Planting for Peace! Please help this idea grow!!

[Generic Other]

I got this great idea from DUer PurividaDreamin who made a wonderful peace sign using silk flowers and a hula hoop.

I decided I had to have one of my very own, so I went and made one. Here's PVD's original instructions with some of my additions in parentheses:

1. Find an old hoola hoop and a bunch of silk flowers (I found mine at the Goodwill).
2. Duct tape a dowel straight down the middle and two more smaller dowels on either side
(an old broom stick may do.)
3. Wrap ribbon or lace fabric around dowels and hoop (or you can staple ribbon to the dowels).
4. Wire some silk ivy vines around the whole thing and hot glue gun or wire flowers to it. (I
used twist ties to hold things in place).

As Puravidadreamin' says: It's very light and wind blows through it
making it much easier to hold than a conventional sign...

I am hoping a whole bunch of DU women (and men too) will consider making one of these for the next round of protests and peace marches. Afterwards we could plant our peace signs in some imaginative public places in our communities. Springtime! Planting for Peace. Just imagine if across the country, thousands of us did this. We need to remind people we are still here, that women still give a damn about what is happening to our country. That we want PEACE NOW.

Here is Puravidadreamin's sign. Isn't it beautiful?



Here's mine. It was very inexpensive. I loved how this sign transformed the normal "craft" aspect of the silk flowers into subversive art! It seems very female centered to me.


How about it DU women? Anyone else with me? Let's make and post more of these springy creations!

[northofdenali]

1. Both of them are gorgeous!!

I have NO talent for crafts - but my hubby is pretty good at figuring stuff out. I'll entice him (hee hee) - he can create the sign, I'll buy the flowers - and he can take the photo with his new digital camera!

[Generic Other]

2. When it's Springtime in Alaska it's 40 below!!

It's a pretty cool looking sign when you wave it in the wind Mr.GO helped me make it, so I think Mr. D. can easily whip one up. I'm imagining yours planted on top of an igloo! :)

[northofdenali]

3. Don't have any igloos handy -

will a snowbank suffice? :P

[Generic Other]

4. It would look great on a snowbank

I've been thinking I'd like mine to have twinkling lights!! Maybe plant on top of a tree so it's hard to take down.

[northofdenali]

5. I'll have my fundy neighbors up in arms -

COOL!

[maddezmom]

6. both are beautiful

bookmarking for later use. I think I'll do one for my front door. Thanks for inspiration. :hi:

[Generic Other]

7. Yes!! Doorways to Peace!

I love that idea.

[egadsbrain]

8. ooooooo... I like it!

Very nice and simple. I don't think I can get it together in time for tomorrow's march, but the big NYC march is April 29th. Plenty of time to make a bunch to distribute, and how pretty one will look on my fire escape!

[Generic Other]

9. New York City!!! Now that's where they'll be noticed.

The pics don't even do them justice. And I was thinking almost anything could really be attached to them. Flowers, easter eggs, PEEPS (they might get a bit sticky LOL), recycled stuff from the junk drawer.

I am hoping to inspire a revolutionary action here!

One bit of advice though. Don't break the furniture testing the hula hoop. If you haven't tried hula hooping since you were 10, you'd best take care. Watch the lamp!! :)

[PuraVidaDreamin]

19. did you really knock over the furniture?

Haaaahaaaahaaahahaha

You're peace beauty is fantabulous! Did you go to
art school?

I'd like to find a large piece of yellow french ribbon
to wrap around my peace sign.

Btw- it's fun pulling out the hoola hoop at summer
bbq parties, especially when you can get the
guys to try it out!

Peace you wonderful woman!

[Generic Other]

20. Ha Ha. The lamp survived, and the stool was no worse for wear

I tell ya I used to be able to do that! :(

[nofurylike]

36. "Don't break the furniture testing the hula hoop."

:rofl:

truly! :rofl:

so wonderful...
thank you, GO!!!!


peace and solidarity!!!

and "Watch the lamp!!" empathy :D

[EFerrari]

10. Great idea! For a smaller one in a smaller space, you could

dismantle an old lampshade and use the metal ring as a base for the circle.

Don't get me started. lol

:toast:

[Generic Other]

11. Hey, you knew I broke that lamp trying the hula hoop out! LOL

The hula hoop is VERY lightweight and HUGE, so it looks like a billboard. I am planning to plant a few in my community. But I agree that smversions are great. I am in to the idea of decorating them with recyclable junk drawer junk, every sort of kitschy campy thing I can find. Don't you think one would look good in pink sponge curlers?? LOL.

My goal is to get at least ONE in every state.

So far we got Washington, Alaska, New York, and maybe Cali!! Are we women cool or what?

[egadsbrain]

13. Hula hoop memories...

I don't dare try this again. I NEVER got the hang of "hula hooping." Have been known to try on a lampshade now and then though!

