Obviously you need a supply of empty jars. These can be glass or plastic but I think glass looks better. If you don't have any empty jars in your own recycling bin ask your friends/family/neighbours if they have any they'd be willing to give you. (They don't need to have their lids.)
Jars 1, 2, 3 & 4- Plant matter.
Go out into your garden or take a stroll through the local countryside and gather up various plants. If you're gathering from the woods or countryside don't take more than you need and never ever damage rare or endangered plants. Common plants that you can pick without harming the environment include dandelion, doc leaf, bramble, common daisy (Not Ox-eye) and clover. You should also be aware that some common plants, such as hemlock and foxglove, are in fact poisonous and should not be handled unless you have experience with dangerous plants and are wearing the appropriate protection.
In the jars above I have from left to right- ash leaves, doc leaf seeds, dandelion leaves and dandelion roots. Let your various plants dry out for a few days before putting them inside the jars, you don't want trapped moisture to make things mouldy.
Jar 5- Soft fruit stones
This jar takes even less effort than the first three. If you eat any soft fruit such as plums or nectarines save the stones and give them a good scrub to remove any bits of flesh still stuck to them. You can then either put them in a jar as they are once they're dry or you can give them a thin coat of acrylic paint to make them look a bit more unusual.
Jar 6- Dried fruit
For my final Halloween jar I used slices of dried apple but you can also use oranges or lemons if you prefer. Take your fruit and slice it into thin sections. Place the slices on a baking tray and dry them out in the oven on a low heat setting. Be careful not to turn the heat up too high or your apples will soften and turn into mush.
No comments:
Post a Comment