FanningSparks – Page 32 – A DIY and lifestyle blog authored by Peg Frizzell.

Gardening How Tos Make Nature Other Media

Weaving Lavender

There’s a full-blown beauty pageant underway in our flower garden these days!

The leading contestants, Clematis ‘Ramona Blue’, purple bearded iris and Allium ‘Purple Sensation’, are trying their best to outdo each other. They’re colorful, flashy and glamorous!

Meanwhile, the Spanish Lavender is more like Miss Congeniality with its gentle, low-key ways. It plays a strong supporting role with its small purple blooms and silvery-grey foliage.

The Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas ‘Otto Quast’) may not be as flamboyant as the others but it has something they don’t—staying power! Lavender is well-known for its sweet, floral scent. Author Tessa Evelegh, puts it this way: “As well as for its unmistakable perfume, lavender has been recognized since Roman times for its healing and antiseptic qualities, its ability to deter insects, and for washing.” (from Lavender Practical Inspirations for Natural Gifts, Country Crafts and Decorative Displays).

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to preserve the treasured aroma of lavender. Lavender stalks can simply be hung upside down to dry. The dried bouquets can be displayed as is or the blooms can be removed and used in a variety of ways such as sachets and pillows.

Another option for extending the life of this classic flower is to make lavender wands. These charming drawer and closet scenters are also known as “lavender bottles” and according to Tessa Evelegh “Young ladies in Victorian times used to while away afternoons making lavender bottles by encasing lavender heads in their own stalks, then weaving them with ribbon.”
The lavender flowers are hidden inside a small “cage” of interwoven stalks and ribbon. Dried blossoms will be held neatly inside the woven cage as they dry and shrink. Thus, the lavender wand can be placed inside a drawer or hung in a closet without strewing bits of dried lavender.

Lavender wands aren’t difficult to make once you know how. The first step is to gather the lavender stalks. It’s best to cut the lavender in the early morning before the heat of the sun can cause the lavender to release its scent.

Cut an odd number of stems, at least SEVEN, about 12-18” long. One lesson I learned the hard way is the stems should be as straight as possible with at least 4” of new growth. The new growth is supple and easy to manipulate. In contrast, the old growth is woody and brittle making it near impossible to bend the stalks and tricky to weave the ribbon around them.

The only other supply you’ll need for this project is ribbon. I purchased a few different options in ⅜” and ¼” widths. The amount of ribbon needed will depend on the length of the lavender stalks and the size of bow you choose to make. I used about 4’ of ribbon to weave my lavender wand.
The steps to weave the lavender wand, as illustrated below, are:
Step 1. Remove the leaves from the lavender stalks.
Step 2. Align the base of the lavender flowers and tie the ribbon just below this point. Leave a ribbon tail of about 6”. Tie the ribbon in a firm knot but not so tight it will break the stems.
Step 3. Hold the bundle of lavender flowers in your nondominant hand. Then use your dominant hand to carefully bend a stalk at the base bringing it up and over the lavender flowers. Pass the bent stalk over to your nondominant hand. Slowly turn the bundle, bending one stalk at a time, so the stalks surround the lavender flowers. Tuck the ribbon tail inside the bundle. Begin to weave the long end of the ribbon between the stalks. Pull the ribbon over one stalk, then under the next stalk, over, under, over, under…
Step 4. Weave round and round the bundle taking care to keep the stalks in the same order and the ribbon smooth and flat. When you reach the bottom of the bundle, pull out the ribbon tail and tie a tight bow.

Wind the remaining ribbon around the stems and tie off. You may choose to add a loop or an additional bow in coordinating ribbon. There you have it! A lavender wand just like the Victorians used to make!

Yet another way to preserve lavender is to make a lavender basket (shown on the right below). The woven stalks and ribbon look similar to a lavender wand but, notably, the lavender heads are not enclosed.

When making a lavender basket, instead of bending the stalks at the base of the flower heads, bend them about 5-7” below the base of the flowers and weave the ribbon around the stalks to made a handle of sorts. Trim the stalks after tying off the ribbon. It’s also possible to join a few long stalks above the basket to weave a loop handle.

Whether you choose to weave lavender wands or lavender baskets, it’s a fun way to make something pretty and preserve that unmistakable lavender scent.

More Info

I’ve only used Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas ‘Otto Quast’) to make lavender wands and baskets. I suspect using the long, upright stems of English Lavender, as shown below in my sister Marian’s garden, would be easier. She’s an accomplished gardener in addition to being a wonderful sister!

The book, Lavender Practical Inspirations for Natural Gifts, Country Crafts and Decorative Displays by Tessa Evelegh, contains a wealth of information about lavender. It is available online, at no charge, via Archive.org.

Today’s Takeaways

1. “As well as for its unmistakable perfume, lavender has been recognized since Roman times for its healing and antiseptic qualities, its ability to deter insects, and for washing.” Tessa Evelegh
2. Making lavender wands, with lavender blooms held in a cage of interwoven stalks and ribbons, dates back to Victorian times.
3. Consider weaving lavender with ribbon to preserve the blooms and scent of lavender.

