Hanging Garden

Introduction

Summer provides us with such bounty! Fruits and vegetables, but also colorful and fragrant flowers to cut and enjoy inside or outside. This project will provide you with a fun new way to display your favorite cut flowers, showing them off to excellent effect in small hanging “vases” of contrasting colors.

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What You Need:

• Cone shaped water cooler cups.
• Acrylic paints in bright colors
• A piece of fine polyester knit interfacing, do not use fusible, it should be thin enough to see through.
• Paintbrushes, water, palette or jar lids to mix colors, and paper towels for working with the paints
• Hole puncher.
• Decorative string or twine.
• Scissors to cut the twine.
• A colorful tall bottle
• A strong branching stick where the cups will hang.

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What To Do:

1. Paint the outside of the cups in various colors. Feel free to add patterns or drawings after waiting for the primary coat to dry. You can also add decorations such as stickers to the outer surface of the cups.
2. Wait for the cups to dry (about an hour) and then punch two holes near the top across from each other.
3. Thread the string or twine through the holes and tie securely leaving a loop long enough for the cup to hang about 6 inches from the branch.
4. Place the branch in the bottle and make sure it is steady and will not tip over. You may need to try various branches before you find the right one.
5. Fill the cups one by one with water and hang them on the branch at various locations.
6. Add cut flowers and enjoy!