How to make a Planted Ampersand

What are the steps to creating a planted Ampersand?

I bought a plain chipboard Ampersand from my local craft shop.  Using a box knife, I VERY GINGERLY cut the top off.   Please be careful with those fingers!!

Once the top was off, this what was inside.  So interesting, right?

As you can see, I did my best but some areas I just had to hack a bit and the edges became quite mangled.  So, I used a high bit sandpaper and smoothed all the rough edges down.

 

After the ampersand was smooth, I painted the outside edges with a lovely soft peach acrylic paint color and let it dry.

 

Now my entire “Plan A” was to install real plants in this ampersand.  I knew this would not be a long term planter, but long enough for my party and hopefully a few weeks of light watering after that.  Well…. it just didn’t quite go according to my grand plans.

 

1. I covered the bottom of the ampersand in aluminum foil.

2. I used sweet little white Alysum plants and started filling in the planter.

3. The plants are a little more “wild” than I had intended and you completely lose the shape.

4. It’s a great mix of hard and soft… but I’m just not sure.

 

 

 

Even though this project took a turn for the worse since the plants died and I had to start over, I am so pleased with how it turned out in the end.  Now I have this Planted Ampersand displayed on my mantel and don’t need to worry about watering it!

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