Gardening Nature

From One to Many: Propagating Flowering Shrubs

With our flower gardens in full bloom, it’s the perfect time to identify the superstars and make plans to clone them. Well… more accurately… to propagate the flowering shrubs. And it’s much easier to do than you might expect. All it takes is a little planning and a lot of patience.
My first attempt at propagating shrubs resulted in about 40 promising starts including 6 favorites—Spirea Limemound, Hydrangea (various) European Snowball Bush, Star Jasmine, Rose of Sharon and Camellia (various). I started them last year in early July. Here’s how they look today.

It’s a little difficult to appreciate without the full context so let’s look at an example. Here’s our Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) in full bloom in June of last year. This southern charmer is a vigorous grower, smells divine and blooms like crazy for nearly a full month. Definitely a superstar in my books!

Last summer, I took a few cuttings from this shrub following the instructions I found online and hoped for the best. Here’s how those cuttings look now—about 9 months later. I plan to keep them in my “nursery bed” until this fall when I’ll transplant them into a permanent location.

My hydrangea cuttings also look promising. Here’s a lovely variegated hydrangea blossom from last spring along with the last year’s cutting as it looks today.

Our Spirea ‘Limemound’ (Spiraea japonica ‘Limemound’), which is a lush mound of bright green freshness right now, will be covered in pretty pink blossoms later in the season. I took several cuttings from this shrub and they absolutely thrived! I have 8 promising new starts. That’s a great example of One to Many!

Granted not all the shrubs I tried to propagate were this successful. Cuttings from our Lady Banks Rose (Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’) simply wilted and died. This shrub has been putting on such a spectacular show this spring that I’ll just have to give it another try!

After targeting which shrubs to propagate this year, there are a few other steps to get ready for this year’s window of opportunity.
Plan Timing
Timing is the most important element. If you are too early, the cuttings aren’t hardy enough to survive. Summer is the recommended time. But summer varies greatly from one gardening zone to another. I took my cuttings in July last year because, according to the calendar, summer starts in late June. But I garden in the US Southeast where summer is brutal on plants and gardens. I wondered if this is really the best time to take cuttings.
There’s a fair bit of advice online about when to take cuttings. There are explanations of readiness checking; descriptions of greenwood, softwood and hardwood; definitions of ripeness; recommended bending tests and so on. Then I discovered “The Six Week Rule” from Mike’s Backyard Nursery (see More Info below). He recommends taking note of when your plants start producing leaves in the spring and counting forward 6 weeks from there. The resulting date is the earliest date to start cuttings.
Looking back at my photos, I was able to see our shrubs started leafing out around March 15. So 6 weeks takes me to April 26 which means I can start 2 months earlier than last year. Hooray!

Prepare Rooting Baskets
The question of which containers and soil to use for cuttings garners a great deal of advice online. Last year, I filled plastic baskets with sand and covered them with a trash bag to make a mini-greenhouse. This worked so well I will do the same this year.   Once again, I have Mike’s Backyard Nursery (See More Info below) to thank for this technique. I’ve tweaked the process a little and prepare my rooting baskets as follows.
Gather these supplies:
. Plastic Basket – with holes in the sides. Mine are inexpensive plastic from a local dollar store—they are 13½“ long x 9” wide x 6” high.
. Play Sand
. White Trash Bag – Big enough for the basket to fit inside.
. Sticks – FOUR about 13” long dowels or plant stakes.
. Cable Ties – FOUR
. Water
. Labels
You’ll also need Rooting Hormone when it’s time to take the cuttings. There are several products available—just look for “rooting hormone”, “rooting compound” or “rooting powder”. I used Schultz Rootone Rooting Hormone which doesn’t appear to be sold any longer.

To prepare the Rooting Basket, attach the 4 sticks to the corners of the basket with the cable ties. The sticks will elevate the plastic trash bag over the basket creating a tent of sorts.

Next open a trash bag and set the basket inside. Fill the basket about 1/3 full with play sand. I’ve found it’s much easier to set the basket inside the bag before adding the sand. Shower the sand with water to soak it thoroughly.

♦ TIP: It’s also helpful to prepare a few labels in advance. The slats from an inexpensive vinyl mini blind make great plant labels. Simply cut the cords to remove a slat. Then use scissors to cut the slat into labels.   I make mine about 3½“ long and make a hole with a punch. Then I use a regular pencil to write on it. You can hang the labels or stick them in the ground. Believe it or not, these simple labels last and last. Cheap and easy!

Take Cuttings
When it comes to taking the actual cuttings, the online advice is pretty consistent. Here are the steps:
1. Cut a 3-6” stem from the tip of a branch with healthy new growth but no buds or blooms.
2. Strip all leaves except the top couple sets.
3. Cut stem just below a spot from which you removed a set of leaves.
4. Dip end of stem in water.
5. Roll wet stem in Rooting Hormone. Tap to remove excess.
6. Make a hole in the sand with a stick and insert stem into the sand.

Wait
After filling the rooting basket with cuttings, drench the sand. Then pull the trash bag up around the sticks and close with a twist tie.

Place the covered rooting basket in the shade and wait.
The idea is to give the cuttings lots of moisture. Once a week, open the bag for a few hours to let in some fresh air and gently spray your cuttings with water. I also check the bag after it has rained to shake off puddles or water that has collected in the folds of the bag. Keep the rooting basket out of the direct sun to prevent it from overheating and/or drying out.
Typically, cuttings will form roots in about 4-8 weeks.   Once rooted, gently remove the cuttings from the sand and transplant into individual pots or into the garden. It’s really that simple!

