by guest blogger Mark Kintzel, designer
Looking for a really cool Valentine’s Day craft for your friends and family? Or are you still searching for a gift to give to your sweetie pie? Well, look no further.
Air plants, also known as tillandsias, live their lives without ever touching soil, often high in the treetops. They can be displayed in countless ways and are super easy to care for.
Oh, and they make the perfect gift; and while you’re at it, you’ll probably want to make a couple for yourself.
You’ll need:
- 18-guage floral wire
- Assorted stones (I used river rocks)
- Needle-nose pliers
- Acrylic paint
- Craft paintbrush
- Air plants
With the exception of the air plants, you can purchase all of the project ingredients at your local craft store. The tillandsias can be purchased at most plant nurseries. I found mine at the local grocery store!
Here’s how you do it:
- Paint the rocks any way you wish or write a lovey-dovey message!
- When the paint is dry, start with a straight length of wire, about 18 inches long. Wrap the wire around a stone. Using needle-nose pliers, twist the wire tightly to secure it.
- Snip one end of the wire at the twist. Form a loop at the end of the remaining length or wire, large enough for a tillandsia to nest in.
- Place the tillandsia in the loop and you’re done!
How easy is that? And plant care is a breeze. Simply keep the plants in bright but not direct sunlight. Twice a week, remove the air plant from the loop and dunk the entire plant in tepid water for up to an hour, or you can mist the tillandsia until it is dripping wet. Let it dry then return it to its perch. That’s it!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Mark Kintzel comes from a long line of crafters, artists, musicians, and farm folk. He first came under the magic spell of flowers while wandering through meadows near his grandparents’ farm in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, as a boy. His appreciation for creativity and flowers grew throughout the years, and he now specializes in event planning and styling, garden design, and organic floral arrangements for just about any occasion. See more at markkintzel.com.
Beautiful! Thanks.
I love this idea! I would would love one of these for vday 🙂 very unique!