Frugal Crafts & Gifts
(featured column by various authors)

The Garden Gate

by Amanda Formaro

Celebrate Summer with this darling little craft. This little garden gate makes a great wall hanging, can be framed, or simply set it on a shelf.  More...

You will need...

7 craft or Popsicle sticks
1 craft or Popsicle stick, split down the middle, and cut in half
3- 1 1/2" wood rectangles or precut woodsy signs
white acrylic paint
mauve acrylic paint
brown antiquing gel (or light brown paint)
floral, ladybug, and green checkerboard rub on transfers
raffia
white craft glue
green fine point craft pen or marker

What you do...

Place 5 craft sticks down vertically on your work surface, side by side about 1/2" apart. Lay 2 more craft sticks down horizontally on top of the 5 sticks to create a picket fence look. Glue in place and allow to dry. When dry, paint completely with white paint.

Paint wood rectangles and the craft stick slivers with white paint. When paint is dry, cover slivers with brown antiquing gel and rub off. Alternatively, you can use light brown paint, but antiquing gel gives a nicer affect. When dry, glue the slivers to the backs of the rectangles to create garden signs. 

Create borders on the signs with the checkerboard rub-ons. Use the fine tip pen to write "basil", "onion", and "dill" on the signs. Use the craft pen to create dots on the signs randomly around the herb names. Glue the signs to the picket fence as shown in the photo. Use various rub-ons along the bottom of the fence to create a line of flowers, rub on ladybugs and a butterfly along the fence and on 2 of the garden signs. 

Tie a bow from a piece of raffia and glue to the upper left hand corner of the fence. Dip the bristles of a dry paintbrush into mauve paint. Dab on a paper towel until all excess paint has been removed. Gently touch the edges of the craft sticks (fence posts) for effect. 

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Copyright © 2004 by Amanda Formaro

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