March 30, 2010

TUTORIAL: Re-purposed recycled felt helping your garden grow: now that's what I call ECO!

It is pretty safe to say that the Alexandra Ferguson studio generates a LOT of felt scraps in the process of manufacturing her collection of applique pillows. So when a local Master Gardener told Charlotte Ferguson (Alexandra's mom, and the brand's Roving Ambassador) about a clever trick to keep her spring seedlings well watered while depleting Alexandra's ever growing stash of scraps....well, it was too good to keep to ourselves.

Follow these easy steps to create your own low-maintenance indoor greenhouse:

1. You will need a panel of felt about 24" x 16". We pieced two smaller panels together to get the right size. I thought it would be fun to use up all the tiny scraps in rainbow colors to create a patchwork, but Charlotte was in a hurry. One quick seam did the trick. You won't see the felt once all the plants are on top of it, so don't worry about making it look beautiful.
2. Using a medium sized waterproof container (we used clear storage bins), place the black trays your plants often come with upside down (shown on left side of photo). The idea is that you need to get about 3" height, so anything you have around the house that would serve that purpose would work as well. Place your felt panel on top of your riser, making sure that the edges of the felt go all the way to the bottom.
3. Pour water into your waterproof container. Soak the felt thoroughly, with about 2" height of water in your tub.
4. Place your trays of seedlings on top of the soaking felt, and you are done! The felt will draw water up from the bottom as the seeds drink, so your seeds will always be perfectly watered and you don't need to do a thing!
Your greenhouse should be placed in a sunny spot indoors. We added a grow light, easily found at Home Depot or your local gardening store for extra oomph.

Two weeks later

To celebrate spring, Alexandra is giving away one of her botanical-themed pillows. Don't have a garden with windows full of seedlings? The 16" "Tulip" pillow in cocoa that she is giving away should more than make up for it! The best part? This flower blooms all year long.


Check out the rest of the alexandra ferguson collection on her etsy site,
www.alexandraferguson.etsy.com
including many other floral styles as well as her popular "Pillow Talk" line of sassy words and phrases. Alexandra works exclusively with recycled felt made from plastic water bottles. Every applique shape is meticulously cut by hand and stitched down in her studio based in Westchester County, NY. Just like everything in nature, no two are ever the same!

TO ENTER TO WIN:
You must be a FOLLOWER of this blog. Visit Alex's store HERE. Come back and leave a comment on this post and let us know what your favorite item in her shop was. One entry per person BUT if you twitter, blog, or facebook about this giveaway and leave a link it will give you extra entries.

This giveaway is the last on our series of March Madness giveaways-- It ends Tuesday, April 6th- winner announced on the April 6th blog post. Please scroll for two additional giveaways from the team that will also end April 6.

46 comments:

A Glamour Soldier said...

I love her shops and I love that she uses recyclable items for her beautiful pillows! My favorite item in her shop has got to be the "Naughty Cat Fishing". I have four cats that I adore so that pillow is close to my heart!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39541811

A Glamour Soldier said...

http://twitter.com/GlamourSoldier/status/11323468631

I tweeted about the awesome contest here! :)

A Glamour Soldier said...

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33232229920&v=info#!/GlamourSoldier?ref=mf

I posted on my Facebook profile too about this contest. Thanks!! :)

Kim said...

I LOVE the TULIP charcoal and fuchsia.
Wow! I did not know you could make felt from recycled water bottles.
Great shop!!!

May Luk Ceramics said...

STUD pillow!!

Metalicious said...

Be Nice Or Leave is my favorite!! I love Alex's work. Here's my twitter of the contest, too: http://twitter.com/metaliciousgems

Simone said...

No Whining! http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40435243

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groundsel

kristin said...

I love them all, but esp. the FRITILLARIES one.

I tweeted. or twittered. or whatever

http://twitter.com/kwr221/status/11364018942

And Facebooked.
http://www.facebook.com/kwr221?v=feed&story_fbid=113110645372999#!/kwr221?v=feed&story_fbid=104967912874759&ref=mf

Diane said...

Oatmeal bud explosion - stunning!!! Alex is so talented & creative...

See my blog post about it here:

http://etsyfavorites.tumblr.com/

(and I twittered, too)

Julia said...

I love her "no whining" pillow.

Paperelle said...