More Info

I’ve found the advice offered on Mike’s Backyard Nursery website, especially in the Propagation section, to be very helpful.
You may also enjoy the FanningSparks’ post, Our Garden Prepares to Leap, to see the progress we’ve made with our flower gardens. Or the post, Zinnias Rock! And More Cutting Garden Tips, to learn about my cutting flower garden.

Today’s Takeaways

1. All it takes to propagate your favorite flowering shrubs is a little planning and a lot of patience.
2. A simple rule of thumb is to start cuttings 6 weeks after your plants start producing leaves.
3. Consider starting cuttings from your own garden.

Gardening Make Nature Tutorials Wood

Strawberry Tower Planter – DIY Tutorial

Some time ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Kingsbrae Garden in beautiful St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick. Kingsbrae Garden (see More Info below) is 27 acres of award-winning art and natural beauty. While admiring the sculpture sprinkled throughout the garden, an unusual planter caught my eye. The pyramid-shaped tower was planted with strawberries. It seemed like the perfect combination of practical purpose and visual interest. I took a few photos and filed the idea away for future reference.

Meanwhile, back home in Georgia, we decided to try growing our own berries. We added a new garden bed and planted several fruit plants including blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. That was last spring. This spring, when the strawberries were threatening to take over the entire bed, I remembered the Kingsbrae Garden strawberry tower.
After looking for plans online and not finding any to my liking, I decided to incorporate the best aspects of the various options and design my own. I started with a few sketches, kluged together a paper prototype and researched the materials available. Cedar fence pickets, in 6 foot lengths of 1” x 6”, seemed like a good option because of their convenient size and availability at the local home improvement store. Plus cedar is reported to be a good, long-lasting alternative to treated lumber. Eventually my plan came together and my new Strawberry Tower Planter was in place. Here’s how it looked a few days after transplanting the strawberry plants.

This Strawberry Tower Planter has 6 tiers, each made of a rectangular frame. The rectangular frames have trapezoid shaped ends and long sloped sides. The sides form a series of troughs of sorts. The rectangular frames are staggered in size such that each one can sit neatly on the one below. The structure can sit directly on the ground or on concrete blocks as shown. My overall structure, including the concrete blocks around the base, measures 47” wide x 63” long x 41” tall. The planter provides approximately 13½ square feet of growing surface.

I consider this to be a beginner woodworking project. No special tools, only a jigsaw and a drill, are needed. The construction could be a little tricky but I’ve provided detailed step-by-step instructions in the tutorial that follows. Why not give it a try? It’s the perfect opportunity to start your own strawberry “patch” and just think—strawberries! Sweet, juicy strawberries fresh from your own garden!
Strawberry Tower Planter DIY Tutorial
I’ve adopted a few terms to make the instructions as clear as possible—they are illustrated in the graphic below. I’ll refer to the end support pieces as the “Trapezoid End Pieces” and the long slanted sides as the “Sloped Side Pieces”. Please note the orientation of the Trapezoid End Pieces—the long edge is at the bottom with 60⁰ angles at each end. The sizes of the Trapezoid End Pieces and the Sloped Side Pieces for each of the 6 tiers are also shown.

Supplies Needed
. Template: Download the Strawberry Tower Planter – Complimentary Download to print the templates.
. Paper to print the templates.
. Cedar Dog Ear Fence Pickets: TWELVE 1” x 6” x 6’ (actual size is 19/32” x 5½” x 6’). I recommend buying 12 pickets, which strictly speaking is 2 more than needed, to allow for working around flaws. As noted earlier, I selected cedar fence pickets because they are a convenient size, are readily available at the local home improvement store, and offer a great alternative to treated lumber.
. Painter’s Tape
. Screws: 64 #6 1 ¼“ wood screws
. Nails: 80 1″ nails
. Screw Eyes: TWO 1” long with eye slightly larger than ½”
. Rebar: TWO ½” x 4’ pieces
Please Note: The completed Strawberry Tower Planter is quite stable when filled with soil but it is not designed as a play structure. You may wish to install additional screw eyes and insert additional rebar for increased stability.
. Soil and Strawberry Plants (of your choice).
Equipment and Tools Needed
. Printer
. Tape Measure
. Jigsaw (or saw of your choice)
. Clamps
. Hammer
. Pencil
. Drill with 3/32“ bit and 3/16“ bit
. Screwdriver
. Level
. Sledge Hammer (or heavy hammer of your choice)
. Shovel and Equipment (of your choice) to add Soil to the planter and to plant the Strawberry Plants.
Step 1. Print Templates Download the Strawberry Tower Planter – Complimentary Download to print the templates. Take care to ensure the scale is accurate on your printed version. See specifics in the download document.
Step 2. Cut Straight Parts Cut parts from the cedar fence pickets. Please note fence pickets are rough lumber and will likely have warping, knots or other flaws that you’ll want to work around. I found it easiest to start by cutting the longest parts from the best fence pickets and then working my way down to the shortest parts.
Use jigsaw (or saw of your choice) to cut off the dog ear tips from the fence pickets. Then cut the following:
… For the TWELVE Trapezoid End Pieces, cut: TWO 15”, TWO 19”, TWO 23”, TWO 27”, TWO 31”, TWO 35”.
… Cut TWELVE Sloped Side Pieces: TWO 11½“, TWO 17½“, TWO 23½“, TWO 29½“, TWO 35½“, TWO 41½“.
♦ TIP: Use painter’s tape to label each part with the cut length.

