Easter DIY Week Part 2: Nordic Style Easter Grass Planters

Today it has been Easter weather: snow is melting rapidly, there are already small spots of bare ground in the middle of snowy forest, sun is shining and birds have begun to sing louder that some weeks ago. Of course it also means muddy streets with big water ponds but after all this all means that spring is coming on a fast speed. Now it is possible to think that there will be green grass, hot summer days and sunny nightless nights. Easter is a gate for coming spring and summer. I saw people spreading last piles of snow to make it melt faster. Stores are selling narcissus and lilies. It is said that on Easter morning sun rises dancing, which is easy to believe while looking the current weather and people´s moods. Everything is so alive! Have you counted from your Easter twigs how many days it took to get green leaves? In the old times people told from the amount of days to how many weeks it was for trees to get their small leaves.

One part of Easter is the celebration of new life and coming spring and to that green grass is an essential decoration. How many of you have grown grass in used butter box or milk can as a child? Easter grass is like a small piece of summer on a plate. Especially in these levels when there is still snow on the ground, in Easter grass one can smell the soil and growth. Usually little yellow chicks, bunnies or colorful eggs decorate the grass. Today as it is time for the second part of Easter DIY Week I am making a modern Nordic style inspired version of Easter grass planter. You can make this small and relatively easy project just in time to grow grass for Easter. In the honor of the tradition to use milk cans as a growing pot I am making my planter from an old food tin. Although you won´t be able to notice that after it has been decorated! These stylish planters would look perfect in modern Easter table setting and they fit perfectly even for a narrow window sill. You can use what ever suitable wooden material you find from your cup boards or local thrift shops. I happened to find a package of unused coffee stirrers from a thrift shop but you can use for example ice cream sticks. I also noticed that crafts shops sell same kind of wooden sticks.

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For one planter you will need 
-properly washed food tin
-wooden coffee stirrers or for example ice cream sticks
-thin plywood
-wooden buttons
-short wooden candle stick or other similar lathed wood object
-strong glue
-Japanese saw
-sandpaper
-pen

Materials. I made two planters. One with candle stick and another with old door knob as a leg. I had to saw off that extra piece from door knob before I could use it in this project. All materials are thrifted except the plywood and used tin.

1. Using tin as a model draw a circle to the plywood and saw it off. Sand the edges. It does not have to be perfectly round as you decorate it with wooden buttons.
2. Glue coffee stirrers to the tin can and put two rubber bands around the tin so that the stirrers won´t bend. Let dry properly.

3. Glue the wooden candle stick to the middle of the plywood circle and decorate the rest of the circle  (+ candle stick) with wooden beads. Now you have the leg for your planter. Let dry properly.
4. Glue the decorated tin to the candle stick and let dry properly.
5. Planter is ready to use! Put some small stones to the bottom and fill with soil. Spread the seeds and water.

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These planters get their finishing touch from the green grass that is allowed to be in the main role against the modest planter. It almost looks like the wooden parts are the roots for the green sprouts. In a table setting you could also use tall white table candles in some of the planters, just remember to be careful with fire and don´t let the candle burn too low. Also remember to attach the wooden leg properly to the tin.

The last 3rd part of the Easter DIY Week comes on Friday! I can reveal that you will see organic shapes and golden shine :) While waiting for Friday check my DIY page for more DIY ideas and inspiration!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Sannu