Hello Everyone! My name is Shavonne, and you can find me anywhere on social media under the name Once Upon a Bungalow. Plant Project Canada has graciously asked me back to give you some tips on creating outdoor holiday arrangements. Now, I’ll be honest with you, this was my first time making an outdoor arrangement. I’m not claiming to be an expert. I am, however, going to show you everything I learned, along with the materials I used to make these as quirky and unique as possible – a common theme in our bungalow. Be sure to check out this holiday outdoor arrangement reel on Instagram, Facebook, or Tiktok!

Alright, let’s go!

First things first: If you don’t know how to do something, ask someone who does! That’s precisely how I started this project, asking our local expert so that I could give you the best “how-to” article possible. I’d love to give a HUGE shout-out to Jacqueline Williams of Just a Girl in her Garden, a local greenhouse and flower shop. She took the time out of her busy holiday schedule to give me a course on how to create a long-lasting and gorgeous arrangement for our cold Saskatchewan winters. Check out Just a Girl in Her Garden’s webpage here. 

step 1.

Select you greens: I used three main foliage types for the arrangements (photographed above in order): Pine, Cedar, and Fir. Using different kinds of foliage gives the arrangement different colours, textures, and dimensions. I purchased an equal amount of each of these varieties, and I recommend you source your foliage from your local greenhouse to ensure the quality of the product. If you already have a garden full of these greens, you can also just cut off your own!

For accents, I used Oregonia, birch poles, and Ilex berries. These are more of an investment; however, you only need a few of them, and they add so much flair and personality to your arrangement. Later in this article, I’ll also show you the curly willow that is incorporated into the final design.

step 2.

Select you soil, pot, and decide on a layout: There are many options that can be used as a basis for the arrangement. Some prefer sand, and some prefer floral foam; however, in the harsh Saskatchewan climate that fluctuates regularly and sees extremely cold temperatures, our local garden expert, Jacqueline, recommended starting with the soil. I chose to use Miracle-Gro Potting Mix, which is ideal for outdoor and indoor containers. This will also help us prevent the branches from rotting and ensure we have a long-lasting holiday arrangement. This potting mix facilitates soil aeration that ensures oxygen reaches the plant branches, which is an essential factor in promoting overall arrangement health.

Your pot selection depends on the size of your arrangement and whether or not you would like to use a liner in your main pot. These three arrangements were going to be featured in our outdoor privacy wall planter, so I knew just the pot liner would work well for this project. You can also choose to build your arrangement directly into your main pot; a liner is unnecessary.

Deciding on your arrangement layout depends on how you want people to view it. Where is your arrangement going? Will it be seen by all the sides? Or will it only be seen from the front? Asking yourself these questions will determine how you build your design. For my vintage holiday arrangements, I knew there would be a backside that would rest against the privacy wall in our backyard. Instead of a “mound” style that is beautiful from all angles, I went for a forward-facing arrangement that will be primarily viewed from the front. Knowing my design direction, the back of my arrangement didn’t have to look good, and I could create height at the back of the pot instead of the middle. Tip: Explore Pinterest for inspiration before beginning.

step 3.

Start with the poles: Start with your birch poles. I used three as I like an odd number, but you can use as many as you like! This creates a central focus for your arrangement, and you can start building the rest from there. Stagger the poles to create different heights and vary the angles at which they are added to the pot. Remember, if you are building a mound arrangement (an arrangement that will be viewed from all angles), you will want to place these in the center. However, these were placed more toward the back because I am building a forward-facing arrangement.

step 4.

Add the greens: One of the biggest things I learned from my class at Just a Girl in Her Garden was to make sure that you take off the lower branches, needles, and leaves from the base of your foliage to ensure that the plant does not rot within the soil. Before placing it in the pot, ensure the bottom 3-4 inches are clear of all needles, leaves, and branches. Some you can remove with your hands, and others can use either tin snips, floral sheers, diagonal cutters, or needle nose clippers.

step 5.

Add the accents: Take into consideration what you want in the center of your arrangement. I knew that I wanted the vintage Santa, reindeer, and snowman as my focal point, so I included parts of the shorter greenery facing downwards in the front to create a resting spot for these elements. After putting all the fir, pine, and cedar in place, I added some curly willow, glitter branches and pine cones. To attach your accent items and focal point items, use floral wire and wrap the wire around the item you would like to secure, and then anchor the wire to a birch pole, or another strong point of your foliage. This keeps everything secure and in place.

step 6.

