Love seeing you do things with your children, Laura. How you encourage them, teach them and include them is beautiful. In these simple everyday joys, you’re making memories that will last a lifetime. ❤
Laura, you are a loving, caring mother. The way you let the kiddos help with your projects. Amazing. And I was shocked that Douglas didn't break something while sneaking in through the window? BTW love the Valentine tree. Gorgeous.
What a great use of the dried flowers! Great craft idea!! Finished product looks amazing! Benjamin is the cutest as he high-fives the whole world 😃 High-five back to you!!
Love❤❤❤the Valentine Day tree. So special. Love the dried flowers and how smart you kept them…Always nice to have a plan. So easy and so clever. 🎉 Beautiful in celebration of ❤love.
So lovely! At the end you said V for Viola, and I got so excited, as that was my mom's name...and she was as lovely as your Valentine ornaments and tree!
I was thinking the same thing! Tissue paper could be used too with bunnies or carrots on it. Tear and place on the ornaments. So many possibilities with such cute results.
I love Benjamin's attitude. He is so positive and game to try anything. He's so well-mannered and naturally polite and well-spoken. I love that you let him taste the salt dough. Laura, your family is a delight. I love the decorations, and I'm tempted to do some right now, as I have all of the supplies. I think that they would be beautiful individually hung in a window, or with double holes, hung on a swag. Update: I did mix up 1/2 a batch. I couldn't believe how "fluffy" the dough was. I've made dough in the past tha felt very hard. It did take much longer in the oven. Like 2-3 times as long, but that's okay. I dug out the flowers and the Mod Podge and today I get to decorate. I have some friends coming over next Saturday, so it will be a fun little gifty to give them!
Oh my gosh, Benjamin, you are a very sweet boy! You remind me of my son who is now almost 44 years old. He loved making things and helping with projects. The Valentines ornaments look amazing and they look great on the branches. I want to make an Easter one! Thanks for sharing! 💯 ❣️ Happy Valentine's Day!
“Let’s decorate some more shall we”?!!! I just love how Benjamin is so smart and adorably cute. He likes to help. Laura, you and your hubby are raising up an exceptional future husband! Love you guys so very much. I’ve been watching your content every single day since I found you back in 2020 during COVID and I’m so blessed for it. ❤
Laura, when I was small my Mother and I made salt dough ornaments for Christmas in the shape of snowmen, we used cloves or peppercorns for eyes, cinnamon sticks for arms, or snips of grapevine wreath, and tied a scarf with a piece of muslin or gingham , they were my favorite on the tree till I was in my 20s! These are so sweet ! I can’t wait to make ❤
How beautiful!!! I LOVE this so much, and how precious that Benjamin and Samantha Grace were helping. It is just precious! Would also be pretty for a bridal shower or wedding gift table. Would also look pretty with fairy lights woven into it. Thank you for sharing this idea with us Laura. 😃👍🏻
Favorite part! Benjamin saying “shall we?” So dang cute! Lol Douglas almost stole the show but the tree was absolutely adorable ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Those ornaments are so sweet! I used to work at a garden center and when I'd deadhead flowers (to keep the plants pretty), I'd sometimes save the deadheaded flowers to take home later and press and then use in projects, especially petunias and pansies. So keep that in mind: deadheading is a good time to collect flowers for drying and pressing!
Thank you for this -just beautiful - I love that you include your children - they are so bright and spunky - you know the saying - "an ounce of pluck is worth a ton of luck"! Douglas is quickly becoming a star - he really loves you guys and wants to be in every video - so cute! Garden on!!!
This project turned out so well! Imagination wheels start turning for many variations on this idea. For all occasions and using many craft resources. Paint, glitter, different cookie cutter shapes, stickers, charms. Sky’s the limit! 🩷🩷🩷
I love this! It would have been such fun to make with my kids are grandkids. Now I might just do it for myself and my husband. He might enjoy it too. Thank you for the great ideas!! Benjamin is so sweet!! ❤
Thanks for sharing! Years ago, we made dough ornaments at Christmas time. The hearts are beautiful and special because you and Benjamin made them together!
