While fall may be the shutting down of many things, it’s also the start of something pretty spectacular.
For me, fall is a season to gather what’s been growing all along, catching it while it rests. Then making it into something that could never have been, while growing madly mid summer.
I’m thankful…
for hydrangeas when they are past their prime.
Once fall hits, they explode into a chorus of muted rainbow colours. And if you allow them to air dry outdoors, they become this amazing golden tone to play with yet again.
Dead? Says who?
All this took was a little hot glue to some spent hydrangea flowers, and twisty twigs.
And you have yourself a new little fall bloomer!
How to make a Hydrangea Bonsai
– gather up some dried hydrangea blooms and branches
– hot glue styrofoam into a clay pot, and insert the branch
– hot glue hydrangea ‘bunches’ onto the branches
– cover the styrofoam with rocks, moss and more hydrangea petals
I’m thankful…
that fall is far from hybernation season here. The backyard is filled to the brim of all things nature that are begging to become fall bloomers in their own right.
And if you play your cards right and dry those hydrangeas for your fall mantel, they can bloom all year! 🙂
I’m thankful…
that fall offers you a season that beckons you to freshen up spaces that have grown stagnant over time.
There’s nothing more exciting than digging through your stash, to find a small collection of mirrors and other vintage relics to add sparkle with a new wall gallery for the entry.
Fall deemed a season where everything shuts down and stops?
Says who?
If you think about it, life’s a little like that. We have our go go go growth periods while working hard towards something, but then suddenly, it’s easy to stand still again once we’ve reached a plateau.
Are we making the best of that new found wealth, spreading our wings out even further in new areas?
Or does hibernation (fear) set in?
I’m thankful…
that I have a fall home tour with hydrangeas and junk.
And that we have the opportunity to continue to bloom, no matter what the season is. And that the only thing that’s stopping us… is us.
Dare to be a fall bloomer?
Says YOU! 🙂
I’m also VERY thankful that my friends below are flinging open their own front doors, ready to take you for a tour of thankfulness through their own homes. Are you as curious as I on what lurks ahead?
Let’s go! I’ll bet there’s coffee… 🙂
Monday, Nov. 3
Funky Junk Interiors – you are here!
Tuesday, Nov. 4
Wednesday, Nov. 5
LOVE this post, Donna. My mom just brought me some dried hydrangeas from her garden and I adore them. What a great idea to create a little bonsai — so pretty! I’m so thankful you are sharing with us today!
Julie
Love this post and that hydrangea bonsai Donna!!
Oh I just LOVE your little hydrangea creation Donna and all of the beautiful ways you’ve used them around your home!
Donna, I love your hydrangea bosai. What a great way to use those golden blooms. My hydrangea bush barely bloomed this year. I sure hope it comes back strong next year so I can get some new blooms to dry.
I love bonsai trees and this one is awesome!….I must try this!!!…and love the container too….but using the dried ones from the year before as my hydrangeas did not bloom so much this year!…loved your story of blessings of the Fall…
Love it, Donna! Such a good reminder… and such gorgeous hydrangeas! Thanks for sharing.
Oh Donna, I just loved this post. The sentiment, the photos & of course the hydrangeas. May your plateaus alway be enjoyed BUT also be a jumping off point to the next adventure!
xx
I think you were writing to me about hibernation. I’ve got a serious problem with hibernating when cold weather sets in. And I live in the southern US! I actually live about an hour and half away from where Bella Rustica was held in 2012. I was there for your sign making class. I remember you having to stop whenever you said decal to make sure you pronounce it the way we say it down here. 🙂 Love all of your hydrangeas. I’ve gone dried hydrangea overboard this year but hey it works!
Haha, I still laugh about deeecals to this day! So funny!
And you can bet I was talking to myself about hibernation. Big time. I seem to get ‘so far’ and then halt.
I absolutely LOVE the hydrangea mantel!
Great tour! Those hydrangeas are becoming your fall signature!
Oh how I love hydrangeas! Yours are gorgeous and I love your bonsai creation!
Your Hydrangea Bonsai is beautiful! And I love the arrangement on the mantle. Love your fall story! Thanks for sharing!
You are just cool Donna and I love your hydrangeas. Yes indeed,we do have the opportunity to keep on blooming:)
Donna, you can make beauty with almost anything! Your hydrangea bonsi is a perfect example. Who knew that my dried hydrangeas off my porch could be a fabulous creation. But even deeper than that… it’s important to see beauty and be thankful for it in all it’s forms. Lovely post… lovely you!
I loved what you did with these hydrangeas because it’s not only beautiful but very artistic! Wonderful!
You amaze me Donna. That little tree is beautiful. Seriously who else could take something that most people would throw away and make a thing of beauty from it?
For the first time ever this year I dried some hydrangeas…and I’m so glad I did! They are fragile but so beautiful. I loved seeing your home all decked out for Fall. The mantel is perfection.
You hit this one out of the park! Our garden is filled with big fat hydrangeas. I’ve got the dried flowers stuffed into my fall grapevine wreath on the front door, in wood bowls with mini pumpkins and dried gourds and filling my fireplace niche.
But this bonsai hydrangea tells me I need a little more … I’be got to try this.