I Went to a Garden Party

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I helped host a garden party yesterday.
I was in charge of decorating seven dining tables and the buffet table. I wanted to do something simple, inexpensive and garden-y. I decided to use grass for the centerpieces. I thought about growing wheat grass, but then came up with an even easier idea. . .buying sod. I just needed something to put the grass in. I could have bought baskets but, at my house, it's much cheaper to build something than to buy. Fortunately I have a very supportive husband, (he really likes it when I give him a lot of compliments on my blog) who helps me carry out my ideas. We bought cedar fencing and used it, and scrap wood, to build shallow square boxes to hold the sod. I like the fencing material because it smells good and it's roughness gives the project a rustic look. I painted the boxes with "oops" paint, then sanded them to give them an aged appearance. The sod was cut to fit inside each box.

I purchased a mum plant and cut it apart. The stems of the mum are stiff enough to stick into the sod and stand upright. The sod boxes were surrounded with votive holders that I purchase at a dollar store (3/$1). The holders were also gifts for the guests. I had tea lights burning inside, then they were sent home with new scented votives.

After cutting the sod for the boxes, I had
a long thin piece of sod left;
a perfect size for the buffet table.

We built a box six feet long by seven inches wide. To make it stand above the food,
we added six small balusters for legs.
I used my little silver insects to help decorate the buffet table, too.The event was a lot of fun!

And now that it's over I can catch up
on my blog reading and comments! ;~)