Add the lighting: Next, I added the Ilex berries, jumbo-size Christmas lights and fairy lights. The lights do make all the difference! These fairy lights were battery operated, but I recommend getting plug-in lighting or solar lighting that you can set to come on when it gets dark out at night – it’s just less hassle.

step 7.

Water your arrangement: After completing all these steps, ensure you water your arrangement well; however, do not overwater. If you accidentally put too much water in the soil (like I did), drain it out before putting it outside to freeze. If you fail to do this and have too much water in the pot, the plastic can burst open with the expansion of the frozen water! Remember, if temperatures go above zero, you must water these arrangements often! They do drink quite a bit. If temperatures stay below zero, they should remain lovely, lush, and green, and you won’t have to worry about watering.

ta-da! you’re done!

Honestly, I was pretty worried about messing up before I started making these! As it would turn out, you really can’t mess up! Have fun with it, get creative and add finishing touches that make your arrangement represent what makes you happy and brings you joy. I went for an over-the-top, vintage, quirky Christmas, and I’m so glad I did. I hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial! Happy Holidays from my family to yours! – Shavonne

Follow Shavonne on Instagram and TikTok

#happycreating!

We have some spook-tacular Halloween crafts that are sure to haunt your home with fun and festivity! Whether you’re aiming to add a ghostly charm to your indoor plants with a Ghost Vase or a chilling ambiance to your front porch with Creepy Planters, each project is a blend of creativity and delight. Perfect for all ages, these crafts invite you to embrace the playful spirit of Halloween. So, gather your supplies, summon your imagination, and let the Halloween crafting commence! 

Directions 

1. Cut your hanging yarn to the length you want your ghostly garland to be. 
2. Flatten your toilet paper roll 
3. Choose a yarn colour and wrap it around the roll about 30 times or until desired thickness. 
4. Tie the top of your yarn using the same colour and cut the yarn at the bottom where the toilet paper roll ends. 
5. Place your yarn pieces on the yarn used for the garland so where you tied it together is sitting on the garland yarn. Fold the top section of yarn over garland yarn. Using another piece of yarn (Same color as your ‘ghost’) wrap around the ghost and tie to create the head. 
6. Repeat the process until you’ve got a full ghostly gang! 
7. Cut out eye shapes from your felt (pro tip: use a hole punch for quick circles). Glue the eyes to your ghosts. We only added eyes to the white ones—let the others be mysterious Halloween pom-poms. 
8. Hang your spooky creation and enjoy! 

#happycreating!

Looking for a fun and sustainable way to store your freshly grown fruits and veggies? Use our DIY easy macramé produce net!

Not only will you end up with a chic, eco-friendly storage solution, but you’ll also get the satisfaction of creating something beautiful. Perfect for beginners and craft enthusiasts alike, this project promises to add a touch of handmade charm to your kitchen or pantry.

step 1

Cut macrame yarn into 8 pieces measuring about 120” long. You can tape the ends of the yarn to avoid the yarn from fraying.  

step 4

After the rows of Square Knots reach the bottom of the water bottle, un-tape the handle and gently pull the bag up. Re-tape and continue making more Square Knots. Do this until you reach your desired length of the bag.

step 5

When finished weaving the body, make a Wrapping Knot. Trim the tassel to your desired length and fray. Start filling your produce bag with veggies or fruit of your choosing!  

#happycreating!

These delightful DIY flower-shaped seed bombs are an ideal gift for Mother’s Day.

Show your appreciation for MOM by using your imagination and customize with your favourite shapes or colours! 

step 2.

Submerge the shredded paper in water in a bowl. Allow it to soak for up to 20 minutes.  

step 3.

After soaking, remove the paper from the water and transfer it into the blender. Blend it until you achieve a fine, wet pulp consistency.  

step 4.

Squeeze out any extra moisture from the paper so it’s not dripping wet.  

step 6.

Delicately sprinkle the seeds on the paper, then cover them with another layer, filling the mould to the brim.  

step 7.

Patience is a virtue as you wait for the seed bombs to dry in the mould. This will take approximately 2 to 3 days.  

step 8

Once fully dry, remove your seed bombs from the mould with care.  

