Chalkboard Planters with Folkart Stencils and Paint

Spring is just around the corner and if you’re like me, you’re getting the itch to start planning and planting your garden! Depending on where you live, it might be a little bit too early to plant anything in the ground so why not get a head start on your garden with these lovely Chalkboard Planters made with FolkArt stencils!

Materials:

- FolkArt Stencil (Bird)

- FolkArt Paint (Seashell Pink, Buttercream, Apple Orchard)

- FolkArt Chalkboard Paint

- FolkArt Medium Spouncer

- Sponge Brush

- Terra Cotta Pots

- White Spray Paint

- Mod Podge Sealant (Gloss)

- Spray Adhesive

- Chalk

1. Gather supplies. Pre-treat each pot with a light coat of white spray paint. Allow to dry completely.

2. Using light and even strokes, apply the first layer of acrylic paint. Allow each coat to dry completely before applying additional layers. I had to use three coats before I was happy with the coverage.

3. After pots have dried completely, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge sealant.

4. Trim the top of the stencil so that it will wrap around the pot nice and flat.

5. Apply spray adhesive to the back of the stencil (allow to dry slightly for a temporary hold). Stick in place.

6. Using the spouncer, dab a thin layer of the chalkboard paint over the stencil. Resist the temptation to apply too much paint at once! It’ll soak under the stencil and make the image look messy. Wait until the paint has dried completely before applying the second coat. Carefully remove stencil.

7. Repeat steps 1-6 with any additional pots.

8. Once the paint has dried, condition the chalkboard paint by rubbing chalk all over the design. Clean off the chalk and you’re ready to go!

Now you’ll never forget what seeds you planted because you’ll have your handy chalkboard label to remind you. Happy planting!

Tufts of wool on Silk Clay

Sheep modeled in silk clay. The wool is glued on with a glue gun.

1. Make body parts for the sheep in silk clay and put them together.

2. Make a ball. Cut “toes” with a pair of scissors and attach the hooves.

3. Cut a suitable piece of wool and glue it on with a glue gun.

A Black Scarf with colourful Felt Stripes

This black cotton gauze scarf is decorated with long wads of merino wool in different colours which have been placed in width from one side to the other. Then the scarf and the wool is moistened with water, rolled together and felted in the tumble dryer.

1. Cut a piece of lining fabric approx. 20cm larger on all four sides than the cotton gauze scarf and place the scarf on top of the lining fabric. Cut pieces of merino wool the same width as the width of the cotton gauze scarf. Divide each piece nto three or four lengths and place them on top of the the scarf.

2. Place a wet, rolled-up towel at the end of the cotton gauze scarf onto the 20 cm of the lining fabric that sticks out. Moisten the wool with a sprinkler bottle containing warm water.

3. Sprinkle the lining fabric, the cotton gauze scarf and the wads of merino wool with water and roll the whole thing around the wet rolled-up towel in that order as you progress.

4. When all is rolled around the towel, tie pieces of elastic cord around both ends and add another two or three pieces to hold the roll together.

5. Now place the wet roll in the tumble dryer on a normal drying setting for approx. 30 minutes. This process makes the wool felt together – and onto the cotton gauze scarf.

6. Unfold the roll and pull the decorated scarf off the lining fabric. If the wool is not felted onto the scarf, repeat the process of moistening with water, roll togehter and tye together with pieces of elastic cord before putting the whole ensemble back into the tumble dryer.

7. Fill a tub with warm water and dissolve some soap flakes in the water. Rinse the scarf and squeeze the water out.

8. Hit the rolled-up scarf onto the table to get the wool to felt securely onto the scarf and to make the shrinking of the wool just right. Then rinse in three lots of cold water and add a bit of vinegar in the final rinse water to ensure that all the soap is rinsed out. Lay the scarf flat to dry. You may place it on top of a dry towel.