Plastic Cup Garden Flowers

Love outdoor accents like a birdbath, a windsock, or fake deer? If so, youll be thrilled with a fun and easy project where you make plastic flowers for the garden, to put beside your steps, or to display elsewhere in your yard. The next time you have a birthday party, a holiday get-together, a wedding, or another special event, save those plastic cups. When you cut them up and turn them into garden flowers youll find theyre colorful and adorable.Okay, were all aware of the need to put less garbage in the land fills, so many of us are trying new things to reuse what would formerly be garbage. You can, too, when you save those plastic cups from the trash, and use them to make garden flowers. For each flower, start with a clean, dry cup and cut the bottom off of it. To do that, pierce the side, right next to the bottom, with a sharp knife. Then, use scissors to neatly cut out the plastic circle. It will become the center of the flower you make.Cut the remainder of the cup into the petals for the flower. Cut down one side, and the opposite side, to separate it into two equal-size pieces. Cut each of those pieces in half, and then cut each of those four pieces in half. Youll end up with eight petals. Use a stapler to attach the petals around the circle. Staple the smallest end of the petal to the circle, and do this around the circle, to attach all eight of the petals. The petals, as well as the flowers center, should all be turned where you can see the outside parts of the cup.Purchase a small-diameter, wooden dowel to use for the flower stem. Paint it green with paint suitable for outdoors. After the paint is dry (it could take more than one coat) you can then attach the flower to the stem. Position the circle thats in the middle of the flower onto the end of the dowel. Use a single staple, in the middle of the circle, to attach the flower to the stem.Using adhesive that will hold up under the elements, you can attach tiny shells, mirrors, beads, roping, or other embellishments, in the middle of each flower, to make it even more attractive. Push the stems of the flowers into the dirt of the garden, or elsewhere in the yard. Or, put some in a plant pot outside. The flowers can be set on a porch - or even in the house; theyre adorable in a little girls room.Never throw the disposable cups away; just make more flowers. Dont need anymore? Give some to friends and family - unless theyre already making their own plastic cup flowers!