Voilà! Now you have a handful of flower-shaped seed bombs, ready to sprout into life or as a heartwarming present for Mom. The perfect gift, with love and growth wrapped into one.  

Share your seed bombs using #PlantProject or tag us @plantprojectcanada and join our community. 

#happycreating!

Whether you’re new to the world of hoyas or a hardcore hoya collector, getting these gorgeous plants to bloom can be such a rewarding experience.

Hoya blooms only last a few weeks, which makes it feel extra special when it does happen. If you’re having a hard time making those cute little star-shaped flowers appear, these tips will help set you up for success.

make sure your hoya gets lots of light – like, LOTS of light.

Not only are hoyas hardy plants, but hoyas are also tropicals, so they thrive in bright light. My hoyas that flower most frequently get a few hours of direct sunlight each day, and bright indirect light the rest of the day. In my experience it’s hard to give these plants too much light – if exposed to 6+ hours of direct light a day, they may even start to show the pretty patterns typical of a sun-stressed plant.

#easypeasy

This plant’s been in the same soil since I got it years ago and is due for a repot. Although it hasn’t outgrown its pot, the soil is extremely dry and no longer retains the moisture the plant needs. So here’s how to repot a plant while changing out most of its soil!

here’s what you need to get started:

• your plant
• a nursery pot
• a quality potting mix (this ficus elastica is a tropical plant, so I’m using Miracle-Gro Tropical Potting Mix)
• a potting mat or tarp (optional)
• a shovel or soil scoop (optional)

step four.

I like to wait a week or so after repotting before watering the plant. That way, hopefully, any root damage should form a callus and avoid root rot with the additional moisture.

#easypeasy

Tired of plain-jane plant labels in your veggie garden? These illustrated plant markers are a fun way to add some colour and pizazz to your garden before your plants ever start to flower and bear fruit!

step two.

Pour your desired paint colours onto your plate or palette. Use the colours you have to mix up any colours you’re missing: red and blue make purple, blue and yellow make green, and so on. You can also a tiny amount of black or white to your mixtures to darken or lighten them respectively.

step four.

Let paint dry thoroughly – ideally overnight – before erasing any stray pencil marks. Finish by spraying with sealing spray to preserve your designs through those summer rainstorms.

#easypeasy

There’s something magical about terrariums. They take up so little space, and yet, house an entire ecosystem within them. If you’re reading this article, you’ve likely seen countless Pinterest boards of beautiful, tiny terrarium creations made to resemble small towns, wild forests, or other stunning locales.

But while terrarium inspo-pics are fun to look at, they can also spark that dreaded impostor syndrome within us. The thought of “can I really make something like this?” holds so many of us back from even attempting to start.

The truth is: terrariums are much simpler to create than most people think! All you need are a few base ingredients to start, and the courage to get creative.

ready to make your own world within a glass jar?

step 2: build your base

Got your perfect terrarium container? Great! Now, the real fun begins.

Start by adding a 1-1.5 inch layer of pebbles, followed by a thin layer of charcoal. The pebbles act as drainage holes, while the charcoal helps reduce the amount of bad bacteria that might start developing as your plants grow.

Once you’re done, add about 2.5 inches of your potting mix. Make sure you have enough soil for your plants’ roots to fit.

step 3: add your plants

Remove your plants from their original pot. Gently massage their roots to get rid of excess soil, and create small holes in your terrarium for your plant roots before carefully placing them inside.

We recommend starting with the bigger plants

step 5: light it up

Carefully weave your string lights into your terrarium, making sure that they’re not getting in the way of your plants. Place your battery pack somewhere easily accessible.

Once you’re all done, turn on the lights – and watch your terrarium come to life.
Not only do string lights add a touch of mythical beauty to your creation, they also provide much needed artificial lighting to the plants inside.

step 6: feed your ecosystem

Terrariums need very little upkeep to stay alive and thriving. But the amount of water they require depends on the type of terrarium you have.
Water evaporates faster in open terrariums, so they typically require a few sprays of it every couple weeks. Closed terrariums, however, retain water for much longer, so you only need to water them about twice a year.

Congratulations – you’ve officially created your own little ecosystem! Enjoy watching and documenting the growth that happens within your terrarium, all while fielding countless compliments from your friends and family.

#happycreating!