Step 3 Cut Angled Ends Use Template A to mark 60⁰ angles on both ends of all Trapezoid End Pieces. Ensure the angles are placed so only the top edge of the Trapezoid End Piece is trimmed. The top edge will become 6⅓” shorter than the bottom edge. Use jigsaw (or saw of your choice) to cut the angled ends.

♦ TIP: Since my jigsaw cannot be set for angled cuts, I created a jig to help me cut all the angles consistently. The trick to making this jig is to allow for the distance between the jigsaw’s edge and the jigsaw’s cutting blade. To use the jig, I simply slid each fence picket under the jig and guided the jigsaw along the precut angled edge.

Set aside the angled corners you remove from the Trapezoid End Pieces.
Step 4. Add Supports The triangular pieces, cut from the Trapezoid End Pieces in the previous step, will be nailed to the Trapezoid End Pieces and used as supports for the Sloped Side Pieces. Use Template B to determine where the supports should be placed. Align the template with the bottom edge and angled edge of a Trapezoid End Piece. Then mark along the third side. Flip over Template B and mark the other end of the Trapezoid End Piece.

Place the triangular support piece on top of the Trapezoid End Piece with the point at the bottom and the angled edge aligned with the marks (as shown in photo above). Nail in place. Repeat at other end of Trapezoid End Piece. Repeat for all Trapezoid End Pieces.
Step 5. Construct Tiers The Strawberry Tower Planter has 6 tiers each made of a rectangular frame with trapezoid-shaped ends and long sloped sides. Every tier is made in the same way but to different dimensions. The below photo shows how the Tower Planter will look after the tiers are constructed and stacked.

Begin with Tier 6 which is the smallest rectangular frame. Select the TWO 15” Trapezoid End Pieces and the TWO 11 ½“ Sloped Side Pieces. The Sloped Sides will be screwed into the Trapezoid End Pieces. Position one of the 15” Trapezoid End Pieces on your work surface with the supports facing up. Use Template B to determine where the screws should be placed. Position Template B in the same way as in Step 4 (ie aligned with the bottom and angled edges). Mark the locations for the two screws on the Trapezoid End Piece. Flip over Template B and mark the other end of the Trapezoid End Piece. Drill pilot holes with 3/32” bit at the 4 spots as marked.

Repeat these steps, marking and drilling 4 holes, in the second 15” Trapezoid End Piece.
Select one of the 11½” Sloped Side Pieces. Hold it vertically at a 90⁰ angle. It can be helpful to prop and/or clamp the piece against a work bench or other vertical surface. Select one of the 15” Trapezoid End Pieces and hold it over the standing Sloped Side Piece with the bottom edge closest to you. Push the Sloped Side Piece snuggly against the angled support under the Trapezoid End Piece. Align the top edge of the Trapezoid End Piece with the top edge of the Sloped Side Piece. Hold firmly with one hand while drilling through one of the pilot holes to extend it into the end grain of Sloped Side Piece. Screw the two pieces together with a #6 1¼” wood screw. Repeat for the other pilot hole and screw.

Insert the second 11½” Sloped Side Piece vertically under the Trapezoid End Piece. Repeat the process of aligning the parts, extending the pilot holes and screwing the pieces together. With one end attached, the rectangular frame should look like this.

Flip the frame over so the attached Trapezoid End Piece is sitting on the work surface. Place the second 15” Trapezoid End Piece on top of the structure. Repeat the process for this end.
Repeat for each tier. For good measure, you may wish to add a third screw on the larger tiers.
Step 6 – Add Screw Eyes To add stability to the structure, a set of screw eyes will be added to Tier 3 and a piece of 4’ rebar will be slipped into these screw eyes when the planter is set up.
Cut FOUR 6” pieces from the cedar fence picket scraps. Select two of the 6” pieces. Lay one on top of the other and align the edges. Attach the two pieces with nails. Repeat with the two remaining 6″ pieces.
Place Tier 3 on your work surface. Find and mark the center on the inside face of the Trapezoid End Piece. Align the double-layered support with the center mark of the Trapezoid End Piece. On the outside face of the Trapezoid End Piece, drill 4 pilot holes and then screw the parts together. Repeat on the other Trapezoid End Piece.
To insert the screw eye on the inside face, measure and mark about 1” down from the top edge at the center of the Trapezoid End Piece. Drill pilot hole with 3/16” bit. Screw in screw eye. Repeat at other end with the second screw eye. It should look like this.

Step 7 Setup the Planter After the 6 tiers are constructed, it’s time to setup the Strawberry Tower Planter in your garden. It can be set directly on the ground or on a built-up bed. I chose to place mine on a raised bed which I’d built from concrete blocks. In either case, prepare the foundation appropriately and ensure the surface is level.

Put Tier 1, the largest one, in place and fill with soil. There’s no shortage of online advice about what type of soil is best for raised beds. I chose to use amended soil, called “Morgan Mix”, which we purchase from our local garden center in bulk (Thank you Morgan Outdoors!). It’s the same soil we used last year to get the strawberries established and we’re very pleased with the results. After filling your first tier, place the second tier on top centering it carefully. Fill Tier 2 with soil.

