DIY Planter Challenge: Gorgeous Glass

Summer's nearly here and it's a tight race for competitors in our DIY Planter Challenge. For weeks Facebook fans have been voting for their favorite homemade planter, and everything will come to a head June 30th at 11:59pm. Whose planter will receive the most votes? Only time will tell.

Before you visit our Facebook page to cast your vote, try making your own planter. We've already showed you how to make Karen A.'s printed pipe and William Brown's perfect printer, but what about some gorgeous glass? This lovely creation, submitted by our Digital Marketing Director, Joanne C., looks wonderful and is a snap to make. Add some subtle beauty to your indoor space with a planter like this one. Find out how to make it below!

What you'll need:

• Glass bowl (or any other glass container you want to use for your planter)
• Alcohol inks
• Sponge
• Shellac spray
• White acrylic paint
• Plant (Joanne used a Kalanchoe)
• Potting soil

Directions:

Step 1: Gather your supplies. Remember to put on your rubber gloves and cover any work surfaces you don't want stained as alcohol ink is hard (impossible!) to remove.

Step 2: Holding up the glass bowl, splash one drop of ink at a time and blow it around the glass until the entire surface is covered. Alternate using different colors until you see the desired effect.

Step 3: Let dry for a few hours or overnight.

Step 4: Once the ink is fully dry, spray it with shellac to seal the color. Two or three thin coats of shellac will ensure the ink doesn't rub off.

Step 5: To make sure the ink colors will still be visible when you have dirt and a plant inside your planter, paint the inside with white acrylic paint.

Step 6: Let the acrylic paint dry overnight.

Step 7: Fill with your favorite plant, (Joanne chose a Kalanchoe), and put it in your favorite space.

We adore this beautiful, stained glass inspired planter. Though one of the more complex on our list, you can recreate it at home in just a few simple steps. Love it as much as we do? Make sure to vote for it on Facebook.

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DIY Planter Challenge: Perfect Printer

The DIY Planter Challenge is in full swing and the competition is getting fierce! To help get in the spring spirit and prepare for summer, Marketplace Events team members crafted some fun planters, and now the online voting has begun. Whose planter will receive the most votes and be crowned the winner? It's up to you (and our other Facebook fans) to decide.

Before you visit our Facebook page and vote for your favorite, why not try making your own planter? We've already showed you how to make Karen A.'s printed pipe, but what about William Brown's perfect printer? The Landscape Coordinator for Marketplace Events and owner of William H. Brown Landscape Inc. made this unique piece using an old printer. Here's how you can make one.

What you'll need:

• Printer
• Tinfoil
• Potting mix
• Variety of plants

Directions:

Step 1: Find an old printer and remove its ink cartridges and any other extraneous parts.

Step 2: Using tinfoil, create a tray for some plants in the middle of the printer. Fill it with potting mix.

Step 3: Add more plants of varying height and style to any additional compartments your printer may have to create a lush "printer-scape".

We're big fans of this creative upcylced planter. Not only is it a great way to find new use for that old printer you've been hesitant to throw away, but it's a truly unique and original piece to display in your home or garden. Love it as much as we do? Make sure to vote for it on Facebook.

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DIY Planter Challenge: Printed Pipe

To help put a little spring in all of our employees' steps, we challenged our Marketplace Events team members to a friendly DIY competition. Folks had just over a month to create a cute, original planter. There were no restrictions on size, style, or influence - it just had to be homemade.

Check out the full list of entries on our Facebook page and vote for your favorite. But first, learn how Karen A., Exhibit Sales Consultant for the Birmingham Home + Garden Show, created her fabulous printed pipe planter.

What you'll need:

• PVC sewage elbow
• Grinding disc
• Glue (Karen used Goop)
• Stylish duct tape (Karen used leopard print)

Directions:

Step 1: Start with a trip to your local hardware store to grab supplies. Karen went to Habitat for Humanity and bought a PVC sewage elbow and grinding disc. Total cost for both was $2.

Step 2: Using a sturdy adhesive, (Karen chose Goop), glue the disc to the bottom of the PVC.

Step 3: Cover the PVC in stylish duct tape. Karen used leopard print to give her planter a funky look, but you can use any style.

Step 4: Fill the planter with the plant of your choice. Karen selected an air plant from her property, but any species would look nice.

We love the simplicity of this craft. A few dollars can go a long way when it comes to making planters. What do you think of Karen's creation? If you're a fan, make sure to vote for it in our DIY Planter Challenge. Visit Facebook to cast your vote today!

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DIY Planter Challenge

With spring in full swing and summer just around the corner, we wanted to help our Marketplace Events coworkers add some green to their space. And what better way to do so than with a friendly DIY competition? Employees from every department across the US and Canada were invited to try their hand at making a cute, original planter. There were no restrictions on size, style or influence. Employees were encouraged to be as creative as they could, with just under a month to make their entry.

Here’s where you come in! 