I love watching you interact with your kids. They each seem to have totally different personalities. It is so great that they take an interest in the gardens. I can see Garden Answer becoming a multigeneration video site.
Laura, this was the perfect project for my kids and I to do today! My father passed away a couple weeks ago and I was trying to figure out a way to use the dried flowers from the bouquets we received. This will be such a beautiful way to preserve those for my family and gifts for extended family. Thank you for sharing.
Loved your Valentine project. It looks so pretty. Benjamin does such a good job decorating. I was so engrossed in your project that I never even noticed Douglas sneaking into the Hartley until I watched your video again. When did you notice Douglas inside? He sure is a beautiful cat and seems to love being around his humans. Samantha is so adventurous and finds ways to entertain herself jumping on the woodpile--so cute!
Laura you are so creative! I love that you'll have the ornaments that Benjamin made as he grows. When my kids were little we always decorated Easter eggs from hard boiled eggs like most people. I would have the kids write their name and the year on the eggs they decorated. Each year I saved some of the hard boiled eggs and over time the inside of the egg evaporates until finally you end up with completely hollow, decorated Easter eggs from all the years past. It's fun now that my oldest has kid and she can show them the Easter eggs she decorated at their age. Thank you for sharing this project!
Hi Laura! This was another fun video. Loved seeing Benjamin doing his own ornaments. They turned out so pretty. I'd missed Douglas coming in the window, so when I saw it in the comments I had to go back and watch it. Too cute, and sneaky! Thank you so much for sharing!
It was so fun watching Douglas sneak in. The has been wanting inside for so long and the finally achieved is goal. I wish you would have filmed when he let you know he was inside.
"Garden them up!" Definitely will be borrowing this phrase. For the flowers that are too thick , I'd suggest pulling the pedals apart and arranging them in flatter designs... 😊Happy Gardening.
Love, love, love it! I wish I had known how much fun this was when homeschooling our six kids! Will share this one for sure. Precious mother/children time! Thank you!
The most precious video ever! (Hey Apple, we need a pansy/viola emoji)!!! I love seeing the kids involved in your projects but Douglas almost stole the show. 🫣
My favorite is the clematis in the corner and it was Benjamin’s! I started a Christmas tradition where instead of giving gifts we exchange ornaments that reflect ourselves. I want to do this on glass ornaments next Christmas.
The way you bring life to death is beautiful! I have two arrangements in the house now made from foraged branches and grasses that my kids and I found last weekend. Inspired from you all 💕
What a “lovely” tree! ❤ However, I am now going to have to go back and watch again to see Douglas climbing through the window that everyone is commenting about, as I totally missed it on the first go round!
Those are so adorable! I love how you get the kids involved and how crafty you are. Great idea on the alphabet ones with the flowers that start with the letter. You are smart and inspiring.
I love this project so much. Benjamin is adorable. I want one 🥰 Benjamin that is 🥰 I miss when my kids were little and liked doing crafts with me. Love the flowers but I feel like you could use lots of other things in place of the flowers... Stickers, glitter, confetti, photos... Love the branch too! I might bring out my little tabletop tree for Valentine's Day and Easter 💝🐣
I Love the heart tree! ❤ The heart ornaments are lovely. What a wonderful little craft project! I just might make one. PS Thank you for teaching your little ones…Knead with a K! I’ve been a teacher’s aide for 22 years and seeing you explain and teach things to your children, I appreciate that. ❤
I love salt dough ornaments! Have some I made in 1982 that still look great today. If you spray them with crystal clear polyurethane it helps protect them from moisture and they won’t yellow over time. Mod podge can turn yellow after a while.
Wow. Doug made some bold moves and it paid off big time! Those ornaments are so fun. Reminiscent of your dried flower pumpkins! Benjamin is such a sweet boy. His facial expressions are so Susan❤
❤Good morning Laura and family Lol Douglas is a hoot. This video brought back memories for me with my kids and grandchildren when they were younger lots of fun, the hearts came out beautifully, how exciting for your children. Great job everyone. 💕. Have a wonderful rest of the day and weekend ❤ 🙂👋
Loved these. Love Benjamin’s eye for detail and style. He is one special young man! Samantha is Laura’s clone, if it wasn’t chilly, I could see her taking her shoes off, so her toes can feel the dirt in those piles! And Douglas! I know he is fluffy, but he was struggling to get in that window! I was waiting for a crash sound!!
