Procrastination at it's best...let's improve that last minute budget friendly gift

If you have known me awhile or if you stay awhile you know that I include my parents in my child count….too bad I can’t take them as a tax deduction. My children do like to run wild, yes all four of them….and as most Mothers and Fathers know especially single parents the last thing we are thinking about are special holidays except the really big ones that we can’t avoid. Yes I am talking about Christmas, really how can we forget that day when beginning in July any type of craft store or department will have Christmas decorations out. I am sorry when it’s 100 degrees outside I am really not thinking about Christmas but the fact that it’s coming and I will be required to have the house spotless, fully decorated in and out, a spread of food that will knock your socks off, goodie bags of homemade baked goodies for everyone who visits, and presents for my children is duly noted. Wow typing that was exhausting! So there are always little things that pop up on me that I have to pull out an amazing little something usually on very short notice.

 

So when a friend called me and said I need an amazing budget friendly gift for my Mother’s birthday in a few days, I instantly knew exactly what was in order. So I suggested that his children put their hand prints on a flowerpot and plant some great flowers in it. We have all seen these and most people know how to dip kids in paint and stick them on the side of a flower pot, but I want to show you a few little things that will make it extra special.

 

 After messy hands have made their imprint on the outside of the pot add a few to the inside so whenever anything is planted in the pot there is a constant reminder of sweet little hands.

 

Pots are heavy especially once they are loaded with potting soil and plants. Make these a little lighter by filling the bottom 1/3 (for the traditional tall inverted pyramid shaped pots) with styrofoam. Yes you get bonus points for using the packing peanuts from your latest online shopping spree!

 

 

 

 

 

 




Actually take the time to get a variety of plants for the pot. For years I had blah pots and would drool over my neighbors’ planters which were all amazing. The trick here is to get 3 varieties of plants one of which will be the tallest for the pot, a filler plant, and then a trailing plant. In my example I chose purple and yellow flowers mostly because they are pretty universal and really pop when planted next to one another, thank you color theory classes from my art major days. The yellow flowered plant is the height, the purple flowers are my filler, and then I chose variegated ivy for the trailing plants. Because I always have a problem gauging how many plants are actually in a pot, I used 1 height plant (yellow flowers), 2 filler plants (purple flowers), and 2 trailing (variegated ivy).

 

 

When it finally hits you that Mother’s Day is only 5 days away and you better have a fabulous well thought out present grab your kiddos or the neighbors…shh….I won’t tell and get crafty to make the day extra special for the Mother in your life.