We need our beloved fans to help us choose a winner! Please visit our Facebook page to see all the planters we created and vote for your favorite. Voting will run until June 30, 2016 at 11:59pm. The employee whose entry receives the most votes will win some serious bragging rights and a pizza party for their entire department.

What are you waiting for? Check out the planters we made and vote for the one you think deserves to win. And don't forget to Like Us after you vote. Our Facebook fans get lots of perks - like exclusive show content, fun contests, ticket deals, and more!

Want to learn how to make some of the fabulous planters we've featured? Watch for instructional posts to teach you how to create some of our favorites, including Karen A.'s printed pipe, Joanne C.'s inspired alcohol ink piece, and a playful printer from William Brown of William H. Brown Landscape Inc.

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10 Tips for a Perfect Lawn

Get your lawn healthy & keep it that way!

1. Water in the morning or at night in order to keep moisture from evaporating. 

2. Don't rip your grass, keep your lawnmower blade nice and sharp throughout the season.  

3. When grass is cut it loses more water, mow in the evening to keep grass from drying up.

4. Your lawn needs an inch of water a week to stay healthy, measure this by leaving a measuring cup on your lawn when watering.

5. Adjust your lawnmower so that it does not cut too short.  Grass benefits from it's own shade.

6. Ease up on the fertilizer, too much can burn your grass.

7. Make sure you are using the right grass seeds for the right areas, shady spots may require a different blend.

8. Move furniture around.  When your garden furniture is in the same place too long, the grass underneath it dies. 

9. Weed weekly to keep seeds from spreading.

10. Provide your dog with an area that is grass free so he can urinate without staining your lawn.  This requires some dog training skills too! 

Good luck! 

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10 NOT-TO-MISS FEATURES AT BIRMINGHAM HOME & GARDEN SHOW

There are hundreds of reasons to head over to the Birmingham Home and Garden Show at downtown’s BJCC February 13-16.  

If you’re looking for the top 10, here’s what can’t be missed:

1.Ahmed Hassan from DIY’s Yard Crashers.  Ready to ditch the brown, wintry tundra for the green yards of Spring? Get tips to get  garden ready directly from one of the industry’s top experts Ahmed Hassan. Ahmed is best known from DIY Network’s Yard Crashers will be sharing behind-the-scenes tricks and tips from the popular series with show guests on Saturday and Sunday

2. Retro Rad Diva Emily Ellyn.  Don’t miss Emily Ellyn’s “jam sessions”. The “Retro Rad Diva” will share how to turn Mother Nature’s seasonal produce bounty into delicious homemade jams and jellies. She’ll share her culinary wisdom and recipes with guests  on Friday and Saturday.

3. Birmingham Bargain Mom. Back by popular demand, Christie “Birmingham Bargain Mom” Dedman will appear at the show daily with tried-and-true tips on saving money on groceries and items for the home.

4. Lush Feature Gardens. The weather outside may still be frightful, but the inside of the BJCC is so delightful with a quartet of lush feature gardens.

5. Southern Living Plant Collection Stage.  The region’s top horticultural experts are in the house and on the Southern Living Plant Collections Stage, including Carmen Johnston who will share the hottest spring colors for 2014.

6. Calling All Foodies.  The second floor of the Birmingham Home and Garden Show houses the spacious Western Supermarket sampling pavilion – that’s right, SAMPLES.

7. Honoring Our Finest -Hero Day. On Thursday only, the show honors local heroes.  Military and first responders in uniform or with valid ID get FREE admission to the show.

8. Exclusive Show Only Deals. The Birmingham Home and Garden Show gathers more than 300 of the area’s top home improvement experts under one roof for the ultimate destination to shop, compare and save on projects. Also, many vendors offer special discounts that exclusive to home show guests. 

9. Buy Online and Save. Everyone’s looking to save some green – show guests who buy their tickets online prior to the show save $3 off regular admission – and get to bypass the lines at the show.

10. Craft Beer Tasting. Birmingham Magazine is hosting a seasonal craft beer tasting just for show guests on Friday evening at the show. 

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BIRMINGHAM-JEFFERSON CONVENTION COMPLEX

  

SPECIAL VALENTINE'S DAY OFFER

Looking for perfect Valentine`s Day gift? Click here, print, and wrap show tickets for your loved one!

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3 SIMPLE Garden Tutorials

It's no secret around here that we are huge fans of Snapguide, a phone app and website loaded with simple DIYs.  Today, we're showing you three of our favorites to get you into a gardening mood without totally stressing you out!  Check 'em out below...

3 Quick Garden Guides

Check out How to Grow Hydrangeas From Cuttings by Desiree Rivera on Snapguide. Check out How to Make Seed Paper by Chelsea Lyon 🍡 on Snapguide. Check out How to Make a Tabletop Herb Garden by Bell and Star on Snapguide.  

Don't forget to enter our Dad's Favorite Space challenge Below. We're loving all your entries so far!

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