🌺Darling, simply darling! 🌺Thank you, Laura, for brightening my day! I've loved ALL your dried flower ornaments and framed projects over the years. 🌿This would be a fun craft activity with the grandkiddos or a February Garden Club meeting. Another display option would be to glue a magnet on the back and place them on the fridge - how sweet with family photos and/or children's artwork!
Wow this was sooo cooool. And just seeing Benjamin and Samantha have fun with it also. I'm going to try this. Think what you could do with Easter cut outs so fun. Thanks Laura 😊❤ God's blessings to you and the family ❤
This is beautiful!! Another wonderful way to enjoy your gardening efforts so year long. 🥰 Goodness, and Douglas! I can’t even handle how awesome I think that cat is. 🤭
Anyone else hold their breath while watching Douglas make his way into the Hartley? Never a dull moment with that guy. ❤
Lol! 07:05 I saw that too! Little trouble maker!!!
I was doing the same thing. Please don't let anything fall over...LOL!!!
😂😂😂 I was !!
I was holding my breath that nothing would get knocked over and was so focused on Douglas I wasn't watching the actual video content. Haha
Yes!
Oh my gosh, Douglas climbing through the window of the Hartley, cracked me up. That guy really loves his humans.
I spotted that, too!
sweet cat
See him on the chair on the montage from 9:10, just his floofy tail and his little ears showing.
Must admit, I went back to see the cheeky devil climb in
Love seeing you do things with your children, Laura. How you encourage them, teach them and include them is beautiful. In these simple everyday joys, you’re making memories that will last a lifetime. ❤
Laura, you are a loving, caring mother. The way you let the kiddos help with your projects. Amazing. And I was shocked that Douglas didn't break something while sneaking in through the window? BTW love the Valentine tree. Gorgeous.
"Let's decorate some more, shall we?" ~Benjamin
❤
I know. I love the word shall. We don’t use it enough!
That was too adorable
That is the best tree ever! I loved watching mother and son. How special! Oh what beautiful memories.
What a great use of the dried flowers! Great craft idea!! Finished product looks amazing! Benjamin is the cutest as he high-fives the whole world 😃 High-five back to you!!
Love❤❤❤the Valentine Day tree. So special. Love the dried flowers and how smart you kept them…Always nice to have a plan. So easy and so clever. 🎉 Beautiful in celebration of ❤love.
This is such a beautiful project! Im thinking of doing at my garden tea party
Oh that would be so lovely or a Mother’s Day tea.
Great idea!
I can totally see Benjamin carrying on Garden Answer when he gets older. ❤
For sure! They definitely have a family business in the making here!
Love this project. Makes me want to dry pansies. St. Patrick's Day with clover shapes would be super fun too!
And an Easter tree! Loved that the whole family was involved including Douglas!
07:05 Sneaky just found a new way to sneak into the Hartley!!! 😂😂❤😂😂
And Douglas found his way in the greenhouse, how funny!! 😂
So lovely! At the end you said V for Viola, and I got so excited, as that was my mom's name...and she was as lovely as your Valentine ornaments and tree!
Douglas has joined the party, pretty, pretty hearts!
So cute! An Easter tree would be so cute too❣️
Just add bunnies, eggs, and carrots -- years ago, Laura made an Easter arrangement with this same vase and hung decorative eggs❤
Fun project! How about doing egg shapes and bunnies for the next tree???
I was thinking the same thing! Tissue paper could be used too with bunnies or carrots on it. Tear and place on the ornaments. So many possibilities with such cute results.
I love Benjamin's attitude. He is so positive and game to try anything. He's so well-mannered and naturally polite and well-spoken. I love that you let him taste the salt dough. Laura, your family is a delight. I love the decorations, and I'm tempted to do some right now, as I have all of the supplies. I think that they would be beautiful individually hung in a window, or with double holes, hung on a swag.
