Using Upcycled Items to Create a Beachy Vignette

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​It doesn’t take much to transform and plastic planter into a pretty beachy vignette. Even better, incorporate pebbles and keepsakes from a memorable vacation!

The beaches in my area in Greece are not full of sand but full of pebbles instead.  So when I think of pebbles I think of the beach. I am going to use pebbles and my love of the beach as inspiration for this coastal style display.

I really had a hard time finding pebbles for this project.  In Greece all I had to do was go to the beach and there were miles and miles of pretty multi-colored pebbles. But here in New York, things are different.​

​Materials Needed for this Beachy Vignette:

• White pebbles
• plastic planter 
• Americana Chalky Finish Paint in Everlasting
• Acrylic craft paints in blue 
• a 12 inch plate
• plant and soil
• two “ruins” 

​I actually saw these as I was walking the dog one day and borrowed a few from the neighbor. Honestly after my Greek pebbles, these were a bit dull. And I really had no idea what I was going to do with them, but I took them home.​

I also had a plate and a metal ring which I wanted to use.  I wrapped the metal ring in twine and then once my puppy saw it, well that was the end of that!​

​These are ruins that my son had taken out of the fish tank.  Actually, they had been relegated to the corner of a drawer and so I took them out and thought I could use them in this project.​

The plastic planters I had bought at Dollar Store a while back.  I used one of them.​

The How To:

I started off by painting the plastic planter.  I used Chalky Finish Paint in white first as a base.  I just put it on nice and thick not worrying about the finish because I wanted it to look rough.

I then mixed a few shades of blue into the chalky finish paint and brushed it on the planter to give it a beachy Mediterranean vibe.​

Using the plate as the base, I positioned the planter and surrounded it with the pebbles.

I then strategically placed the ruins in the pebbles. I also considered these glass  accent gems.  Do you think they would have looked good here?​

Do you remember this planter from my unusual planter ideas?  I had filled it with a vinca vine but it no longer fit comfortably.​

I replanted the vinca vine into the plastic planter and added the pebbles on top along with another ruin.  I also embellished with another plant.​

Now my vinca vine has room to breathe and grow!​

And the setting is most definitely Greek Mediterranean!

Just a small way to bring a bit of Greece to my patio.​

I am so glad my son saved the ruins, he usually throws everything out.  I had looked down on them before, but now combined with the pebbles they shine and really add a fun element to the planter.​

When you see pebbles what do they make you think of?  Not everyone can look at pebbles and see them as inspiration for their love of the beach.   But now you see how I came to this conclusion. The planter vignette is full of Mediterranean sunshine!

Do you ever use pebbles in your projects?

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