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This isn't my original idea, but I was inspired by two friends I follow on Instagram, Heidi of Eleanor Rose Home and Stephanie at Returning Grace. I don't know who first came up with it, but the idea is brilliant! They both painted theirs, while I left mine natural clay because it worked so well with the jars I painted.

Have you ever added flower stems (real or faux) to a jar or vase and been frustrated that they wouldn't stay where you put them? They shift around so one area is totally empty, while the other side is overly full! Clay flower frogs sit on the top of your vase or jar, and keep the flowers where you place them!

There are several styles of flower frogs, I have some vintage metal ones that have pointy tips that hold petals. I also have a glass one that functions like the ones we're making today. You might have even used clear tape to create a grid on the top of your vases.

I found 5 of these vintage flower frogs a couple years ago. Can you guess which one is my favorite?

This tiny little one, with its chippy green paint, is definitely my favorite! The little spikes look like nails don't they? They work extremely well at holding fresh flower stems in place, but they're not quite as forgiving for faux flower stems.

These clay flower frogs are extra special because they're entirely customizable! You make them the size you need, embellish them the way you want, and make as many holes the size you need! I'm going to show you how to emboss them to create a design on the top. It looks difficult, but it's not!

I know you're going to want to make a few of these great little staples to show off all your summer flowers and keep them right where you want them!

This is a two-part tutorial but I'm actually going to skip an in-depth tutorial telling you how to paint the jars. I've done this in the past with my buffalo check painted jars, and this blush pink painted mason jar. It's an easy, no brainer project! But if you need a little direction, here are some tips to remember.

1. Paint 2-3 light coats of paint (I recommend chalk paint for its superior adhesion)
2. Lightly sand with fine grit sandpaper to remove any bumps and distress any raised edges (this looks beautiful on embossed jars)
3. You can seal or wax the jars to add a little sheen, or leave them matte as I've done

As you can see above, I painted one jar with this creamy white chalk paint, and the other with this stormy blue, such a gorgeous, rich color! Both of these paints are from Dixie Belle. I love chalk paint for many reasons, but maybe the biggest one is how far it goes! I've painted an entire piece of furniture with one 4 oz jar of paint! So while it can be expensive, keep in mind that you won't need to buy a large quantity, and I definitely recommend the quality of Dixie Belle! It covers much much better than other brands I've used, and I only need 2 coats to completely cover these jars.

For my third jar, I wanted to do something just a little bit different, so after painting it white, I decoupaged it with this distressed damask rice paper, also by Dixie Belle. It has a really pretty vintage feel to it. I simply cut a piece to the size I needed and adhered it with mod podge, brushing another coat of matte mod podge to the top to seal and protect it.

I think the jars turned out so pretty, and can be used in so many ways, both as decor and to actually hold things. A set like this would be a wonderful gift for a teacher or someone who works in an office, to hold scissors, pencils, etc.

Aside from the largest jar, I recycled food jars to make these, so amazing savings there too!

Now that the jars are ready, let's get to the clay flower frogs. Here's what you'll need to make these.

• air dry clay (I recommend DAS, it's a little pricier than some other brands, but much superior)
• wax or parchment paper for surface
• rolling pin
• round cutters that match tops of jars (I used this scalloped set)
• strips of lace (I used some from Dollar Tree)
• straw to poke hole

If you've never worked with air dry clay before, there's a few things you need to know:

1. The clay dries out really fast! Never open the whole package and expose it to air while you're working! Pull off a piece the size you'll need, and immediately wrap the rest up. I keep it in a sealed ziploc bag with a wet paper towel, which helps to keep the unused clay moist.
2. The clay must be worked before you roll it out. Just squeeze and squish it in your hands to soften it as it can feel a little tough right out of the package.
3. You will usually need LESS clay than you think! So start with a small, golf-ball sized piece.

Let's make some clay flower frogs! Here's how:

1. Roll out the clay evenly to about 1/4" thick. This is where the parchment paper comes in, I usually tape the paper to my work surface so it doesn't shift on me and I'm rolling out the clay.
2. Cut some strips of lace ribbon and lay them across the surface of your clay.
3. Use the rolling pin to roll across the clay, adding enough pressure to imprint the clay with the lace design. At this point, your clay will be about 1/8" thick.
4. Use the cutters that fit your jar tops, and cut out the clay just like sugar cookies!
5. Use a straw to create holes in the tops of the clay 'cookies'

When the clay circles are cut out and your holes are punched, carefully lift the wax paper and move it to a flat surface like a cookie sheet. Set it out of the way and leave it alone. The clay will take about 24 hours to fully dry. I do like to check on it the next day, and flip the pieces over to expose the backs to the air. You will notice as the clay dries that it turns from a muddy gray to a creamy white color!

If you need to do this, a small screwdriver is a life saver! I recommend proceeding slowly and carefully as the clay can snap if you're not careful! I used a small screwdriver with the pointed head and used a twisting motion to move it through each hole. It really helped to make the holes bigger without damaging my pieces. You can see the three holes below that I've already done, compared to my original holes.

Once the clay is completely dry, you can assemble your jars! Just place a clay flower frog on top and insert flower stems into the holes. If you find that the clay flower frogs shift on you, I highly recommend this product. I use it for everything, and it leaves absolutely no residue behind, doesn't dry, and can be reused.

I'm using faux creamy white dahlias here, and sure wishing I had my own to clip from the garden! Have fun with this inexpensive and beautiful project and, as always, drop me a note if you make your own!

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bringing beauty to the ordinary,