My sister and I have an odd habit of “adopting” plants. I don’t remember exactly when it happened, but I know it was long before we had children. I distinctly remember standing at the bottom of her driveway on a cold winter’s day looking at a plant one of her friends had thrown out. It was a poinsettia leftover from Christmas and it was dumped unceremoniously on a heap of garbage. My sister knew exactly how I was feeling and said “Sad huh?”
It was sad. I knew the plant would soon freeze and die in the bitter cold. It was no longer “seasonal” and now it was junk. I stood there a bit longer and asked my sister if she thought it would be “weird” if I took it. She laughed and helped me pull it from the garbage. As I drove home with this wilted little poinsettia, I was happy I was going to give it a new home.
I asked my mom a few questions about poinsettias and she told me that she was pretty sure they needed to hibernate in the winter. I had zero interest in letting it hibernate in a dark closet, so I decided to take my chances. (And yes, this was long before you could just “google” it.) Surprisingly, not only did that little poinsettia stay alive, but it flourished. I ended up having it for 3 years, it was the size of a small tree. I loved that little plant and was very sad when it died. I didn’t know, until it was too late that my brother’s latest found stray kitty tinkling in it. (Everyone in my family was always rescuing something!)
Now that my sister and I have children of our own, we often take them to garden centers to see what types of plants draw their attention. The boys always go for the exotic, jungley looking plants. Both of our daughters always go for the diamonds in the rough, the ones that need a little extra love and attention. They are our perfect examples of the apple not falling far from the tree.
Caring for plants teaches children a lot about responsibility and attention to detail. When they bring a new plant home they need to pay attention to how much water the plant needs. They need to observe whether their plant is getting too much or too little sun. They will also learn that many plants can be very delicate. A plant, much like a pet, can’t be ignored, unless they want a crispy brown twig instead of a beautifully blooming friend.
This craft is perfect for the child that loves crafting and gardening. With a few basic materials, you can help them create their own one of a kind decorated pots. Let them pick the fabric, twine and their own little plant. Let them be responsible for watering their plant and making sure it is getting what it needs to thrive. Encourage them to give their plant a name, you will be amazed by how dedicated they will be to their new little friend.
KID’S CRAFT: MOD PODGE FABRIC POTS:
Materials:
Directions:
Step 1: Cut fabric to wrap around the body of your pot.
Step 2: Brush Mod Podge on the pot with a paintbrush and apply fabric, smoothing out as you wrap.
Step 3: Apply Mod Podge to lip of pot. Wrap string or twine around it.
Step 4: Brush another layer of Mod Podge over the entire pot waterproof it.
Step 5: Put plant of your choice in the pot.
Happy Crafting,
Denine & Daniele
Cute!
When I first moved here to this part of Spain, I was amazed to see poinsettias as large bushes and trees. They are beautiful!
I’ve planted a few outside after Christmas, but one of my dogs made sure not to let them grow.
They do control the light of the poinsettias around Christmas (thus the idea of hiding them in closets and such) to make sure they bloom when they want them too, but the outdoor ones always bloom around Christmas anyway. (Just a fun fact that might satisfy your curiosity about them.) 🙂