Ideas for Mother's Day

This Mother's Day, try creating arrangements from what is already growing in your yard (or in between the cracks of your sidewalk). Our friend Ellen Rawley shares with you a simple way to make beautiful yard bouquets from a variety of weeds, grasses, and plants. (See other fun ways to enjoy Mother's Day.)

For this project you’ll need a scissor, a vase, and some time to let your eyes relax. First, go out to gather your materials from your yard or in between the cracks of the sidewalk. Let yourself be surprised by what you find when you give yourself time to really look. A grassy yard, when stared at more closely, reveals itself to be a secret garden with layers of grasses and tiny wildflowers.

Some “weeds” that hold up nicely in an arrangement include dandelion (with or without their flower head), hardier grasses, clover, cleavers, wild radish, and ammi. As you cut your flowers and greens, let your inspiration guide you. Gather that rock that catches your eye or the old pine cone.

Once inside, fill your vase with water. Don’t have any vases? Use an empty glass, a beer bottle, a jam jar, or mix and match to create many tiny arrangements. Give your flowers and greens a fresh cut before putting them in the water.

Create a tableau with your yard bouquet and other natural objects like feathers, stones, leaves, branches, and shells. You can add color by placing a candle, print, or book nearby. In this simple way you can bring fresh life into your home, recognize the resources that already surround you, and, as the arrangement ages, mark the passage of time.

BONUS: See Ellen's story on creating prints from leaves and weeds (great for Mother's Day cards), plus other creative ways to bring the outdoors inside (Couchella!) with other #OptInside ideas.

To all moms out there, we wish you a very happy Mother's Day!

Find more ways to bring the natural world into your daily life and surround yourself with its inspiring comfort @wild_still on IG and wild-still.com.