"Be Nice or Leave" is a great adage, especially for a couch or bed. Hooray for eco-felt!

Paperelle said...

Also, tweeted: http://twitter.com/paperelle/status/11369773539

Marilyn said...

Of course it's "Be Nice Or Leave" for me. :) Love that! I just posted this on FB too.

Marilyn said...

And here is my tweet :)

http://twitter.com/pulpsushi/status/11370524718

muffin said...

i love the tree of life pillow... http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39246965

honestly I love many of the pillows!!
and am now going to tweet the contest too via @creativemuffin

Sorka said...

I like the Call Your Mother pillows! hehehe

Sorka said...

Tweeted about the contest!
http://twitter.com/Sorka/status/11373018152

Sorka said...

Facebook post about it too! http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/profile.php?id=589741336&ref=mf

Mulryjewels said...

love these all! I have been a huge fan for a while. Tweeted and facebooked :D

Kirsten said...

hmmmm. I like Tree of Life and Edward the Bird. I also like the one with Dude- no....
Lots of fun pillows there. They look like perfect gifts for college students or for people getting married in their early twenties.

Kirsten said...

I wish you had one of those easy "follow this blog" links somewhere in the sidebar. I will add this blog to my google reader list, but don't know if that counts for your follower requirement.

Aliza said...

Must I choose just one? I love Bella, and pretty much any floral designs. I love the colors and the clean lines of it all.

Facebooked here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=528757277

Amber said...

I follow your blog and my favorite item from Alex's shop is the SEAHORSES - navy and white - 16 inch recycled felt applique pillow!
Thank you for the giveaway :)
hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I love the Privet pillow! (and I'm a follower)
e.estt[at]yahoo[dot]com

Martha Carolyn said...

I am a follower. My favorite item from her shop is the PRIVET 16 inch recycled felt applique pillow in oatmeal and black. I would love that for my house!

Samy said...

I adore the "Eat Drink Play" pillow-
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=26949979

I also follow your blog :)

Thank you for this opportunity!

samyrocks92 at msn dot com

aJ said...

i am a new subscriber to this super blog. so glad i stumbled upon it via etsy giveaways. learning about alexandraferguson's shop is a treat, too. i liked the eat drink play pillow because of the simple oatmeal base and nice shades of purple.

Danelle (Indie Game Lover) said...

Wow love the SEAHORSES - navy and white - 16 inch recycled felt applique pillow

duhnellecarter [at] yahoo . com
get this giveaway free exposure too at http://byhandgiveaways.com

AM said...

I like the Bang pillow, it's whimsy and awesome!

Good luck to everyone!

(email in blogger profile)

Virginia Kraljevic said...

this is a super post!!

katie hanson said...

what a great shop! i love the navy and white fish pillow!

kateandoli@gmail.com

katie hanson said...

i facebooked! http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/kateandoli

kateandoli@gmail.com

katie hanson said...

i tweeted! http://twitter.com/ichbinseins/status/11436516404

kateandoli@gmail.com

Jess // CLineCreations said...

Awesome tutorial, and gorgeous pillows!

I am a big fan of her orchid design, with naughty cat being a close 2nd.

Blogged:
http://clinecreations.blogspot.com/

Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/CLineCreations/status/11448797528

Ali said...

I LOVE the BANG pillow.

I did not know you could make felt from recycled water bottles either.

Ali said...

Tweeted!

http://twitter.com/socialison/status/11549701199

h. mcnaron said...

I follow your blog on google friend.
I love the navy and white fish!

Unknown said...

i love the fact that the things is from recycled items!!!

mommastoner@gmail.com

Mo Pho said...

I love Bella the Feathered friend! These pillows are wonderful :)

krherning at yahoo dot com

Julie said...

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33971702
love this-Pink Bud Explosion Pillow

I follow your blog as jelaws5

aunteegem@yahoo.com

bmolavi said...

love! love! love! the CLEMATIS!
it has a very nice texture!

bmolavi said...

tweeted of course :)
http://twitter.com/bmolavi/status/11663177162

Mama H said...

I love the monogrammed felt pillows.
chingley(at)comcast(dot)net

Annie Garay said...

Is it to late to enter?! I love the stud pillow, and everything else!!!
annie--marie@hotmail.com

ciaobabie said...

clematis-cocoa and white!! beautiful!!

bmolavi said...

so? who won? did i miss it somewhere?
:)