First, before you work on this project you will need an Australian Kurrajong tree. Hopefully there is one somewhere around your neighborhood. This is a good opportunity to get out there and take a walk early in the morning to see what your neighborhood has.
Kurrajong trees are called bottle trees in Arizona. The aborigines used the seeds as a food source. The seeds were taken out of their pods and cooled slowly over coals then eaten. I guess they are suppose to taste like peanuts.
I like the way they look. Don’t the seed pods look like little boats? It takes about 35-50 years for the trees to reach their full height; they really shade the yards well.
If you can’t find one of these trees out in your part of the planet then you might be able to find some online or Etsy. It is still fun getting outdoors and collecting little bits and bops of different items to create with. I do not know how many rocks I have come across out there that was shaped like a heart. The important thing is that you are not only being super creative looking at nature in an artistic way but you get a little exercise in the process and who knows, maybe you will meet a neighbor you don’t know and make a new friend.
Supplies needed:
Seed pods
Fabric glue
Fabric scraps
Twine
Twigs
Glue gun
Acrylic paint (optional)
First you will need to clean your pods. Wear garden gloves when doing this, the seedpods can cause itching.
After you have cleaned them and they have dried you can paint them if you like. I liked the natural color of the pods so I left them the way they were.
When your seedpods are dry you can get out your fabric scraps and pick the colors you want. Draw a triangle on cardboard to use as a template to trace and cut out from the fabric scraps.
Once you have your pieces cut out glue twine around your triangles.
While your sails are drying, glue a twig in the center of your pod. This is where you will attach your sails.
Attach your sails by gluing and twisting the twine to the tops and bottoms of your twigs.
I used fabric glue that was also waterproof, which in the long run was not necessary because these sailboats should never get wet. You see they are for decoration only.
My husband was laughing when I put my little sailboat in water and it sunk “You need weights” he told me when he saw what I was doing.
Okay, first of all I am from the desert, we don’t have lakes or oceans in our desert. We have rocks, snakes, lizards and sharp things. I have never in my whole entire life been on a sailboat. Looks like I will have to add that to my bucket list.
So if you want your seedpods to actually sail, you will need to get a little more creative in the design process.
It is doable, just need to work a little extra harder on it. They make great decorations though and will keep the kids busy at least.
Happy crafting everyone…remember, include everyone, all ages and all levels.
I doubt we have Australian Kurrajong trees in London, but I’ll investigate! x
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I had to look up what my aunt’s tree was. I am always picking up the seed pods to decorate with, they also look good on wreaths. Try Etsy, maybe they have some for sale. Hope you find one in London though, they are really cool trees.
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What a cute idea. I may try a Canadian version with my grandkids.
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Oh, they will have fun. Send me a photo if you do make some, I love to see what others come up with.
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It’s so adorably cute! Great up-cycling project too!
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Thank you.
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How clever!!!!! I wish I had one of these trees!
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Thank you. Wish I had this tree too, it’s my Aunt’s tree but we got some babies a couple months ago so hopefully they will grow and someday we will have a big enough tree to transplant.
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You take me back to my childhood!😊
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Yeah, I am still a kid at heart but my family loves it, we have a lot of fun adventures together.
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I like this DIY project. Adorable. You made me laugh too. Never been on a sailboat, Eh? You should definitely add that to your bucket list.
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Thank you, I will have to do that sailboat, they always look so beautiful on the sea.
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💗
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No I am from America but I love your country. I am always watching travel clips and shows that show your country and it is gorgeous. I love nature and think it is so fun to create art with it. Thank you so much for thinking of me and your art awards. I will have to check out your site. I am not online as much for the next couple of weeks off and on. Sometimes I don’t have access to a computer. So glad you stopped by my site for a visit.
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Oh yeah, there was a quote challenge going around for awhile where we all shared our favorite quotes. I started blogging a year ago so it is still kind of new to me with the awards challenges but I am learning.
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Thank you.
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These are adorable. What a fantastic idea. I’m adding it to my to do list. xD
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Thank you Tilly. They look really cute up on a shelf too. Your drawings are really coming along. I love checking them out now and then. Been off line for awhile. I will have to add your link o my favorite posts this month. Just haven’t had time to write that up yet. Have a great week.
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I’m so glad you’re enjoying the drawings. I really appreciate your support and encouragement. I’ll let you know when I finally get round to making the sail boats!! I was excited to see the seed pod is from an Aussie tree. I should be able to find some around here. I hope you’re having a fantastic week with lots of smiles and creative. =)
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Thank you Tilly. I do have some fun DIY’s coming up that I really enjoyed making. Creating is very therapeutic.
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That’s so true. Looking forward to your new projects! ^^
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Thank you.
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