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Need help turning Garden junk into indoor Folk Art

16 years ago

My niece in Brooklyn doesn't have a garden. I was thinking of giving her a plate flower anyway for Christmas. She could stick it in a house plant right? But now after seeing the junkified site from another thread, I was thinking it would be cool if it was a self standing piece of art! Any thoughts on hwo to do this? I could make a new one with out my pipe fitting backing if necessary. and it would be much shorter than the garden ones I think.

Here are my thoughts, chime in please! Some sort of s cool base that my current but shorter conduit could fit into. The back of the plate could be glued to something flat but what? I keep wanting to glue mine to a flat sided bottle but where whould that get me? It could be hung up or displayed like people do plates but I dont' think she would liek that.

Help!

kathy

Comments (12)

  • 16 years ago

    Well, this idea just popped into my head. What about making the flowers as if you were going to put them outside, but instead, put them in a large urn or flowerpot filled with sand or some other heavy material and display them like a pot of flowers.......just a thought.

  • 16 years ago

    I was thinking along Marlene, but maybe challenge yourswelf to a smaller scale for vase or a tall urn.

  • 16 years ago

    How about putting your flower plate in a boxed frame, than you could glue to a backboard that you could paint to match her decor! Let us see it when you are done I am thinking about making something like this myself!

    Sylvia

  • 16 years ago

    I like the idea of mounting the plate on a board. You could add a 'flower stem' and leaves, and frame it so it could be hung up. If she likes indoor plants, you could add a little planter box to it.

    You could curb shop (or friend's garage/basement shop, or TS or swap meet) an old floor lamp or stand from a fan. These are made from hollow metal that you could insert a rod into. The old cheap one piece metal towel racks have a square piece of metal attached to each end. This is where you put the screws in to attach it to a wall. If you cut one end off of the rack, and use the long piece, it will give you the square to glue the plate to, and also the rod to push into the lamp or whatever you use. Hope that makes sense. I can't find a photo of one of those towel racks on the net, but have one here in a pile of junk somewhere. Let me know if you need a pic and maybe I can find it. Linda

  • 16 years ago

    How about using the flowers as wall decor?minus the stem.
    Don't know if anyone has ever done that but I bet a wall of them would sure be cheery!

  • 16 years ago

    I recently made a couple of wall decor items using plate flowers glued to wash-painted driftwood. Don't remember if I posted photos here or not. Here is one of them.

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:197224}}

  • 16 years ago

    concrete - sounds like a wonderful gift idea for your niece. You may want to look for a easel of some sort...I love those for prints & photos...and your beautiful flower face could look very nice on the right easel.

    Laura...love your driftwood with the glass...very nice. Jeanne S.

  • 16 years ago

    Ive done this, I made a plate flower "garden" I got a planter which was a large basket & a few plate flowers I made, I didnt want to make it to heavy so I used that foam that expands & hardens to fill most of the basket & hold the "stems" in place, then I covered the foam with purple sand I got at wal-mart, it was sand for a sandbox.

    I made plate flowers of all different heights & sizes. I dont have a digital camera or I would take pictures for you.

    OH I also planted the "stems" green & used smaller plates as leaves to fill in space so it wasnt just a bunch of poles

    Good luck, & post pictures when you do make yours, Id love to see it.

    Stephanie

  • 16 years ago

    I wonder if you use a large microwave plate as a base then glue a heavy glass vase on it w/GE Silicone II as if you are making a totem then put the flower in that. I think it would have to be a large and heavy glass vase but might work. Might even glue two microwave plates together to make the base heavier.

    This type of thing couldn't easily be shipped tho. I find totems need to be moved very carefully.

  • 16 years ago

    Thank you every one for your creative ideas. Now I have even more reason to go thrift shopping!
    kathy

  • 16 years ago

    Laura, I love your flower on driftwood!! Very creative.

  • 16 years ago

    Laura I also love the driftwood flower. I've been buying glass leaves too but wasnt sure how to use them.
    kathy

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