Thursday, May 31, 2012

Webby's Terrarium!

Try to imagine growing a heat-loving cactus in the freezing cold of Vermont or a moisture-thirsty moss in the dry desert of California.  It would be extremely difficult!  But, lucky for us, we can grow many types of plants just about anywhere using a tool called a terrarium.


You can find this image and
other cool terrariums at
 http://www.thezenofmaking.com/!



A terrarium is a glass or clear container that can be filled with plants and even animals.  The container becomes its own self-contained environment, needing only a little bit of indirect sunlight to keep the plants alive. 









How does this work?  When gardeners place their plants in the container, they give the plants a little bit of water.  Daily sunlight causes the water in the container to evaporate, or rise up, to the roof of the container.  When the sun goes down, all that moisture sticking to the container falls back down to feed the plants.  If the container is completely sealed, the water can loop around the container and perfectly feed the plants for months – even years! 

Did you know you can make your very own terrarium out of a clear soda bottle?  Here’s what you’ll need:
(Directions adapted from the Secret Art of Terrarium Making by Will Kalif.)


  • One 2-liter Plastic Bottle (Make sure you have the cap!)
  • Rubber Band
  • Potting Soil
  • One Handful of Small Stones or Pebbles
  • One Marker
  • Scissors
  • Small Plants (More information about what plants to use in your terrarium can be found below.)
  • Seeds (Optional)
  • Activated Charcoal (This helps to keep the water clean from bacteria that can make your plants sick.  You can find charcoal from any pet store's aquarium section.)
  

Put the rubber band on the plastic bottle, about six inches from the bottom.  Use the marker to trace along the top of the rubber band.  After you've made your line, remove the rubber band.





Ask an adult to cut along the line of the soda bottle.  A small hole might need to be made before cutting with the scissors.  You should now have two soda bottle pieces.



Place a handful of stones in the bottom half of the soda bottle.








Pour about a half inch of the charcoal on top of the rocks.  Then pour one inch of potting soil on top of the layer of charcoal.





You’re now ready to plant!  You can plant so many different plants in your terrarium, and even a visit to your favorite garden or nursery can help you choose the ones that are right for you.  But, if you’re really adventurous, head out into your backyard or forest to find your plants.  I recommend any kind of moss -- the green flowerless plant that grows like a mat on moist grounds, tree trunks and rocks. Other plants, like ferns, grasses, and flowers work well too.  

Fit the top of the bottle over the bottom section.  If this becomes too difficult, you can make a half-inch up and down slit in the bottom half of the bottle.  Don’t forget to water your plants before you put the top on!

And, that’s all there is to making your very own terrarium!  In order to care for your terrarium you only need to remember these two important things:  1.) Make sure the plants get sunlight, but never leave the terrarium out in the full sun!  The sun can make the inside of the terrarium very hot and unbearable for the plants.  2.) Look carefully at the soil.  It should look moist – not like mud and not like sand.  You should also be able to see beads of water hanging up at the top and on the sides of the bottle.  If it does look too wet, simply take the top off for a day or two.

Show me your terrarium!  Email pictures to educationinterns@shelburnemuseum.org for a chance to share your terrarium creation on my blog.  And, don’t forget to check out my Dive In card about the terrarium housed at Shelburne Museum's Variety Unit!









    

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Monsters and Robots Have Taken Over Owl Cottage!

Check out these cool pictures that were hanging up in Owl Cottage!  Can you spot all the monsters and robots?






Thanks to all of our great artists.  Interested in showing me your artwork?  Email me a picture of your art at educationinterns@shelburnemuseum.org.  Don't forget to sign your creations!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Odds and Ends = Art!

Elephants have made their way to Shelburne Museum!  Visitors to the museum’s Circus Building, the horseshoe-shaped home to Roy Arnold’s 129-piece miniature circus parade, are greeted by 3 large elephant sculptures made by local Vermont artist Kat Clear.  These near life-sized sculptures are made of metal from old objects like wrecked cars, fuel tanks, and wheelbarrows. 

It’s not easy building sculptures, like Kat Clear’s elephants, from found objects.  It takes enormous creativity, along with plenty of trial and error.  Want to try making your own one-of-a-kind sculpture?   Start by carefully going through your recycle bin, craft drawers, cabinets, and drawers to create a pile of odds and ends to use as building materials. (It is very important to have an adult with you to review your pile before starting your project so you don’t use anything that should be saved.) 



Who knows what you’ll find!  At Shelburne Museum’s Education office, Paige had all sorts of fun finding different objects to use. 



After seeing all the different odds and ends she collected, Paige was a little unsure where to start.  But after giving it some thought and slowly starting putting pieces together….




















She created a fish!  To put her sculpture together, Paige used toothpicks, duct tape, Elmer’s glue, and even some hot glue for the big eye.  If you’re using hot glue at home, be sure to have an adult help you.  Or skip the glue altogether and use objects from your odds and ends pile to keep your sculpture together.

Show me your Odds and Ends creation!  Email me a picture at educationinterns@shelburnemuseum.org for a chance to see your artwork on Webby's Blog! Don’t forget to tell me your name!



Meet Ms. Fishah

Ms. Fishah was inspired not only by Kat Clear’s elephants, but also by the sea creatures found within the Deep End exhibit at the Lighthouse.  Ms. Fishah is Paige’s idea of a sea monster: a fish that shines and sparkles like the sunniest day, but chooses to live in the deep, dark depths of the ocean.  Ms. Fishah is legendary for keeping secrets.  If you look closer, Ms. Fishah has a special locket hanging from her tail.  What do you think is in the locket?  In the comments section of this post, write what you think Ms. Fishah is hiding!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Fairy Houses

"You see, Wendy, when the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies."
-J.M. Barrie, "Peter Pan," Act I, 1928

This past Sunday, during our Spring Fest opening day event, visitors transformed the woods outside Beach Lodge into a fairy village. They built houses out of pine cones, fresh water shells, evergreen branches, and lilac blooms. We wondered what the mini abodes looked like from a fairy's perspective...see for yourself: