Valentine Flower Pots

After Christmas, January arrives and in Utah, it's often grey, cloudy and snowy, so we thought (my 6 year old and I) that we'd invite February in a little sooner to add a little cheer. February is full of birthdays in our home and Valentine's Day and who doesn't love the color pink? I don't know how this idea came about except for I wanted something cheery and felt a bit crafty. So while I used some flower pots from Christmas sales (red and black), I also used flower pots painted pink. Use whatever you choose. I was on a quest to have a craft project for my daughter and nieces but it turned into a "Just for Fun" project that I gave to some of my neighbor friends as well. It's just cheery and you could modify it to how you'd like.

Items needed:
1- 6" flower pot (mine were Christmas w/ red and black, or choose red, pink, white, etc.) ($2-$6 depending on pot used)
2- Ribbon-I used a solid red (to cover the black to red seam—not necessary w/ a solid color pot) and a pink/orange/red ribbon (used over the solid red and tied in a knot at the front of the pot) ($3 at JoAnn's)
3- Floral foam
4- Bunch of gerbera daisies (6 per pot) ($1-$2 dollars a bunch for 6)
5- Fountain grass (mine were from the $1 Store)
6- White paint (for polka dots)
7- Sparkly hearts on sticks ($1 Store)
8- Sparkly heart chip boards (4.99 on sale for 2.79 at Roberts)
9- Wire for beads ($2 at JoAnn's)
10- Beads (red, pink, orange to coordinate w/ ribbon, larger aurora/clear beads-.59 at Robert's)
11- Small rhinestone crystals (I got mine at JoAnn's fabrics for about $3 or at Robert's Crafts)

Very easy project (my 6 year old helped while I did the hot glue gun) but fun and cheery!
1. First I painted white polka dots on the top 1" of the pot and let those dry. (I used the Spouncers – foam circle shapes- found at Walmart.
2. I then hot glued the solid red ribbon (optional if you have a color seam and want it to be hidden under chiffon ribbon) overlapping about ¼ inch of the black to the red w/ the seam of the ribbon at the back of the pot.
3. I then put the striped wire chiffon ribbon at the seam of the red in the back of the pot, hot glued it in a few spots so it would stay in place, and tied it in a knot at the front center of the pot.
4. Next we hot glued rhinestones randomly near the white paint polka dots and overlapping the ribbon.
5. We put foam in the pot and put the green fountain grass in the center so it cascades up and out.
6. I then put the gerbera daisies in starting with one in the front center, alternating colors to the sides and worked my way to the back (6 total). I put them low so they rested on the pot and covered the foam.
7. I put 3 glittery hearts on stakes in the center of the fountain grass alternating in heights. I was going to make them but saw these at the $1 Store and they were perfect.
8. I strung beads on wire and randomly curled the wire around the paint brush stick (pencil width) adding beads as I went. Four total pairs (sequence: small colored bead, larger ¼" size aurora crystal, then same tiny colored bead). I put the wire through the knot of the ribbon and back down so the wire hung with the beads. At the end of the wire, I wrapped it around a glittery, heart chipboard (found at Robert's Crafts) and ended with a crystal bead. I also glued a heart on the pot above the knot in the ribbon.
9. For my neighbors, I put a tag inside that coordinated and said "Just for Fun".
10. Final flower pot stands about 15 inches high.

I spent about $6-8 per flower pot but these could easily be made smaller (less $) for VT's or friends.

**submitted by Nikki Norris -- ( nicole.norris@gmail.com)