Garden Light

Here are some "Make It Yourself" ideas I created and styled for Country Gardens magazine in the Summer 2009 issue. I had a great time shooting this story in VT at Muddy Creek Farm with Jim Westphalen.

I discovered clam baskets make a great
hanging chandelier.

Hang with clothesline from a tree, beams or a pergola over your table. Pad the bottom
with moss and stand pillar
candles inside.
















Love Buckets! use them to make pretty
floating flowerscapes. Add a floating candle.
Place it where your friends will Ohhh and AHHH!!
Flowers will look pretty
for days
















Chandelier globes from the flea market
make festive votives for candles.
Collect them in different shapes and sizes.
I placed them on a metal plant tray lined
with moss as a party idea.






















I created this as another way to bring
candlelight to the garden border. Stacking various
old galvanized containers for height.
The middle is planted with flowers and the
top is filled with water and
floating candles

Fast and Festive Accents for the Fourth of July

With three rolls of Crepe paper (one each in red, white, and blue), and double sided tape , you can quickly transform simple straight sided household glasses and glass containers into patriotic accents: luminaries, flag holders, vases, or cutlery containers. Bold stripes by day, add votive candles for glowing color at night

Oh,..., and you will have enough left over to lay out the fun table runner,... lickety split.

Here's how to make the containers:
Gather any straight sided glass vases, glasses, or
containers. Run two strips of double sided tape, side by side, down the back of the container from top to bottom..Cut crepe paper to the exact circumference of the vessel. Wrap the cut pieces around the vessel tightly securing with the double sided tape. Tip: pull crepe paper tight around vessel, humidity will make paper buckle.

Here's how to make the table runner:
Cover your table with a white tablecloth.
Down the center of the table run five long stripes of red crepe paper, the length of the table plus a few inches on each end to hang over.
Use double stick tape under ends to hold in place.

Weave lengths of blue paper thru the red in the center. Cut ends to hang over table edge. Use tape under edges to hold.