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 Kim Montenero is a freelance writer and craft designer. Her work has been featured in Reloved Magazine, Parade.com and The Huffington Post. She blogs at www.exquisitelyunremarkable.com where she encourages individuals to feather their nests with super easy and elegant DIY and craft projects regardless of their skill level. She can be contacted through her website. |
| This winter was long and cold, a perfect time to warm up with a cup of tea. So we drank a lot of it. Some of it came in paper boxes, but some of it was packaged in the sweetest tins. One particular brand came in a pale lavender metal box with dainty writing, green tea with coconut. The tins were just too lovely to toss, so I held on to them. At first, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them, but when I passed the pallets of pansies at my local nursery, I knew immediately that they would make darling planters. So I got busy. The tins are adorable, but they aren't meant to house plants. No drainage. To fix that problem, I added a few rocks to the bottom of each one. Next, I grabbed my potting soil and filled each tin about a quarter of the way and got ready to plant my flowers. Unfortunately, all of my pansies were root bound. You know, when the roots take on the shape of the pot and begin to grow in circles. Plus, they were coming out of the bottom and I couldn't get the plant out of the pot. The problem with root bound plants is that they don't easily root in their new environment. The roots grow in a circle, taking on the shape of the pot. The easiest way to remedy this is just to create a few cuts so the roots can spring out. Now, I had to trim the roots on the outside of the pot in order to get each pansy free. The roots then naturally opened up. I placed one pansy inside each recycled tin, added more dirt and used my hands to make sure it was all tucked in. Everyone got a drink and that was that. I couldn't be happier with the way they turned out. I love the fresh pop of color, the vintage feel and they look beautiful on my windowsill. I am keeping mine, but they would make perfect hostess or teacher gifts. They would also look great decorating a spring or summer table. Don’t drink tea? No problem. Cookies, pasta and a variety of other items all come in tins. If you’re looking for a bargain, check out the thrift store. Super cute. Super easy. Super inexpensive. How fabulous. |
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20 lucky winners will win $500 each in prizes totaling $10,000. 