Place Tier 3, the one with the screw eyes, on top of Tier 2 and center it carefully. Partially fill this tier with soil. Insert the 4’ pieces of rebar through the screw eyes.

Use a sledge hammer (or heavy hammer of your choice) to pound the rebar into the ground. Finish adding soil to Tier 3. Then add and fill the other three tiers.

Step 8 Plant Strawberries Now, it’s time to plant your strawberries! Start at the top and carefully set strawberry plants into the soil. Be sure to plant on all four sides of each tier. Take care to plant your strawberries at the correct depth—see More Info for a suggested online reference on this point.

And there you have it! An attractive new structure in your garden…

… ready to house and nurture your very own strawberry crop!

More Info

You can download the Strawberry Tower Planter – Complimentary Download to print the templates.
Please share this image or pin for future reference.

To get specifics on how to plant your strawberries or to learn more about growing strawberries, check out the Bonnie Plants > Growing Strawberries resource. Our strawberry plants, including a Quinalt, Allstar and Ozark Beauty variety, are all from Bonnie Plants.
Check out the Kingsbrae Garden website to learn more about these beautiful gardens in St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, Canada.
If you’re located near Madison, Georgia, USA you may want to check out Morgan Outdoors. We’ve been very pleased with their products and service.
You may also like these FanningSparks’ DIY projects for your garden and yard:
. Pyramid Trellis
. Bluebird-Approved Birdhouse
. AirBee-n-Bee House
. Zinnias Rock! And More Cutting Garden Tips.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Botanical and display gardens are a great source of inspiration.
2. A Strawberry Tower Planter can be made with inexpensive materials, common tools and basic woodworking skills.
3. Consider making a Strawberry Tower Planter for your own garden.

How Tos Make

From Idea to I Made It! In 10 Steps

It may seem counterintuitive to suggest that creative endeavors follow a formula. But, it seems to me, they actually do. Creating handmade works of art typically involves a series of steps. The steps follow a logical sequence but are rarely executed in rigid, exact order. The creative process is a twisty, winding road. That’s the beauty of creating—you’re dreaming, mulling, experimenting, considering, refining, learning, discovering and a hundred other activities that are circular and fluid.
Today, I’d like to share my take on the steps to create something uniquely handmade. Here are FanningSparks’ 10 steps From Idea to I Made It!

Before I dive in, however, I’d like to point out that you don’t necessarily have to complete all the steps yourself. Many of the DIY tutorials available online, including those I share here on this blog, jumpstart the process by doing some of the upfront steps for you. And there’s nothing wrong with that—in fact, I encourage you to take advantage of these resources because the more you make, the more you can make! The more you experience for yourself, the more you can imagine, create and make on your own. At least, that’s been my experience.
STEP 1 – Ideate
It all starts with an idea. Inspiration can come from anywhere. There are countless sources online. But real life inspiration is richer and deeper. Nature is widely recognized as the ultimate source of inspiration. Travelling and visiting unfamiliar destinations is another rich source of inspiration. Scouting for ideas in museums, art galleries and design shops is one of my favorite activities.
Recording all these creative possibilities is the trick to being able to draw upon them later. Gather samples, take photos, jot notes, save references and create pins to help you remember all these lovely ideas. When it comes to original works of art, please respect the work of others and view it to inspire not replicate.
Organize your ideas for future reference. This could be via online photo albums, folders, Pinterest boards, or saved favorites. It could be a real life bulletin board or display. Don’t forget about the projects you have in flight or have already completed. The goal is to surround yourself with inspiration. This is a peek at the inspirational items I have displayed in a corner of my studio.

With inspiration in your line of sight and at your fingertips, give yourself time to mull over the possibilities. Let your imagination roam. Pick out favorites. Match ideas to needs, functions, events and interests. Give your ideas time to percolate.
STEP 2 – Envision
As you start to narrow down the options and zero in on a specific direction, flesh out the concept. Imagine the possibilities. Consider the materials that could be used. Think about the techniques that could be applied. Create sketches, build models, mockup samples and take photos. Play with physical materials and/or experiment digitally. Conduct research. Go back to your inspiration resources. Add depth and enrich your vision. This is definitely an iterative step. Enjoy the experience of imagining and reimagining how this creative endeavor could unfold.
The below photo shows the envisioning stage of a mandala-inspired oval mirror frame I designed and made in mosaic glass. You can see the results in the post My Mandala-Inspired Oval Design.

STEP 3 – Design
At some point, your concept will become more concrete and it’s time to design the desired outcome. The level of design detail can vary greatly. Someone experienced with the targeted materials and techniques might proceed with only a rough sketch in their head. While someone with less experience might prepare a life-size mockup. Either way, give yourself time to experiment and play with options.
It’s not unusual to go back to the Ideate or Envision Steps. As ideas mature, they may need to be reworked or reconsidered. Feel free to bounce around between steps.
I like to gather together inspiration items, photos, sample materials and color options to inform and inspire my design. I was working on the design for a Diamonds and Beads Wooden Wreath in the photo below.