Update: I did mix up 1/2 a batch. I couldn't believe how "fluffy" the dough was. I've made dough in the past tha felt very hard. It did take much longer in the oven. Like 2-3 times as long, but that's okay. I dug out the flowers and the Mod Podge and today I get to decorate. I have some friends coming over next Saturday, so it will be a fun little gifty to give them!
Oh my gosh, Benjamin, you are a very sweet boy! You remind me of my son who is now almost 44 years old. He loved making things and helping with projects. The Valentines ornaments look amazing and they look great on the branches. I want to make an Easter one! Thanks for sharing! 💯 ❣️
Happy Valentine's Day!
“Let’s decorate some more shall we”?!!! I just love how Benjamin is so smart and adorably cute. He likes to help. Laura, you and your hubby are raising up an exceptional future husband! Love you guys so very much. I’ve been watching your content every single day since I found you back in 2020 during COVID and I’m so blessed for it. ❤
Laura, when I was small my Mother and I made salt dough ornaments for Christmas in the shape of snowmen, we used cloves or peppercorns for eyes, cinnamon sticks for arms, or snips of grapevine wreath, and tied a scarf with a piece of muslin or gingham , they were my favorite on the tree till I was in my 20s! These are so sweet ! I can’t wait to make ❤
This project turned out so stinking cute!!! I swore off new hobbies, but i think that just changed!
Be sure to put the date on these darling ornaments! One day the kids will remember the craft and will then have a year to attach to a great memory.
Love Love Love!!! Ornaments would also be so sweet strung above a kitchen window with some fairy lights 😍
Benjamin follows directions so well! He is really observant!
And this is how memories are made and carried through the adult years when the children become parents. Brava!!
I was completely distracted by the cat. I gasp when I was him go through The Hartley window. 😆 Fun craft.
Benjamin’s vocabulary is so cute! He’s so eloquent and intelligent in his word choice
This project came out beautifully. I love it! I might just give this a try. Thanks for sharing. 💐 ❤
😂❤The adorable little floof Douglas following. LOVE him😘😘😘
"Garden them up" - I'm stealing that phrase! Love this sweet tree!
How beautiful!!! I LOVE this so much, and how precious that Benjamin and Samantha Grace were helping. It is just precious! Would also be pretty for a bridal shower or wedding gift table. Would also look pretty with fairy lights woven into it. Thank you for sharing this idea with us Laura. 😃👍🏻
Favorite part! Benjamin saying “shall we?” So dang cute! Lol Douglas almost stole the show but the tree was absolutely adorable ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Those ornaments are so sweet! I used to work at a garden center and when I'd deadhead flowers (to keep the plants pretty), I'd sometimes save the deadheaded flowers to take home later and press and then use in projects, especially petunias and pansies. So keep that in mind: deadheading is a good time to collect flowers for drying and pressing!
It's craaaazy remembering when you announced your first pregnancy and seeing how big he is now. He's so sweet 😭
7:19 Douglas sneaking in the window 😱😂
😂❤
Totally distracted by his little sneak
Wouldn't it be so cute to put the kids' current photos on the salt dough hearts each year? 💝
Thank you for this -just beautiful - I love that you include your children - they are so bright and spunky - you know the saying -
"an ounce of pluck is worth a ton of luck"! Douglas is quickly becoming a star - he really loves you guys and wants to be in every video - so cute! Garden on!!!
Haha… never a dull moment with Douglas… Mr Sneaky!🐱
The grand girls and I made these . It was a great time and I loved their creations. Thank you ❤
You’re such a sweet momma. Love seeing you with those precious babies. 😊💕
This project turned out so well! Imagination wheels start turning for many variations on this idea. For all occasions and using many craft resources. Paint, glitter, different cookie cutter shapes, stickers, charms. Sky’s the limit! 🩷🩷🩷
You can make garlands too. So many holidays...so many possibilities! Happy Mod Pogging!
Wouldn’t an Easter one look adorable?!
I love this! It would have been such fun to make with my kids are grandkids. Now I might just do it for myself and my husband. He might enjoy it too. Thank you for the great ideas!! Benjamin is so sweet!! ❤
Lol Douglas sneaking in the window 😂 these ornaments are so cute!!! I love this idea!
