Book Flowers and Chalkboard Vase Centerpiece

Graduation parties celebrate a major achievement, but are still more casual parties often held in the yard or local restaurant.

To give your graduate's celebration a festive feel that's personalized and inexpensive, try crafting a few of these easy centerpieces.

We used a metal sand pail we had on hand as our base, but you can use chalkboard paint on any container.

Supplies

small metal buckets
chalkboard paint
sponge applicator
chalk
old pages from a book
ink pad and small sponge
buttons
florist wire
green florist tape
silk greenery
clear marbles

Directions

For the bucket:

Step 1: Apply first coat of chalkboard paint to the outside of the bucket and allow to dry for 24 hours.

Step 2: Apply the second coat of paint in an opposite direction and dry for 24 hours.

Step 3: Prepare the chalkboard surface by rubbing it all over with the side of a piece of chalk.  Erase with a soft cloth. Your chalkboard-bucket is ready to write on.

For the paper flowers:

Step 1: Trace around a 4 inch circle on printed paper.  Cut out 7 circles for each flower.

Step 2: With a small sponge apply ink around the edges of each circle.

Step 3: Stack the 7 circles together and pierce two holes, the width of the button holes through the center.

Step 4: Poke the florist wire through the center of the button and twist together on the back side.

Step 5: Crumple each layer of paper up ,one at a time,  towards the button center.

Step 6: After all 7 layers are crumpled, tape the stem with the green floral tape.  Begin taping at the base of the flower and include some of the bottom layer of paper in the tape.

Step 7: Make 3 flowers for each small bucket. 

Fill the bucket 3/4 full with clear glass marbles. Secure the flowers and some silk leaves or other greenery in the bucket. Tie a cheerful ribbon to the bucket handle and add some messages and doodles to the chalkboard surface with the chalk.

This idea was sponsored by Pear Tree Greetings.