Marlene Alexander About 400 Words 872 Oaktree Cresent First Rights Newmarket, Ontario Marlene Alexander, 2015Canada L3X 2Y7Tel. 905-853-3445Email: marlene.alexander@sympatico.ca

DOLLAR STORE STYLE

by Marlene Alexander

Elements of SummerIdeas for Summertime Accents

If you like to create faux snow globes and cloches for Christmas, think about using the same method for making summertime accents.

For these projects, I used round glass bowls but you don’t need to limit yourself. Any kind of clear container, from mason jars to clear vases can be used effectively.

Water Bowl

Evoke the feeling of water without the water.

What you will need:

- large glass bowl (Dollarama) $3- 1 bag multi-colored blue glass stones (Dollar Tree)- 1 seashell (on hand)- 1 piece driftwood or another piece of natural wood (on hand)- 1 plastic aquarium plant or other piece of greenery

Layer the stones on the bottom, “plant” the greenery and add a shell, the driftwood and a small piece of greenery to create the illusion of an underwater scene.

Earth Bowl

What you will need:

- 1 medium glass bowl (Dollarama) $2- Spanish moss (on hand)- 1 - 4” engraved faux stone (Dollar Tree)- small stone (on hand)- a small bunch artificial flowers pulled from a larger bunch (on hand)

We found this 4-inch faux stone at Dollar Tree and nestled it into some Spanish moss along with a smaller stone. The fake stones come imprinted with different inspirational sayings. Add a spray of flowers from a larger stem for a hit of color and you’ve created a miniature representation of terra firma.

Sky Bowl

What you will need:

- small glass bowl (Dollar Tree)- sphagnum moss (on hand)- small faux eggs (on hand)- sprig of green leaves (on hand)- decorative bird (Dollar Tree)

Squish a handful of sphagnum moss in your hand to make a roundish shape, place it in the bottom of the bowl and make a small indentation in the centre to create a nest. The eggs are from our stash of Easter supplies. Add a small bird and some greenery to give the impression of life in a treetop.

Displayed together, you’ll have representations of sky, earth and water. Group them on a table or stack them, as shown here.

We haven’t glued the bowls together because we’ll want to reuse them for other things later. So, if you choose to display the bowls by stacking them, make sure they’re on a mantel shelf or somewhere else out of reach of curious kids, pets and others who might accidentally bump them and cause you, and possibly themselves, a lot of grief.

Displayed together, you’ll have representations of sky, earth and water. Group them on a table or stack them, as shown here.

We haven’t glued the bowls together because we’ll want to reuse them for other things later. So, if you choose to display the bowls by stacking them, make sure they’re on a mantel shelf or somewhere else out of reach of curious kids, pets and others who might accidentally bump them and cause you, and possibly themselves, a lot of grief.