Hi guys, it’s Erin from My Very Educated Mother, how are you enjoying October so far? I’m loving it! The cool breeze on a sunny day, a kitchen warmed by the smell of something baking, and the looming promise of holidays; I seriously can’t get enough! Since fall is a time of harvest I thought I’d share a project that celebrates and showcases the fruits of the season in a beautiful and creative way with this Harvest Frame and Printable!
I’m a child of the 80’s and back then we did a lot of crafting with dried foods. However, unlike that gold spray-painted, macaroni glued to cardboard picture frame I made in elementary school, this is a craft you’ll want to show off and use. With lots of leftover supplies it’ll also give you an excuse to put on a pot of beans for dinner!
Supplies for this project are pretty simple, just the way I like it, all you need are beans, glue, a dollar store picture frame, and Mod Podge.
The frame I was using had a bit of a divot in it so I starting things off by filling it in with red split lentils. This was far and away the easiest part of the project. Things got much tricky when it came to the inner and outer borders.
Who knew there’d be a science to getting these little buggers to stay put?
For the inner border, because the split peas were sitting on both the edge of the frame and the lentils, being heavy handed with the glue helped. Unfortunately, when I applied that strategy to the outer edge the pinto and black beans slid right off. For that portion of the mosaic it took just a bit of glue to help the bean balance and stay in place.
I let the frame dry overnight and then hit it with a layer of glossy Mod Podge in the morning. Though the beans may look precariously balanced on the edge not a one fell off during the process!
While it did take some time, I’m so pleased with the results and I think this quote from Edwin Way Teale is a perfect fit. You can find that printable Here. Now that it’s complete here are a couple more tips: a flatter frame would have made things much easier and don’t be afraid to look beyond beans. Popcorn kernels and various rice would be fun additions to this project as well.
I hope you enjoy this project and remember the next time you want to get creative, go old-school and check out your pantry for inspiration!
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