STEP 4 – Plan
The next step is to plan how you will achieve the desired outcome. What materials and supplies will you use? Will you need wood, paper, fabric, yarn, glass, paint, dye, etc? In what format and type? In what color(s)? In what size and quantity?
What equipment or tools will you use? What steps and actions will be needed to execute your design? It’s not necessary to build a detailed workplan with task dependencies but it’s helpful to define enough detail to support the next steps.
Some research may be needed at this stage to determine what’s even possible. There’s no point in planning an elaborate set of hand-thrown clay dinnerware without figuring out how to get access to a pottery kiln. Nor would you want to plan an outdoor structure with materials that can’t withstand the weather. Research might also reveal some new materials or techniques that you could leverage.
Once again, the process is not linear and you could find yourself going back to the previous steps or jumping ahead to subsequent steps from here. For instance, checking the materials you already have on hand might influence the plan. This was my experience when I was planning a Pair of Mosaic Mirrors for our master bathroom.

STEP 5 – Source
Using the details compiled during the previous Plan Step, find, gather, borrow, order, buy and/or rent what you need to complete the project. You may want to start by shopping at home. Do you have anything already available that can be used? Do you have anything that can be reused or repurposed? Could you adjust your design and/or plan to incorporate materials you already have on hand? You might also consider sourcing materials from thrift stores or vintage shops.
One of my favorite projects started with an old entertainment center I sourced from a thrift store. I was able to repurpose it into the Ultimate Maker’s Cabinet.

Don’t forget to source equipment and tools as well as supplies and materials. Ensure you have the appropriate type and size of accessories such as sewing needles, paint brushes, modelling tools, glass cutters, drill bits, saw blades, sandpaper, and so on.
If you decide to purchase in person or order online, take time to research your options. You may discover specialty suppliers or new products along the way.
The below photo shows the supplies and materials needed to create a Personalized Fabric-Covered Journal.

STEP 6 – Setup
Take a little time to plan for and setup your work environment. Do you need to protect surfaces with drop cloths? Do you need additional task lighting? Do you need a large flat surface to work on? Do you need to plug in and set up equipment? Do you need ventilation and fresh air? It’s impossible to outline all the various working environments that might be needed. But some things will be common to all—safety and comfort. Please be sure to take appropriate safety precautions such as wearing safety glasses, hearing protection, respiratory masks, gloves and so on. You’ll also want to ensure your working surface is at a convenient height and any seating is comfortable.
Another factor to consider is how long you’ll need the setup. Is it a one-time activity? Will the working area be temporary? Or will the activity stretch over time requiring the working area for an extended period of time? In the below photo, I setup a temporary area in my kitchen to Experiment with Fabric Dyes.

STEP 7 – Prepare Components
After you’ve finalized your design, mapped out your plan, gathered your materials, supplies, equipment and tools, and setup your work area, it’s finally time to actually start making. Hurray!
Often the first step is to prepare the parts needed for the project. This will likely involve measuring and marking your materials. It may involve cutting. It may involve tracing patterns or designs. It could be dyeing materials. Or it could even be pressing flowers to be used later. There are an endless number of ways this step could play out. I’m cutting diamond shapes from stained glass in preparation for making Turkish Mosaic Candle Holders in the photo below.

STEP 8 – Assemble
In this step, you start to pull components together. Sometimes, there’s experimentation involved as you seek the most pleasing arrangement or you make final selections for embellishments. The 3 steps—Prepare Components, Assemble and Construct—are closely related. It’s not unusual to bounce back and forth between the steps, skip a step, or to iterate through the steps multiple times.
In the below photo, I’m assembling pressed flowers into a pleasing arrangement for my Pressed Flower Girls Wall Art.

STEP 9 – Construct
At this stage the arranged components become permanent. A variety of techniques can be used to construct or build the final product. Fabric can be sewn. Yarn can be knit. Wood can be nailed. Clay can be molded. Mosaic tiles can be glued. And so on.
It’s a good idea to “dry fit” some projects meaning fit all the pieces together to check for fit before attaching permanently. I’m dry fitting my Bluebird-Approved Birdhouse in the photo below.

If something doesn’t fit or isn’t as expected, it may be necessary to go back to the previous steps to adjust the components or modify the assembly. It’s also possible to go all the way back to the Envision or Design steps at this stage—remember the creative process is a twisty, winding road!
STEP 10 – Finish
After your work of art is constructed, it’s time for finishing touches. This could involve sanding and smoothing. It could involve grouting. It could involve painting. It could involve sealing or protecting the work. It could involve glazing and final firing. It could involve adding final embellishments such as beads and accents. It could involve pressing. Regardless of the materials or techniques, it’s important to take your time with finishing. Attention to detail at this stage can make the difference between handmade and homemade!
Finishing could also involve installing your work of art. For instance, hanging art on the wall or mounting a birdhouse. It could be wrapping your work of art to give as a gift. Or it could be putting it into service as I did below with my new Kindred Spirits Tote Bag.

I Made It!
This brings us to the final stage in the process—enjoying the fruits of your labor! Hopefully, you’re pleased and satisfied with the results, you’ve learned something new and, most importantly, you’ve enjoyed the creative process itself. I trust the 10 steps I’ve outlined will give you the confidence to take on more and different creative endeavors. Enjoy the wonder of creating and the art of making!

More Info

Please pin this image to share or save for future reference.

For a variety of ideas and inspiration, check out the DIY Tutorials and How To posts available here on the FanningSparks’ blog or the inspiration boards on the FanningSparks’ Pinterest site.

