In December, I made this door to put on my front porch with interchangeable panels. You can see it HERE dressed for Christmas. I was excited to add the first of the new panels to this for Valentine's Day.
As I say in my other post, you could use any type of thin wood or plywood for this. I used old peel-and-stick floor tiles (that I would NEVER want to see on a floor!) which make this really easy to do. I started by cutting the tiles using a template I created so they will fit inside the panels of the old door. Once the fabric is cut, I just peeled the paper backing off of the tiles and stuck the fabric to the tile. If you are using wood, you can use spray adhesive. Next, I used a glue gun to fold the corners back and then the edges to create a finished, covered panel.
Since this could be exposed to the elements, I sealed the fabric panels with water-repellent/outdoor Mod Podge. The panels are attached/detached using velcro (detailed in my other post).
The top panel is painted with chalk paint so I can change out the quotes or verses.
Now my porch is ready for Valentine's Day! (LOL the banner says Be Mine but you can only see "e mine")
I added a dollar store wreath to my milk can and filled a red, wire basket with silver dollar plants and a dollar store, red, plastic plate and some pink lights.
Many are not familiar with Silver Dollar plants but let me tell you, they are SO pretty and fun to grow! I think a friend gave me some seeds years ago and since then, I always have an abundance of them each spring.
They bloom in the spring and have these gorgeous, tall stalks of purple flowers. After the flowers fade, they leave behind tiny pods that continue to grow and turn brown as the spring wears on. Eventually, you cut down the stalks and then the fun begins!
At the top you see the pods with the seeds (these were originally the purple flowers). The middle picture is what you get as you sit and mindlessly, therapeutically rub the pods between your fingers, removing the two outer, brown 'skins' and seeds. Then, you're left with these iridescent, shiny 'silver dollars'. In the bottom picture you can see the pile of seeds left behind!
They make lovely arrangements!
I've even stamped on them and used them on gifts, cards, etc. (Read my previous post on the Silver Dollar Plant) The pilgrims brought them on the Mayflower. Thomas Jefferson grew them in the famous gardens of Monticello and he often mentioned them in his letters. They are easy to grow as they re-seed themselves year after year.
As you can see, there is never a shortage of seeds! If you'd like me to send some to you, I'd be happy to! Just email me privately with your name and address and I'll get them to you in time to plant for spring. All you have to do is turn over the dirt as soon as everything is thawed and scatter the seeds, covering over with dirt. That's it. Beware though that when they start to come up, they can be mistaken for weeds! See my Silver Dollar Post for pictures of what they look like at every stage.
Since Easter is so early this year, I'll probably skip St. Patrick's Day decor so my next panels will be for Spring!
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Hi Lauren wow what a great idea with the door,it looks fantastic and what a clever idea using the pods,thankyou for sharing my friend xx
ReplyDeleteI like how the panels on this door are interchangeable for different holidays. The verse by John is very special. The purple flowers are pretty and caught my eye right away, as Purple is my favorite color.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week, Lauren.
Sheri
I like your door, what a great idea!
ReplyDeleteYour door makes for the cutest seasonal decor, Lauren! The silver dollar plant is so pretty. I didn't realize that it had such a pretty flower. I wonder if it would grow in Texas? I'll have to do some research.
ReplyDeleteHow cute is this door...you are so talented...I would never have thought to do it.
ReplyDeleteLove the flowers...like Kitty, above, I want to see if they will grow in Texas.
You're all set for Valentine's Day. I'll be bringing out my red and pink teawares this weekend.
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to grow Lunaria and I remember them being very hardy and somewhat invasive if you don't keep them contained. But she loved them and so do I. I really like the examples of printing on them. I wouldn't have tho't you could do that.
ReplyDeleteYour Valentine porch is very pretty. To me it represents a lot of work! Which I will not do on my porch! I'll hopefully put up a Valentine wreath, but that's about it.
Thanks for sharing about the Lunaria. That was a nice surprise.
Yes they can be invasive but I just grab out the extras and keep just a few patches to grow for the silver dollars. The nice thing is their roots are not strong so they're very easy to pull out and clear. If you'd like some seeds, just email me :)
DeleteOnce again, you amaze me! You do such a wonderful job, and I am always interested to see what you have come up with! God bless you, sweet friend. :)
ReplyDeletestunning art my friend!!!
ReplyDeleteyou are truly amazing at your skills!
I love the old door! It is so welcoming.
ReplyDelete