“AG Butterfly Plant Pick”

©Michele Emerson-Roberts  2016

January in Southeastern Arizona sometime is a little grey and dreary. Plants are resting and dreaming of sunshine and new growth. It is a good time of year to reflect back on the past year and start making plans for the current year. Creating the paper cast butterfly and small potted silk ivy is a breeze and makes a great gift. I keep several of these on hand as “cheer up gifts. It is a perfect gift for someone who is ill or in the hospital…….. the last thing they need to worry about is watering a plant!

Supplies:

• Any of the Arnold Grummer™ paper making kits
• Casting mold: CP Butterfly
• A sunny window, heat gun or microwave oven
• Blender, small strainer, cello sponges and soft towels
• Scraps of white paper (think junk mail, etc.)
• Beacon QuickGrip^TM adhesive
• Silk Ivy plant, moss, flower foam, small terracotta pot, white plastic coffee stirrer
• 24 gauge green wire, Coiling Gizmo™
• Two ½” flat backed white pearl hearts, 1/8: flat backed round pearl, 2 small spaghetti beads
• Wire cutters

Instructions

1. Follow the direction for paper making and casting found in any of the Arnold Grummer paper making kits or books to make slurry from the white scraps.
2. Cast one (or more) of the butterfly molds.
3. Dry the castings in a microwave oven, with a heat gun, or place it in a sunny window.
4. Create the antennas from the green wire and the Coiling Gizmo™.
5. Attach the spaghetti beads to the body of the butterfly, the antennas & flat backed round to the head and the two hearts to the wing area, the coffee stirrer to the back of the butterfly with QuickGrip™ adhesive.
6. Place the flower foam inside the pot.
7. Place the moss on top of the foam.
8. Cut the ivy plant apart.
9. Insert the silk ivy plant pieces into the moss covered foam.
10. Insert the butterfly plant pick into the pot.