Last time, I showed you how I made cement candleholders out of ordinary plastics purchased from the grocery store.  Today, the focus is planters.  Unless you want just a simple cachepot, if you truly want your planter to drain there is an added trick.  How to add drainage holes to a cement planter?  With the addition of plastic straws to your plastic molds. 

Here’s a glimpse at some of the planters I made using regular plastics for the outside mold.  For the inside mold, I used the plastic container that housed my plant from the nursery.

A fern planter for my master bath:

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An idea came to me in the middle of the night.  What if I could create my own candleholders and planters with plastic items purchased from the local market ?  I’m pretty sure it was the night that HGTV Design Star challenged the contestants to design the white room with nothing but items from the grocery store.

I knew that cement wouldn’t stick to plastic, so why not use plastic forms from my kitchen as molds for candleholders ?  I started testing this invention last weekend to see if I could create something wonderful out of something mundane.  After a few rounds of trial and error, my creation took form. 

You’d never guess that these lovelies were created out of yogurt cups and plastic storage containers. 

How perfect are these for lighting a twilight path to your door ?

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When we began our remodel in 2005, it required that we dramatically grade our rear yard to accommodate for the extension of the home.  Our rear yard has an uphill slope.  After all the tractors departed, I was left with a gigantic six foot eyesore of a retaining wall.  The only way to cover it was with clever plantings. 

In the spring of 2008, I started the landscaping process by making my own invisible trellis to hide the wall.  An invisible trellis is an inexpensive way to train a vine up a wall without the expenditure and installation of wood lattice or a metal trellis. 

Here’s a look at my version up close:

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Last year, I purchased a long iron sofa and matching outdoor chair from our local antique fair.  I love the look of those iron outdoor sofas from Restoration Hardware, but was completely unprepared to pay those prices. 

I bargained the vendor down to $300 for my set – she didn’t want to have to load it back up on her truck, so it came home with me.  My next mission was to have custom cushions made with Sunbrella fabric, but I had sticker shock at the amount the local upholstery shops wanted to charge me for foam, batting, fabric and sewing.  So I decided to make them myself. 

Last year, I found an online retailer to custom cut high density foam and wrap it in Dacron. 

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There’s something about June that makes me long to dine alfresco with friends and family. I love to bring tablecloths and tableware outside, and sit awhile as the sun goes down. We dine later, we drink chilled white wine, and we enjoy the fine weather.

Here is a glance at some clippings from my inspiration file. These all draw me to the table in some way or another.

All you need is a simple tablecloth and napkins on a plank picnic table, united with some colored glass, and a bowl of fruit to linger long under this tree.

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In summertime, we spend many evenings eating or entertaining in our rear courtyard.  I wanted a shelving unit where I could store linens, citronella candles, and melamine plates, ready to set at a moment’s notice.  Our California home is French Country in style, so I knew I could get away with painted wood shelf. 

Last week, I found a shelving unit at the local thrift store, and transformed it with outdoor paint for my unique purpose.  In a cheerful shade of pale yellow, this baker’s rack style shelf fits my needs perfectly. 

I was inspired by this blue shelving unit I saw at Crown & Crumpet

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Welcome to Phase One of my front porch makeover.  It’s really a lovely little porch, with white columns and benches, divided pane windows, and hydrangea bushes that thrive nearby in their happy spot.  But in my opinion, the porch was still lacking a bit of elegance, so I began the process of sprucing it up. 

I spent yesterday afternoon redoing some basic fiberglass urns I bought from Home Dept for $39.  I love bronze, but up close, these had an orangey coppery detail that simply did not compliment my decor.  So I decided to give them a more formal and elegant look with the use of (non other than) spray paint. 

Before and After:

I’ve painted plastic planters before with good results, and realized that the same product can be used to paint fiberglass. 

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It’s my belief that ordinary objects can transform into something quite glamorous with some thoughtful accessories.  So why not give your flowers a bit of glitz as well?  Your blooms work hard to give you a show, so give them the gift of their own jewelry.  Glass marble jewelry, that is. 

This is one of the easiest and most rewarding DIY projects I’ve ever done. 

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If you’ve ever wondered what to do with your old paint cans, I have a solution for you.  Turn them into planters !

I had a bare patch of fence in my rear yard that was in need of attention. 

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You’ve all heard of the Better Homes & Gardens 48 Hour Challenge, right?  It’s where five top bloggers were chosen to makeover their porch in 48 hours with a $500 gift card from Home Depot, at the chance of winning a $5,000 bonus.

Today was Mr. CG’s birthday, so while the tots stayed a bit late at school, for his birthday I spent 4.8 hours redoing the outdoor balcony he shares with his male business partners. 

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