Today’s Takeaways

1. The creative process is a twisty, winding road.
2. The more you make, the more you can make.
3. Consider following today’s 10 steps From Idea to I Made It! for your next creative endeavor.

Gardening Make Nature Photos Wildlife

The Color Yellow

Today’s post is brought to you by the color yellow. Yellow has a reputation for cheerfulness and optimism—so it’s the perfect time of year to honor this upbeat color. Yellow is everywhere—yellow forsythia, yellow daffodils, yellow tulips… Yay! Spring has arrived!

Yellow made a fine showing at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia when I visited recently.

Swathes of daffodils take me back to the unforgettable flower fields in Lisse Netherlands.

The yellow fields of brilliant rapeseed in the Germany countryside are also unforgettable.

Closer to home, the fields of yellow rocket around the John C Campbell Folk School in Brasstown North Carolina are breathtaking.

It’s tempting to categorize yellow as a spring color but this cheerful color appears year-round. Daylilies, roses, sunflowers, and irises, for instance, showcase the many colors of yellow in the summer.
In the fall, yellow joins red to mark the turn of the season as the leaves turn.
But yellow isn’t only for flowers and plants. Mother Nature also uses yellow, although sparingly, on wildlife. Here are two examples of beautiful yellow birds—the American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) and the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea).

And here are two examples of gorgeous yellow butterflies—the Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) and the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus).

Yellow, along with red and blue, are the foundation of the traditional color wheel—add red and you have orange—add blue and you have green. It’s a powerful color with a world of possibilities.
Speaking of color wheels, have you heard of the Martian Colour Wheel? It’s an alternative to the traditional color wheel. It has a lot more colors—120 to be exact. Its foundation is 24 evenly spaced and fully adjusted hues. This color wheel, as Warren Mars its creator explains, “keeps the full brightness of all the hue exemplars in order to match the richness of colour available on our RGB screens. There are also 2 dark shades for each hue and two light tints. The result is 120 colours that cover most the gamut available on a computer screen and most colours that you can see in the real world. … The Martian Colour Wheel also NAMES every colour with a simple, recognisable, real world example!”
Here’s the yellow section from both color wheels.
A post about a specific color would not be complete without addressing the meaning of that color. According to Jacob Olesen, a world-renowned color expert who authors the website Color Meanings, “Colors play an exceptionally prominent role in our lives. They influence our thinking, inspire our decision-making, and impact our moods.” He describes yellow as “the color of happiness and optimism. Yellow is a cheerful and energetic color that brings fun and joy to the world. It makes learning easier as it affects the logical part of the brain, stimulating mentality and perception. It inspires thought and curiosity and boosts enthusiasm and confidence.”
The below vibrant yellow building, which I spotted in a popular area of Aveiro Portugal, is certainly cheerful and energetic. And judging from the number of people I saw posing for selfies in front of it, it definitely brings fun and joy to the world!

My relationship with the color yellow isn’t nearly that dramatic. I did opt to paint the walls of our previous kitchen yellow. It was bright and cheerful but, in hindsight, the yellow may have been a little too saturated.
Nowadays, I use yellow a little more carefully. Yellow, along with magenta and moss green, are the foundation of my outdoor décor. Here’s the color scheme on our curvy café chairs.
The color scheme is repeated in the pyramid trellises I made for our flower garden. There are, by the way, step-by-step instructions to make these tuteurs here on the blog at DIY Pyramid Trellis Tutorial.

I also like to use yellow in my photography—especially as an accent color to call attention to DIY projects and photo props.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this deep dive into the color yellow. It was such fun putting this post together that it may become a recurring theme.

More Info

Enjoy more springtime stories and photos in the posts:
. Charleston’s Glorious Window Boxes
. Spring Into a Garden Tour
. A Virtual Visit to Lisse
. Virtual Hanami Around Aizu
. A Virtual Stroll in Ticehurst
You may also enjoy the post Following the Yellow Arrows which features my adventure walking the Camino in Portugal.
More information about the traditional color wheel is available on The Color Wheel Company website.
Learn about the Martian Colour Wheel on the Warren Mars website.
Check out Jacob Olesen’s website Color Meanings for more insights into the power and symbolism of color.

Today’s Takeaways

1. “Colors play an exceptionally prominent role in our lives. They influence our thinking, inspire our decision-making, and impact our moods.” Jacob Olesen
2. Try focusing on a specific color and notice how it seems to appear everywhere.
3. Consider a color-themed photography challenge by taking photos of a variety of subjects in the selected color.

Fiber How Tos Make Other Media

Experimenting with Fabric Dye

Have you ever found yourself looking for fabric, felt, yarn, string or wood beads in a very specific color? I recently took on a project that required all of those materials in 3 different colors. Knowing it would be near impossible to purchase all the finished materials in the desired colors, I decided to try dyeing my own. I selected Rit All-Purpose Dyes for the challenge. These dyes have been trending on DIY blogs and Instagram with impressive results. So the great dyeing experiment began!
I’ve had a little experience with natural dyes (see More Info below) so the technique was familiar. The generous guidance provided on the Rit website gave me the confidence to proceed. I started by looking for the desired colors. It is, of course, very difficult to match colors online. But I got a good start by using online samples of my target colors and comparing them to the Rit color recipe samples.

