Thursday, December 4, 2008

Christmas in the Habitat, We Did It We Did It!!

As most of you know, I don't miss any opportunity available to me to showcase my grandchildren on this blog. Brianna, our three year old "grandbaby", has a saying she is famous for: "I did it, I did it" which is said with much gusto and enthusiasm! This is how I felt when the decorations for the habitats were completed.




Here is how we "did it"... First we spray painted the pumpkins left over from the Pumpkin Lab. We chose a fleshy color so the pumpkins would look like faces. Any flesh-colored tones will do. I chose an olive-colored beige.

This year we cut the holes in the pumpkins at the bottom, gutted the pumpkins, used them for the pumpkin lab, then replaced the bottoms. By doing this, water was not able to enter into the pumpkins like it did in previous years. The pumpkins have lasted in perfect condition outside for over one and a half months. What a relief they didn't rot! Where can you get pumpkins this time of year?

Next, we laid them on top of an overturned pot. A large clay pot would be nicer but these pots are very expensive and budgeting is always a primary concern. Besides, I'm Dutch and we hate to spend money :)

The pumpkin "Mary" was made by draping it with a blue table cloth and a white dish cloth over her head. The table cloth was tucked under her chin to hold it. Hopefully this will hold on windy nights.

We put baby Jesus in a low squatty pot. He looks kind of cold. Maybe I'll swaddle him some more next week.
I found some white plastic table cloths in the school resource room. I think this makes really attractive "snow" and it is much cheaper than the rolls of snow you can purchase at stores. This made my Dutch blood go wild!

Joseph is made with a couple of things I scrounged together. We put Spanish moss under his chin for the beard :) I hope the birds and squirrels don't run off with it. Last year the K5 students found it on the playground. I don't think Joseph appreciates rodents running off with his beard...
I found this neat icicle at the Dollar Tree and used a bird feeder hook to hang it under the tree. Who would know how much beauty a dollar can generate?
The bird feeder needed some decor so we hot glued gold Legustrum leaves (free), a red ornament, and a bird on top of it.
Here they sit in quiet contemplation while the rest of us are running ourselves totally ragged getting ready for Christmas!!!
K5 students also helped me make the fencepost birds.



We spray painted some Legustrum leaves gold. I was wondering how I got those gold spots on my shoes. Where would I be without gold spray paint and a glue gun at Christmas? We glued a bird, a nest, a red ornament, and some greenery onto each fence post. The students loved it.


Finally, we made some large swags with magnolia leaves I swiped from an abandoned homestead in Georgis, left over Christmas Tree greens, and Holly from Lowes.
A red bow, a cardinal,
and some Spanish moss were also used.
I got carried away and grabbed some grasses that grew alongside the road and proceeded to spray paint them gold. I then stuck the spray-painted grass into some empty spaces of the swag to cover up the holes.

I tied up the whole arrangement with twine, hot glued it so the wind won't carry it away, and hung them up in the habitat.
Now its time to cut back all the old Fennel and Lantana in the Butterfly Garden. I think I'll reconsider doing all that work
and just relax and have a cup of tea with Mary and Joseph :)


Have a Blessed Christmas!

2 comments:

Rachel said...

Your pictures just keep getting better and better. I LOVE that picture of the "Mary and Joseph" made of pumpkins - too funny!

BrEanna is so excited to see you at Christmas!

WELCOME TO TuttleTime! said...

This would make such a cute Christmas card to your students. :) I love the "green-ness" of it all!!! You are so creative, Mom!!!!!