be ordering some loose stems at wholesale to put in some of the bottles. This will probably cost us between $100-$150, but that cost is so much lower than doing floral arrangements or having to buy a bunch of decor items. We will have just 2-3 loose stems per table to stick in the bottles, and then the mason jars will have tea candles inside (I still need to buy those as well).

What do you think?? I'm so incredibly pleased with how these turned out, and can't wait to walk into my reception with everything set up and glowing! 

xo,
Jacy




succulent + cacti mini garden.
7.21.2013


I've been wanting a few succulents and cacti to freshen up my bedroom and recently made them into a mini garden! I picked up these little guys from Lowe's (they actually had a great selection). 


My pot (on the right) didn't have any holes for draining so I cut a plastic pot liner down to size and then used potting soil. If you find the right sized pot with draining holes, then you can skip this step of course! Although this way I don't have to move my pot when I water it or have it sitting on a plate. Also, my sister's mini garden is on the left :)  


Some facts & tips about succulents:
1. Cacti are actually succulents, as are aloe and agave
2. Succulents like bright light, but too much direct sunlight can damage certain types
3. Succulents do not like sitting in water, which will cause them to rot! In order to avoid this, use a pot and soil that drain well, water just a little bit at a time, and cut back how often you water in the winter. There are also potting soils that are designed for succulents in that they drain quickly 


And now (a few weeks later) my little garden is at home on a vintage suitcase table next to a stack of Vogues :) They're loving all the light by my window, and the cactus on the left is growing and blooming like crazy!

Hope you've had a great weekend! I can't believe how quickly it's gone by... 

xo,
Jacy

two in tulle.
12.10.2012


Hello everyone, and happy Monday! I'm so excited to be doing a collaboration with the stylish and gorgeous Lily, the blogger behind Lily Says Go! We wanted to show off a fabulous holiday trend and a tulle skirt is such a glamorous party look that we both love. I think that the different ways we styled a tulle skirt really show off our different styles, and I hope that these looks give you some ideas on how you want to style the trend yourself!


Lily and I were both inspired by our history as dancers, and she also drew on her love of old Hollywood movies! Lily was inspired by a skirt she saw at Anthropologie and cut her skirt from an old prom dress (gorgeous job right?!). 
 

Interestingly enough, this skirt was a random purchase from a Target sale rack back in high school, so I love that tulle has become so trendy several years later! For a holiday party look, I wanted to incorporate this pretty sequined-collar blouse from Ali & Kris and I like the fun and girly pairing!

I hope you loved this collaboration! Please be sure to check out Lily's fabulous blog!

xo,
Jacy

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