Grow Your Own Placecards using Clay Pots & Herbs

The next two weeks bring many families and friends together. Not only are many families celebrating the joys of spring break (well, at least the kids are celebrating!), many are busy preparing for the week-long festival of Passover.  This is where we retell the story of the Exodus by reading the Haggadah, singing songs and eating specially-prepared foods.

When we were growing up, my parents invited friends and relatives to join us for our Seder. Because we had 25-30 people joining us, we moved our living room furniture into the dining room, and turned our living room into a large dining hall. With so many people, we created place cards to assign everyone a particular seat.  Making the place cards was always my responsibility...which I took very seriously.  

Last year, I re-instated my job and made place "cards" using small Terra cotta pots.  These are so much fun to create, and kids can get in on the creative action.  I decided to share this idea on my blog again this year, with a few minor revisions.

Materials:

Small clay pots in various sizes, no larger than 4"

Clay saucers

Blue & white acrylic paint

Mod Podge

Brushes

Clear sticker paper or Xyron sticker maker

Passover Graphics & Text

Twine

Wooden plant markers

Herbs (such as parsley)

This is the How-To:

I painted the pots in different combinations of blue and white paint.  While they dried, I printed graphics and text onto clear sticker paper.

Next Year in Jerusalem

Then I adhered the stickers to the pots.  After coating each pot with Modge Podge, I wrapped blue and white baker's twine around two of the pots.

I printed names on white cardstock, cut them out and mod podged the cards onto wooden plant markers, which I had painted blue.   

A green herb (such as parsley or cilantro) is used on the Passover table to symbolize spring. So I decided to plant herbs in each pot.

I'm going to use the largest pot as a centerpiece, so I made a label that reads "Kosher for Passover." 

The smallest pot was just too tiny to hold a plant, so I used the medium sized pots for the place "cards."

These festive pots and plant markers will add a nice touch to any Seder table.  The larger pot will also make a great hostess gift!  And, of course, depending on the colors and signage you use, these pots can easily be made for any holiday or occasion! 

Whether you celebrate Passover, Easter or even just Spring Break, I hope you have a wonderful time with your family and friends. 

Happy Spring!

You may also like:

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Terra Cotta times Three

One of my very favorite crafty garden projects is the tiered terra cotta planter. 

I first saw this idea on Amy's creative blog, Positively Splendid, back in May 2010; and I finally got around to creating my own tiered planter and checking this off my "wanna-make" list! [Applause]

You'll have to excuse the lack of "before" photos or tutorial.  I was too excited about finally making the tiered planter to slow down and take photos of the mundane terra cotta pots or the creative process.  However, you can link to Amy's post to get all the how-to's.  In the meantime, just relax and enjoy the photos:

Poolside

How did Coconut sneak into the pic?

That's better

Ultimately, it found its rightful place on the front porch. 

Here it is with the flowers grown up a bit.

 

Extra flowers found their way into an oversized garden cup

This fountain was not handmade, but it was a double mark down
 clearance buy that we attached to the opposite brick wall.

By Southern California standards, we're having a really cold winter. 

Which is why I especially like the bright colors I used.

It's a sure sign that spring is on its way.

Having a great time partying with my friends:
Get Your DIY On [House of Hoff]



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You Got Mail

I may be dating myself by recalling the days when we would anxiously await the mailman's arrival, run downstairs to the garage, and grab the mail from the box that led to the outside slot. 

In those days,  before modern communication including Facebook, Twitter, texting and e-mails, we enjoyed old-fashioned snail mail.  I had a pen pal named Anne who lived on the other side of the country in Akron, Ohio.  Although we never met, we enjoyed several years of writing back and forth about whatever nine-year old girls wrote about in those days.  I recall letters that began, "Dear Doreen, Thanks for your last letter.  School is good.  My sister and I went to the park after school..."  You get the idea! 

I hadn't thought about Anne in decades until I came across this vintage metal mailbox at the flea market.  For less than $10, I saved it from obscurity.  Here is what it looked like:

Note the wonderful scalloped edges on the lid and the curvy rack at the bottom

(used to hold magazines and newspapers).

Time to transform its mundane exterior with a little paint and a whole lot of embellishments. 

First I decided on my color palette.

After a light sanding, I painted the exterior with light avocado (minus the tortilla chips).

This is my favorite part of the transformation: 

going through my stash and finding embellishments that will mix and match together.

Then I edged the papers with charcoal chalk ink

I painted chipboard scrolls that I later stamped with flourishes.

Adhered the paper with Plaid's Royal Coat antique decoupage finish.

Stamped vintage images on a pretty Paper Source label,

and adhered the label on the front of the mailbox.

Added quirky snaps on the scalloped lid, a chipboard bird holding a key (and the lock is hanging from the scroll), a few buttons, and a small flower and bling to the bird's tail.

Being the ribbon queen that I am,
I tied complementary ribbons in shades of green, cream and yellow,

using ribbons with varying textures and widths, to the magazine rack.

Then a chipboard label holder and two brads on top of the mailbox

with a label that reads "You Got Mail" finishes the project.

I'm happy with the result!  Now, what to use it for? 

My husband has a brilliant idea: 

we're going to hang it on our porch next to the front door
and use it for....mail!

P.S.  I'm going to try to re-connect with my pen pal, Anne.  I wonder if she's on Facebook! 

Linking to:
Funky Junk Spring Projects
Knick of Time
The Gunny Sack



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