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Herbal Craft Projects


Autumn Window Garden

Autumn Window Garden

Dried flowers collected from your own garden make this lovely sill wreath arrangement very special. It's the perfect combination for autumn captured forever and country charm to your window decorating.

TO MAKE THIS AUTUMN WINDOW GARDEN YOU WILL NEED:

  • 8" window-frame base
  • Three 2" diameter clay pots
  • 8 oz. peat moss
  • 8 oz. Spanish moss
  • Four pink roses
  • Floral wire
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks
  • Ten to twelve of the following: pink carnations; yellow mini mums; purple asters; springs of statice (various colors); springs of baby's breath; springs of purple salvia.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare your dried flowers by trimming them, leaving at least a 2" stem. Do not make all stems the same length. This variety will create a more natural look, as if they really were potted plants.

2. In each clay pot place enough Spanish moss to fill up to 1/2 below rim. Cover moss with peat allowing some to stand above the rim.

3. Insert prepared stems into the moss. If you are having trouble, try using a pencil to open up the moss, then insert the flowers.

4. Once you are happy with your arrangements, glue the pots to the base. Use a large amount of hot glue to attach the pots securely. Glue one pot to each end of the base and one in the middle. Allow to dry and then check to make sure the pots are both secure and level. Add more glue if needed. Make sure pots are even with the base. The base should be able to stand on its own.

5. Begin decorating the base by embellishing the sides with the salvia. Start at the top of each side, overlapping as you work your way down and carefully gluing the stems.

6. At the center of the base , position the four pink roses to form a diamond shape. Fill in with statice and baby's breath, leaving the top of the arch undecorated.

7. If necessary, use a hairdryer on the lowest setting to remove any glue hairs.

8. Add a hook to the back of the base for hanging by cutting a 5" piece of floral wire and forming a loop you can tie to the back. the wreath can also be freestanding for a shelf, curio or mantel.


Common Methods to Preserve Plants:

Traditional Air-Drying Method

Drying Flowers in the Microwave Oven

Drying with Silica Gel

Drying with Silica Gel Method

Glycerizing Method

Drying with Other Desiccants

Beautiful Herbal Craft Projects





There's no better way to welcome
your guests than a hot fondue
Fondues are rich and delicious meals
without a lot of preparation involved

Did You Know?

Emmentaler or Emmental is a yellow, medium-hard cheese from Switzerland with characteristic large holes. It is sometimes known as Swiss cheese in North America, Australia and New Zealand, although Swiss cheese does not always imply Emmentaler.

This popular cheese has a piquant, but not really sharp taste.

Three types of bacteria are used in the production of Emmentaler: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus, and Propionibacter shermani. In the late stage of cheese production, Propionibacter shermani consumes the lactic acid excreted by the other bacteria, and releases carbon dioxide gas, which slowly forms the bubbles that make holes.

The Emmentaler cheese originally comes from the Emme valley in the canton of Bern. Unlike some other cheese varieties, the denomination "Emmentaler" was not protected ("Emmentaler Switzerland" is, though). Hence, Emmentaler of other origin, especially from France and Bavaria, is widely available. Even Finland is an exporter of Emmentaler cheese.


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