Photo Garden Spring Craft

Hello friends! Did you know it's officially Spring? We are 3 days in and there are still no signs of it around here! And they are calling for more snow this weekend! AGH! I want to wear flip flops and run outside! Anyways, I've got a cute little craft that Carson and I did together awhile ago. We decided to give it to Grandma Rowe for her birthday, but I think it would be a nice Mother's Day gift, too!
The project takes just a few supplies to come together, which you could purchase at the Dollar Store, if you didn't already have them in your craft supplies at home! You will need a sytrofoam circle (or square would work too!), craft sticks, craft paint, pictures of your kids, craft punch or scissors, hot glue gun, ribbon and tag.

First Step:
Paint your craft sticks. We decided upon 4 different colors. Carson got crazy mixing up the paints on the sticks to make it more colorful. I love how they turned out! Allow paint to dry.
Second Step:
Cut the faces out that you want to display in your garden. I used a craft punch, but scissors would work just fine too! I punched out 2 additional scalloped punches from scrap paper to put behind the picture to give it a finished look.
Third Step:
Once the paint on the sticks is dry, you are going to break off pieces at one end to give a jagged fence look. If you didn't want a jagged fence look, you could cut off the ends so all of the sticks were the same size, but a little bit taller than the foam circle. Keep the broken or cut ends to use later! Keep enough sticks for the amount of pictures you have--these you will want longer.
Forth Step:
Hot glue the cut sticks around the foam circle--make sure to line them up evenly at the bottom edge of the circle. Allow to dry. Wrap a piece of ribbon around the fence to give it a complete look, hot glue to keep in place. Attach a tag if you wish.
Fifth Step:
Grab your pictures and broken/cut sticks and create a "flower" pattern with the sticks behind the picture. Glue sticks together and to the picture. Now, glue the flower to a painted craft stick. On the opposite side of the flower, hot glue the cut-out scrap paper to cover the back of the picture. Stick into the foam circle.
Last Step:
Hot glue some "grass" to cover up the foam circle. We used green shredded paper from the Target Dollar Section (LOVE!). Now, wrap it up and give it away--or display it with pride in your home or office!

What do you think? For less than $5, I created a nice gift for a special person! I think it turned out great--what a way to cheer someone up too! Who said a garden had to have real flowers in it?!?!

If you like this project, please comment and share! Thanks!

Cindy