DIY: FLORAL CENTERPIECES

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I have a slight obsession with flowers & DIY projects! When I began to plan my parents 60th wedding anniversary party, I immediately wanted to incorporate both in a fun, whimsical way.

I looked to some amazing floral accounts for inspiration in the Instagram world. John Mark over @johnmarkenterprises had one centerpiece design in particular that I fell in love with and knew would be perfect. It incorporated wood & flowers, which are a huge part of who my parents are!

My parents still live in my childhood home, nestled in a beautiful setting in the mountains of central Pennsylvania. My Dad is an avid outdoor man and my Mom has always loved her flowers & plants. Unfortunately, my Mom is now battling Alzheimer's, a terrible disease, and is no longer able to care for her gardens or even herself. Since I knew this could my parents' last milestone anniversary, I wanted to make it the best one yet.

Sketch in hand, I sat down with Mr. Maple Creek and asked if he thought we could pull these gorgeous centerpieces off. With a little bit of doubt (and a WHOLE lot of determination!) we set out building a model. We gathered some old scrap lumber from around the farm, then determined how wide we wanted our base to be. I thought a circular base around sixteen inches wide should support the weight of the structure.

Here’s a fun DIY tip: can’t draw a perfect circle? Use the base of a bucket! We traced a base onto the wood, and cut the circles with our handy-dandy jigsaw. The bare wood wasn’t quite serving the “look” I wanted, so for the finished base I used a mahogany stain to boost the resemblance to a real log. I decided to make four of the large centerpieces for the four main tables, and then use smaller flower arrangements and lanterns on the other tables.

After the bases were cut, we rounded up some old wood scraps & sticks from around the farm…dead limbs and branches that had fallen from the trees were recycled for a faux-vase around the centerpiece. We used drywall screws to secure the wood in place, and I covered the rest with reindeer moss from the Dollar Tree. That was the only cost from this project – only around five dollars!

Our biggest challenge was the containers on top. WHAT in the WORLD was I going to use to hold all the flowers? When I did a dry run with fake flowers, I used a milk jug cut in half and painted green. This worked perfectly? Until…

The real flowers came. Sadly, the weight of fresh flowers was too much for the shallow containers, so my brother had the idea to use old coffee cans! Again, we were able to recycle and pinch a few more pennies. My sweet brother Wade attached each of the coffee cans to the centerpieces and put a seal around the screw that went into the log so that it wouldn’t leak water.

BUT YA’LL. While the centerpieces were exciting, the icing on the cake were the GORGEOUS flowers from Petal Driven! I wanted to stick with a pink and white theme, so they sent me an assortment of gorgeous pink peonies and lilies. When the flowers arrived on Wednesday, they were fresh and packaged to perfection. I have never met a flower from Petal Driven that I didn’t like!

Get your own fresh cut flowers and gorgeous bouquets with Petal Driven! Friends, you will NOT regret it. Not sure where to start? They have a team of designers that can help you build the perfect arrangement! Or choose your own, from succulents to flowers to greens! Check them out here. Below, I'll include a peek at the flowers they sent me for a fun Petal Driven party in April...

Beautiful, right? Thank you Petal Driven! We're big fans here at Maple Creek.

That’s a wrap on this week’s DIY! Hope you guys enjoyed and picked up a few useful tips for your next project! Have you tried to build your own centerpieces? How did it go? What’s your favorite DIY project you’ve attempted recently? Let me know in the comments!

#betterhomesandgardens #table #centerpiece #DIY #diyproject #summer #summerprojects #summerdiy #countryliving #courtlycheck #vintagefarmhouse #vintage #maplecreekmarket #flowers #petaldriven

A WEEKEND AT MACKENZIE CHILDS

For our 23rd wedding anniversary, my hubby and I looked for a weekend getaway but decided that, due to the craziness of our schedules, we didn't want to travel far. Luckily there are a plethora of gorgeous locations in the Finger Lakes region! If you should know one thing about me, it would be that I absolutely LOVE interior design. Choosing to visit Mackenzie Childs in Aurora, New York (nestled along the beautiful Cayuka Lake) was a no-brainer. 

If I could think of one word that would describe this gorgeous place it would be JOY.

The beauty of the landscape and the gorgeous setting of the Mackenzie Childs farmhouse make for the absolute perfect getaway. When we drove up to the breathtaking house, the first thing I noticed were the gorgeous gardens and stunning view. Our little family also lives in a farmhouse (which I adore) but this one was surreal!

If you aren't familiar with Mackenzie Childs - girl, you need to get on board! It is one of my favorite brands. While originally founded as a pottery business in 1983, it soon grew and branched into furniture making a design. Each piece is handmade and hand-painted, which means each piece is as unique as a fingerprint - something rare and precious in today's fast-paced, quantity-over-quality culture. 

 While we were visiting we were able to stop by the gift shop, take a guided tour of the farmhouse and tour the gardens.

 Inside the store! Isn't it magical? 

I was expecting to love the store but man, the farmhouse was just spectacular! The attention to detail and the preservation of the original house was on point. The farmhouse is stocked full of art and furniture (from current and retired collections) made right there at Mackenzie Childs.

 One of the bedrooms!

 The dining room...

The famous Courtly Check pattern was on full display throughout the farmhouse.

 Another one of the bedrooms, featuring the limited wicker furniture collection! 

 The beautiful kitchen! Featuring the retired Honeymoon Pink pattern. 

After we toured, we had to stop to snap a few pictures at the house! This porch was absolutely gorgeous. 

After our visit to Mackenzie Childs, we ventured down into the quaint town of Aurora, New York. This town is home to Wells College and the Inns of Aurora. It was like stepping back in time! We loved being able to enjoy our weekend at a much slower pace.

This gorgeous spot is a must-see and a bucket list item for sure. I would highly recommend a day trip visit if you’re local, or - if you're traveling from out-of-state - a stay at the gorgeous Inns of Aurora! 

The hubs & I outside the store! 

Have YOU been to Mackenzie Childs? Are you a fan of the brand? Which piece or collection is your favorite? Let me know what you think! 

#homedecor #famrhouse #mackenzechilds #decor #interiordesign #courtlycheck #kitchen #bedroom #roadtrip #anniversary