Pinterest Challenge Take 2

So last week I tried making a string garden planter for the Pinterest Challenge. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either.




I didn't quite finish the project, no moss to cover the crochet bag. So it sat in a dish all week. It started to look pretty gross too since the white cotton was soaking up the dirt when I watered it. See?




So I bought some moss this week! Exciting right? But I just couldn't bring myself to put it on my gross but almost finished project. Why? Well I'll tell you why. I didn't really like how it turned out, and I didn't think slapping on a sheet of moss was really going to fix what I disliked about it. So I started over from scratch and used some of the suggestions I left myself last week about what I would do differently. I bet there are a few of you out the that come up with 10 different ways to do something better the second time around too.

So I started with a crochet bag just like before, but this time used a smaller hook. I may have also paid more attention to my increases and decreases so that it was less pear shaped and more ball shaped.




You might notice that the opening is way to big to keep the plant securely in place and you would be right in that assumption. Instead of crocheting the whole pouch and then trying to stuff all the roots inside, I worked the bag up to a few rounds of decreases. Once the shape was coming together on the top I put my orchid inside and filled the rest up with orchid potting soil. Finishing those last couple of rounds was a bit difficult, with the weight of the plant, and trying to avoid stabbing the leaves with the crochet hook. It probably took about 3-4 more rounds to close up the hole. Make sure to stuff in more soil along the way to keep the bag full. Then just weave in the tail.



Now that the plant and dirt is secured it's time to cover the bag with moss. I just got this sheet moss and cut a smaller square out of the larger sheet that it came in. I took the 4 sides and tacked them to the top of the bag under the leaves with a few quick stitches.




Then I pinched the excess corners and using scissors I cut in a rounded line following the shape of the bag like this.




Sew up the seams, making sure to catch the bag. I used a whip stitch, nothing fancy. You can barely even see the string if you pull it nice and tight.

This time I used 3 strings to hang the ball instead of 4. Sew those strings through the moss, making sure to catch the crochet bag inside, and tie them to make sure they are secure. Once that is all done, hold the plant in the air by your strings (you may want to adjust one or two strings to get it hanging the way you like) and make a little knot. Now go throw it up on a hook or something.



I decided to hang mine in the outside part of that light fixture from my fancy schmancy chandelier that I made last month. I just pulled the string through the hole in the top that the wires went through and tied a knot around a tooth pick, like dis. I have a little brass cap that I can set on top to hide this little setup, cause let's face it, it ain't pretty!





I didn't really think about how I would take the plant out for watering, I plan on just dunking the whole thing in some water for a few minutes. Then I figured that I could just slip the tooth pick through the same hole. Lucky coincidence!














So tell me what you think! Love it? Hate it? I think I might paint the brass parts at a later date, but we'll see.

- Nikki