Choosing the dye colors is only one factor to consider. I learned there are several major variables that can impact the final outcome including: the amount of dye used, the length of time in the dyebath and the type of fabric/materials being dyed. There are also minor variables such as water temperature, adding salt and original color of materials. To get a feel for how each major variable would impact my results, I started by dyeing some swatches to set a baseline.

Concentration of Dye Bath
A dyebath is created by mixing dye into hot water (ie 140⁰F). The ratio of dye to water is an important consideration. According to the directions on the Rit liquid dye package: “For every pound of dry fabric (i.e. 2 adult large t-shirts), use ½ bottle (4 ozs.) of dye with 3 gallons of the hottest water safe for fabric.” So the recommended ratio is 4 oz dye:3 gallons water. Since I only needed to dye swatches, I decided to start with a smaller dyebath and a lighter concentration of dye. I used 100% cotton cheesecloth for my first batch of swatches. For the base colors which are used directly from the bottle, I used 1 Tablespoon dye:12 cups water. This is about half the recommended concentration. Then I dusted off my math skills to convert the color formulas for the mixed colors. I jotted down my scaled down recipes and set up the laboratory!
It’s a good idea to test your dyebath with a folded piece of paper towel before immersing your fabric/materials. This provides an opportunity to check that the color is as expected and to adjust if necessary.

Another step that worked well for me was to prepare labels in advance. I simply printed the names of the various colors to be tested on strips of paper. Then I used clothespins to clip the labels to the swatches. This helped me keep track of which color was which as the swatches moved from the dyebaths to the drying rack to the finished pile.

Duration in Dye Bath
When it comes to timing, Rit indicates “Item can remain in dyebath from 10 minutes up to one hour.” I was careful to treat all my swatches in the same way so I could compare the different colors. After putting the swatch in the dyebath, I stirred constantly for 10 minutes and then stirred occasionally for another 20 minutes. Then I removed the swatch and rinsed it in cold water. Here’s how they turned out.

Later I played around with an ombré effect to see how the length of time in the dyebath would impact the results. It’s quite easy to get pretty ombré results—just dip the item into the dyebath, bottom first, and lift it out gradually. The colors at the bottoms of the tassels, shown below, are darker because they were in the dyebath longer.

Type of Materials Being Dyed
I had a lot of fun dyeing different materials. I tried cotton fabric, wool felt, wool/rayon felt blend, polyester felt, wool yarn, cotton tape, cotton string, crochet cotton, lace, driftwood, wooden beads, birch bark and basket reed.

I even tried handmade paper. The trick with dyeing paper is to work fast. It worked best when I just dipped the paper into the dyebath and then laid it flat to dry. Here’s how the dyed paper turned out.

It’s amazing how much the final color can vary between materials. All of the below items were dyed in the same Cockatoo dyebath for the same duration. The color of the cotton materials is noticeably more saturated than the color of the wool materials. But there’s also significant variation between cotton materials such as the cheesecloth and the cotton fabric. The white section at top left, a piece of what turned out to be polyester felt, didn’t accept the dye at all. A different product, Rit DyeMore for Synthetics, should be used for fabrics made of synthetic fibers such as polyester, acrylic, and acetate.

One lesson I learned the hard way is to properly prepare yarn, cord or string for dyeing.
♦TIP: Secure strands of fiber with figure 8 ties before putting it in the dyebath. This prevents the strands from getting knotted into a tangled mess.

The Rit instructions state “Wet the fabric, squeeze out any excess water and add it to the dyebath.” Hard materials such as driftwood, wooden beads and basket reed require a slightly different approach.
♦ TIP: Pre-soak natural materials, such as driftwood, wooden beads and basket reed, in water. Immerse the items in the dyebath and stir for 10 minutes pushing down any that float to the top. After 10 minutes, I covered the items with a piece of scrap material to keep them submerged in the dyebath.

After studying my swatches, I determined that 2 of the colors I tried, Aquamarine and Spectrum Blue, provided a good match with my target colors. Aquamarine is a Rit base color and Spectrum Blue is made with a Rit formula. None of the greens I tried, however, matched the light spring green I had in mind.

After a few more tests I created a formula that worked. I call it My Spring Glow.

So here’s the winning combination shown with the dye recipes, concentration and duration.

Here’s how the dyed materials looked in the final project. Regular readers may recognize this elaborate flatlay from my last post FanningSparks Turns 3!

More Info

You can learn more about Rit dyes on their website.
You may be interested in these two posts which discuss natural dyes: Natural Dye Making and Sheep to Shawl.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Dyeing your own fabric, or other materials, allows you to create any color you can imagine.
2. There are several variables that impact the dyeing process including the amount of dye used, the length of time in the dyebath and the type of fabric/materials being dyed.
3. Be prepared to experiment when doing your own dyeing.

Weaving Lavender

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

From One to Many: Propagating Flowering Shrubs

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

Strawberry Tower Planter – DIY Tutorial

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

From Idea to I Made It! In 10 Steps

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

The Color Yellow

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

Experimenting with Fabric Dye

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

FanningSparks Appliqued Scoodie

Stepback into a Local Hidden Gem

Make & Give Roundup 2024

Historic Carousels: Works of Art in Motion

One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four

What’s in a Name?