Nature's Objet d'art: Coconut Stalk Flower Craft

A little dressing up is all it takes to turn dried coconut stalks headed for the compost heap into sculptural objet d'art home decor.

It's easy to notice that this part of the coconut stalk very much resembles a flower, when dried it looks sculptural just as it is. So with a little bit of furnishing and elements of bling I tried to work up something on a couple of dried coconut stalks that I found.

A. Prepping up

 After cutting excess part at the back portion, smooth the center with any blunt tool and wipe off dust with a soft cloth.

B. Materials

Materials I have on hand are thick wood glue and glossy beads but any materials for embellishment will do just as well like little pearls, sequins or crystals.

Bedazzling from the inner core, I worked my way outward and chose to leave the 'petals' unpainted to retain the rustic look.

Plastic Bag Roses Topiary

This project aims to recycle used sando plastic bags,  it can however be substituted with tissue paper or other material.

Procedure:
1. Cut sando plastic bags into several strips; twist each strip to form a rose, secure with hot glue.
2. Put together some scrap paper from your recycle bin and form to your desired shape using clear or masking    tape onto your topiary pole.
3. Attach the roses using hot glue onto your base shape.
4. Decorate the pole with lace and bow.

Do:

...this project using only used plastic bags

Don't:

...buy any more plastic bags just for this project.

Tin Can Votive Project

Adding ones magic touch on something common is often the challenge to any crafter. Here is a way to use a discardable object such as a tin can to create something really special.

You  need a couple of tin cans, some ordinary glasses, old nail polish,a heavy duty pair of scissors, a sturdy glue and lots of patience...and you need to protect your eyes and hands too.

Take cues from nature when thinking up your design.