Flowers Always Fade

I love decorating with flowers.

Whether they're fresh, printed on fabric,

or cut out of paper, they always bring color and sunshine to any decor.

They also preach a sermon to my heart,

based on I Peter 1:24-25

"...the grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

Flowers and this verse is my favorite combination

 for a craft for Daily Vacation Bible School.

 

Because I had "Wasted Not and Wanted Not",

There were mountains of flowers, one inch circles and mortarboards

that needed to be crafted into Graduation decorations.

My dining room table was gloriously covered.

Inspiration  usually comes to me in a messy way,

not a neat, organized way.

I need to spread out all my stuff and look at it.

Then, I begin creating.

One of the things I created for Thanksgiving last year was a

Thankful Garland.

After the holidays, I left up the grapevine along the mantle, 

assuming I would decorate for each holiday or season.

It had been empty since Thanksgiving,

but it was time to change that.

Flowers were layered and glued together with gluestick.

Since I wasn't going to reuse the flowers,

(psst....please don't tell my relatives)

I just used blue painter's tape to hold paper clips down.

No special reason to use this tape,

just it was the only one I could find at the time.

My family has this thing for using my tape.

On one side of the fireplace mantle,  the graduate's name,

on the other side flowers that spelled out 2011.

I just printed out the letters on a Word document,

then used my one inch punch.

(has a peek-a-book top so you can see what you're punching)

Little take-out boxes from Cash&Carry were decorated for Chex Mix.

(more on this later)

Mini-cupcakes were decorated with homemade floral picks.

As I was cleaning up after Graduation,

I had a handful of these beauties in my hand,

while hearing those warring voices in my head~

"Save them, you might need them."

"Don't save them, throw them out. You save too much."

"You might need them...."

"You'll never need them....."

I boldly threw them out,

because

I could.

But, I shouldn't have.

I hadn't taken any close-up pics.

I'm have to use my words to illustrate.

But, I just used 2 one inch circles,

glued on a small flower

and a mortarboard on one side,

and glued a toothpick between them.

I used Elmer's glue so it would be flat.

Hot glue can make things lumpy.

For some of the picks I used pics of Grace in her cap,

but she didn't like them.

I loved them.

I think she's beautiful.

We celebrated the graduations of other friends

by posting their announcements and pictures on a prominent wall.

The flowers were bright, festive and made Grace's graduation party so beautiful.

But, after all that work, they were thrown away.

I know, what a waste.

But, from now on,

may flowers always preach this silent sermon

to your heart.

I Peter 1:24-25

"...the grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of the Lord endures forever.”