Ballard Inspired Cuties!

Hey guys!! Sorry about the absence between posts... Something about being 9 months pregnant, 106 degrees outside and having all my kids at home slows me down just a bit :) I have been getting projects done though and I wanted to share this one with you.  I recently got the new Ballard catalog online and saw this super cute picture...

I loved everything about it.  I love the bracket shelves, all that white and I love those topiaries.  My project started just recreating the shelves and led to a slightly different ending.  The very first thing I needed was the brackets.  I went to Hobby Lobby to get some metal brackets I had planned on painting white.  They also have a great selection of wood and resin corbels that would be cute painted white too.  I then remembered these great corbels I purchased on my trip to Round Top last year.

There was a really sweet couple there who sell mantels and corbels they make from old chippy wood and tin.  I scored two of these for $8 a piece!  I decided to use them instead of the metal brackets.  My next stop was Michael's to find something to put on top of my shelves.  I wanted the topiaries from Ballard but with a $60 price tag I said no thanks!  While at Michael's I was lucky enough to stumble upon these!!

Yes... That's right! Those are boxwood topiaries... Yeah!  These were buy one get one free so I got 2 for $12! I loved them but was not loving the pots.  I had a plan though.

My first step was to cut some wood for the top of my shelves.  I used cheap 1x8 I got from Lowe's for under $5.  I used my miter saw to cut two 6" pieces.

Here they are just before getting a coat of our fav... Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch in Heirloom White!

Here it is dry!

I penciled off center on the bottom of the wood and used another favorite product for the next part.  I used Gorilla Glue Epoxy.

I just mixed the epoxy using the directions on the package and applied it to the bottom of the wood shelf.

Then I just attached the wood corbels to the shelf piece and let them dry.

While those were drying I started working on my topiaries.  I purchased a roll of jute twine from Hobby Lobby.

I then pulled out my new hot glue gun because I had yet another one go see Jesus.

I started at the bottom of the pot and wrapped the twine as I went up.  Every couple of inches I would add a drop of hot glue.

A few minutes later....

When I made it to the top I tied a cute little bow and I was set!

My final step was to hang my new cuties and take pictures for you guys! Here is how they turned out...

What do you think??  I love them!  I must thank Ballard for the super cute idea and bad prices to inspire me to make my own.  I'm off to browse their catalog a bit more!  Have a great Thursday and we will be back soon!

Don't forget! I Made it Without My Hubby is in two days! Get those projects ready!!

~Whitney