DIY Colour Wrapped Wheat

These colour wrapped wheat bunches are a great way to add a bit of colour and an autumnal vibe all in one. Plus it is so simple and easy to do!

I've used mine on the mantlepiece and on a shelf but you can use it as a centrepiece for an autumnal gathering, on a bedside table in a guest room if you have visitors. They could even be cut shorter and used as table decor for an autumnal wedding.

What you need:

• A bunch of wheat sticks (I got mine on Amazon)

• Scissors

• Multi-coloured wool

Method:

1. Pick 3 stems. You can do more but I think an odd number looks best personally

2. Get your wool and tie a double knot just underneath the wheat

3. Wrap the wool around the stems

4. Tie a knot at the end to hold everything together

5. Cut the stems to length

And that's it, so simple and was actually very relaxing to do.

Would love to know if any of you give this a go.

Kath

#autunmdecor #colourwrappedwheat #homedecor #colourpop

How to water your house plants

Now I don't claim to be an expert in all things plants, I'm very much learning as I go. I didn't used to be as green fingered as I am now so wanted to share what I have learned over the last few months.

How to check if your plant needs a water?

The first way to check if your plants needs watering is if the soil is moving away from the outside of the pot. This usually means that the soil is dry and needs some water.

Another way to check if your plant needs a water is to dip your finger in the soil and check if the soil feels dry or wet. If soil is on my finger when I take it out I usually take this as the soil is quite wet and if I have no soil on my finger I take that as the soil is dry. Might not be the technical way to do it but it works for me.

Some plants will visually tell you they need a water because their leaves will go droopy. Although I have also read that this means that you have over watered your plant (so much conflicting info ahh). So if you know you haven't watered a plant for while and the leaves are looking a bit sad then you know you need to give it a water. As I write this I am looking at this guy who is telling me he needs a water:

What temperature should the water be?

I normally let the water get to room temperature if I have time. I'll get the water and let it sit for a little while. Too hot or too cold can be a shock to the plants so they don't like it. If I am in a rush though I will just take water straight from the tap.

How to water your plants?

There's lots of debate online about whether you should water from the top or the bottom. I have done both ways but tend to water from the top. I usually water until I can see the water come out of the bottom of the pot and then stop. When I water the plants outside I just take them out of their pretty pots and let them drain out the water. If I am watering inside and I notice that there is still water in the pot after about 10 minutes I tip it away. If roots are sat in water for too long this is how root rotting can happen.

Where to start?

I can't even remember my first plant that I had for the house but I think definitely some of the early plants I got were these succulents from Lidl:

I find a succulent or a cactus the easiest to keep alive because they don't need a lot of attention.

Hope you have found this helpful :).

Kath

5 simple steps to care for your house plants

In this blog post I am going to share with you how I care for my house plants. I usually do this every 2-3 weeks depending on how busy I am. I am in no way a plant expert just learning as I go. Some plants need watering more often but I just do that as and when I need to.

What you will need:

• Plants (obvs)

• Large bowl

• Rain water

• Microfibre cloth

• Mini watering can

• Plant food

Step 1: Get some rain water

If you have a water butt put some rain water in a bowl and leave it to warm up in the sun for a little bit while you bring your plants out. If you don't have rain water you can use tap water.

Step 2: Bring all your house plants outside

I bring them all outside to care for them. It's easier because I don't have to worry about making a mess. Top tip for bringing plants outside, use a tray so you can carry more at a time.

Step 3: Get rid of any dead leaves

If you see any plants that have any dead leaves, remove them. Removing leaves not only makes the plant look healthier and happier it is also helps the remaining leaves to get more nutrients and encourages new leaf growth.

Step 4: Wipe down the leaves

Next you need to grab your bowl of lukewarm rain water and a cloth and wipe down all the leaves. I just use a microfibre cloth. Not only do clean leaves make your plants look healthier it also gets rid of the dust that limits the amount of light the leaves get.

Step 5: Give your plants a water and a feed

Finally I use Baby Bio plant food and rain water to give my plants a feed. I don't feed all my plants every time as some succulents don't need as much feeding and watering I find. Not sure when to water your plants? Have a read of my 'when to water your plants' post.

So there we have it, hope you have found this useful :).

Kath