What a great video! Thank you Laura for offering us fellow mamas a fun project we can do with our kiddos.❤️
Thanks for sharing! Years ago, we made dough ornaments at Christmas time. The hearts are beautiful and special because you and Benjamin made them together!
Love them....also love Benjamin helping and enjoying it so much!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰
I love watching you interact with your kids. They each seem to have totally different personalities. It is so great that they take an interest in the gardens. I can see Garden Answer becoming a multigeneration video site.
So süß,mit den Kindern, was für ein Projekt, alles gute zum Valentinstag ❤
It is so sweet watching you do a project with your little children! You have a very beautiful family!
I'm in tears at how wholesome this video is!
Laura, this was the perfect project for my kids and I to do today! My father passed away a couple weeks ago and I was trying to figure out a way to use the dried flowers from the bouquets we received. This will be such a beautiful way to preserve those for my family and gifts for extended family. Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful project. Benjamin is so cute when he's concentrating.
Loved your Valentine project. It looks so pretty. Benjamin does such a good job decorating. I was so engrossed in your project that I never even noticed Douglas sneaking into the Hartley until I watched your video again. When did you notice Douglas inside? He sure is a beautiful cat and seems to love being around his humans. Samantha is so adventurous and finds ways to entertain herself jumping on the woodpile--so cute!
Love seeing Benjamin gain confidence and growing so fast, Samantha Grace too.
It's impossible for me to express how much joy your high-5'ing gave me 😊
"let's decorate some more, shall we" ---- OH MY STARS! So So cute! Great idea :)
Such a fun project. Hearts and flowers, whats not to like? Well done Benjamin. So glad Douglas didn't knock over a pot.
Laura you are so creative! I love that you'll have the ornaments that Benjamin made as he grows. When my kids were little we always decorated Easter eggs from hard boiled eggs like most people. I would have the kids write their name and the year on the eggs they decorated. Each year I saved some of the hard boiled eggs and over time the inside of the egg evaporates until finally you end up with completely hollow, decorated Easter eggs from all the years past. It's fun now that my oldest has kid and she can show them the Easter eggs she decorated at their age. Thank you for sharing this project!
My Mom Blew the eggs out of the shell before boiling and then we decorated them. VERY fragile but beautiful.
Those blue sunglasses....so great.♥️♥️
I enjoy watching the children being involved in activities.
I did something similar last year using thin wooden eggs, spring floral napkins and Mod Podge for Easter then hung from branches also.
Hi Laura! This was another fun video. Loved seeing Benjamin doing his own ornaments. They turned out so pretty. I'd missed Douglas coming in the window, so when I saw it in the comments I had to go back and watch it. Too cute, and sneaky! Thank you so much for sharing!
It was so fun watching Douglas sneak in. The has been wanting inside for so long and the finally achieved is goal. I wish you would have filmed when he let you know he was inside.
07:28 Douglas!!!😂
I love the family time together, making such wonderful memories together!
That is such a sweet and fun idea. Love it. Loved watching Douglas coming in the window and following Arron
"Garden them up!" Definitely will be borrowing this phrase.
For the flowers that are too thick , I'd suggest pulling the pedals apart and arranging them in flatter designs... 😊Happy Gardening.
Love, love, love it! I wish I had known how much fun this was when homeschooling our six kids! Will share this one for sure. Precious mother/children time! Thank you!
The most precious video ever! (Hey Apple, we need a pansy/viola emoji)!!! I love seeing the kids involved in your projects but Douglas almost stole the show. 🫣
My favorite is the clematis in the corner and it was Benjamin’s! I started a Christmas tradition where instead of giving gifts we exchange ornaments that reflect ourselves. I want to do this on glass ornaments next Christmas.
These would,make a great gift for Benjamin’s teacher
Oh the cute babies. Including the one coming in through the window. 😂😍😘😘😘🤗🤗🤗❤❤❤
The way you bring life to death is beautiful! I have two arrangements in the house now made from foraged branches and grasses that my kids and I found last weekend. Inspired from you all 💕
What a “lovely” tree! ❤
However, I am now going to have to go back and watch again to see Douglas climbing through the window that everyone is commenting about, as I totally missed it on the first go round!
