April showers are almost behind us and May flowers are ready to bloom. It’s the perfect time to DIY a springtime bouquet to decorate your front door. Each bouquet celebrates spring in its own way with a combination of birch bark, flowers, leaves, twigs, moss, and even a bird’s nest. (Hint, hint – wouldn’t these make beautiful, handmade Mother’s Day gifts, too?) They’ll last for many springs to come, too. Enjoy! (And, don’t miss the announcement of the Earth Day challenge winners . . .)


Birch Bark & Hydrangea Floral Cone by Diane Flowers & Kathleen George.
To make a Hydrangea & Birch Bark Tussy Mussy, you’ll need:
- STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam: 12” x 4” cone
- Preserved birch bark, 8″ x 10″ piece*
- Willow twigs, three 12” stems
- Honeysuckle twigs, five (you can substitute additional willow twigs for these)
- Silk flowers: Four stems hydrangeas; blueberry pick
- Robin’s eggs, two
- Reindeer moss
- Excelsior
- Low-temp glue gun
- Tools needed: Serrated knife; old candle or bar of soap; heavy-duty scissors; floral shears
*Note: If you’re gathering your own birch bark, please collect it from the forest floor and not from the trees. You can purchase birch bark from the Birch Bark Store in western Maine.
To make a Hydrangea & Birch Bark Tussy Mussy:
1. Wax serrated knife with a bar of soap or an old candle. Carefully cut the foam cone in half, from the tip to the base. Save one half for a future use.
2. Carefully peel excess layers from back of birch bark to make it more flexible. Using glue gun and a generous amount of glue, adhere birch bark around the front of the half-cone. After the glue dries, carefully trim away excess bark along the tip, the bottom and the sides.
3. Glue a willow twig along each side.

See the sweet nest?
4. Shape a small clump of excelsior into a shallow nest and glue to front of cone near top edge. Glue eggs into nest.
5. Carefully remove leaves from hydrangea stems, leaving stems intact. Using floral shears, cut leaf stems to 2″ long and flower stems to 4″-7″ long. Glue and insert flower stems and blueberry pick into the top of the half cone. Glue leaves into arrangement among flowers.
6. Trim honeysuckle twigs to 8″-14″ long. Position twigs in the hydrangeas and insert and glue one end of each twig into the foam cone. Referring to the photo, loop the stems around and then insert and glue other end into the top of the cone.
7. Bend a thin willow stick into a U-shape for a hanger. Insert and glue ends into the top back of cone.
8. Fill in any open areas with reindeer moss.
Here are three more front-door bouquets to make. Each photo links to the tutorial.

Bird Nest Tussy Mussy by Rebekah Meier.

Moss & Roses Cone by Diane Flowers.

Tropical Orchid Cone by Diane Flowers.
A few weeks ago on a rainy April day, I saw these watering cans at a garden center – so fun! I’m ready for May flowers, though, and spent time weeding and planting in my gardens this past weekend. Every year, I think my gardens are just about full, and then come springtime, I squeeze in a few more plants. Do you do that, too?

Colorful watering cans bring April showers.
Thanks to the readers who participated in our Earth Day challenge. Congratulations to Lynda Atwood, Carla and Melissa F.! Please contact me, ladies, about your prizes.
Happy crafting!
Sharon
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