Me too....I was totally concentrating on Laura and her project. 🙂
I missed it, too. It's after the seven minute mark.
Those are so adorable! I love how you get the kids involved and how crafty you are. Great idea on the alphabet ones with the flowers that start with the letter. You are smart and inspiring.
My ADULT children and I will be making these this weekend. EEK!! Such a cute idea. Something for the grandmothers for Valentine's Day.
So adorable! They came out so beautiful. It’s great that Benjamin likes to help too.
I love this project so much. Benjamin is adorable. I want one 🥰 Benjamin that is 🥰
I miss when my kids were little and liked doing crafts with me. Love the flowers but I feel like you could use lots of other things in place of the flowers... Stickers, glitter, confetti, photos... Love the branch too! I might bring out my little tabletop tree for Valentine's Day and Easter 💝🐣
Oh what a joy to see the family involved with this project that turned out Beautiful.
I Love the heart tree! ❤ The heart ornaments are lovely. What a wonderful little craft project! I just might make one. PS Thank you for teaching your little ones…Knead with a K! I’ve been a teacher’s aide for 22 years and seeing you explain and teach things to your children, I appreciate that. ❤
I love salt dough ornaments! Have some I made in 1982 that still look great today. If you spray them with crystal clear polyurethane it helps protect them from moisture and they won’t yellow over time. Mod podge can turn yellow after a while.
Douglass's stealthy entrance was hilarious! Love the hearts. You could also use air dry clay for the heart's super cute
Wow. Doug made some bold moves and it paid off big time!
Those ornaments are so fun. Reminiscent of your dried flower pumpkins!
Benjamin is such a sweet boy. His facial expressions are so Susan❤
Love, love, love this project!!!!!! It turned out so lovely! Love to see the kids helping with your projects too!!! Thanks for sharing!
So sweet!! Save your branches to hang eggs on for Easter!!
Such a sweet activity! Possibilities are endless. ❤️ Sneaky Douglas! 😂 I had no clue until I read the comments!
Again so lovely to reuse nature to create what you want.
Love how you call him, "Bud" I call my guys that, too!!!! ❤HappyValentine's
"Let's decorate some more, shall we?" He's so precious!
So sweet and festive! Great job Benjamin!! High five 🖐️!! ☺️
Love it! So funny - I selected my favorite, and then when Benjamin came in, it was HIS favorite, too! Such a sweet project - thank you!
Benjamin seems to have inherited a lot of artistic eye!!
❤Good morning Laura and family
Lol Douglas is a hoot. This video brought back memories for me with my kids and grandchildren when they were younger lots of fun, the hearts came out beautifully, how exciting for your children. Great job everyone. 💕. Have a wonderful rest of the day and weekend ❤ 🙂👋
Loved these. Love Benjamin’s eye for detail and style. He is one special young man! Samantha is Laura’s clone, if it wasn’t chilly, I could see her taking her shoes off, so her toes can feel the dirt in those piles! And Douglas! I know he is fluffy, but he was struggling to get in that window! I was waiting for a crash sound!!
🌺Darling, simply darling! 🌺Thank you, Laura, for brightening my day! I've loved ALL your dried flower ornaments and framed projects over the years. 🌿This would be a fun craft activity with the grandkiddos or a February Garden Club meeting. Another display option would be to glue a magnet on the back and place them on the fridge - how sweet with family photos and/or children's artwork!
This is so sweet! I remember making dough ornaments as a kid but never thought of using flowers. So fun and so pretty!❤❤❤
Wow this was sooo cooool. And just seeing Benjamin and Samantha have fun with it also. I'm going to try this. Think what you could do with Easter cut outs so fun. Thanks Laura 😊❤ God's blessings to you and the family ❤
These would make great gifts for family and teachers.
Anyone else just love Douglas?
Love Douglas sneaking in to join the party🎉
This is beautiful!! Another wonderful way to enjoy your gardening efforts so year long. 🥰 Goodness, and Douglas! I can’t even handle how awesome I think that cat is. 🤭