:rofl:

[EFerrari]

15. LOL! I guess that's where that idea came from . . .

:rofl:

[EFerrari]

14. We hold the planet together. lol

I was also thinking that those damn plastic deals that hold six packs together -- and endanger wildlife -- could be cut into a peace sign mobile.

Maybe I'll try that tonight to see if it works. :)

[egadsbrain]

12. Another take...

In my animal rights days, we used to get cheap umbrellas at the 99 cent store and paint slogans and images on them with acrylic paint. A peace sign would fit quite nicely and you could still glue the flowers on. Handy for rainy and sunny protests!

[Generic Other]

16. Another great idea!! I live in the Pac Northwest and rain is everpresent

Maybe loaner umbrellas. Leave in conspicuous places whetre people might borrow an umbrella and leave it behind in another place!!

[Katherine Brengle]

42. easier to carry around too--when you are done, just pop it back in...

your bag!

i like it!

[suffragette]

17. Great idea

No time to do it for today, but I'll be at the Seattle march today and hope I see you there.

[ananda]

18. What a great idea!

This is fantastic. I love it... and it's so creative and healing.

Do rightwing fanatics ever do anything like this? All their
signs and pictures seem so ugly, grotesque, and hateful.

And holding the signstick up with dvd or cd holders is
brilliant.

Thank you!

Sue

[Generic Other]

21. That was actually the roll of ribbon I found at the goodwill

I have the world's largest roll of xmas bow quality red ribbon. I'm hoping it doesn't run in the rain.

I have enough junk for one more sign. I'm getting nervous about the ribbon. May go to PVD's lacy material wrap on the next one. Whatever I do, one of these guys has to get placed somewhere special.

There's a highway overpass just outside the military base I live near. People with flags go there every weekend to wave their patriotism in everyone's face. They now want the state to grant permission to name the overpass "the Freedom Bridge" as in freedumb. That's where my peace sign ought to get planted. Somewhere where these folks can see it and not get at it! Just in their sights but beyond their reach. LOL. :)

[politicat]

22. Great idea!!

Our neighborhood association doesn't really allow signs, but we're allowed wreaths and door decorations. I can do a Peace Wreath for the front door with no problems.

[Generic Other]

23. That's a great idea!

And it does double duty by getting around the neighborhood assoc. rules! Subversive art!

[Raksha]

24. That's beautiful! I love it. n/t

[AirmensMom]

25. What a great idea, Generic Other!

And very beautiful! :loveya:

[nofurylike]

26. how beautiful, Generic Other! great idea and suggestion! here's to two

more soon, in massachusetts! mine; and mom loves to make beautiful things that impart Peace!

thank you so much for posting this, with instructions!

we'll be dressing the country in beautiful PEACE!!!!

sigh.....

:hi:


peace!!

[AirmensMom]

27. "beautiful PEACE!!!!"

What a wonderfully appropriate way to dress the peace sign. :applause:

[nofurylike]

35. don't you just love them? i can't wait to plant Peace everywhere!! eom

[Generic Other]

32. Go Massachusetts...

I hope your peace sign will get the attention of passersby at your vigils.

I am going to christen mine tomorrow.

:hi:

[nofurylike]

34. thank you, GO! maybe not this sunday vigil, but for our tuesday one,

absolutely! these beautiful Peace sculptures will be perfect!!

(just can't find a hula hoop in time for today's, alas!)

we'll be thinking of you all the time we're standing by our Peace Plants!!

:hi:


peace and solidarity!!

[blue neen]

28. That's a great idea!

I salute your and PuravidaDreamin's imaginations and creativity. I will bookmark this thread to keep the directions handy. :)

[nofurylike]

29. k&r and passing it on! can't wait to spot them blooming everywhere! eom

[nofurylike]

30. oh, AND thank YOU, PurividaDreamin! wonderful!! eom

[magellan]

31. I just planted my Peace Plant in the front yard

We rent our property so I don't know how long before it'll be before we're asked to remove it...if we are I'll just hang it on the house. lol Too dark out there right now to take a picture. I'll have one tomorrow.

Thank you for sharing this beautiful idea!

[Generic Other]

33. Peace is blooming everywhere

Our neighbors will be amazed!

[nofurylike]

37. yes!! wonderful... eom

[magellan]

38. Here it is!

Been getting some attention from the neighbors across the way, watching through their windows as I reinforced it a couple of times today. Other than that and a car slowing as it passed, no obvious reaction. These are so pretty, I don't see how anyone could have a problem with them....

[Generic Other]

39. Is that beautiful or what? What a stunning Peace sign!

It speaks volumes, doesn't it?

[magellan]

43. Thanks, Generic Other

When I saw this idea and the photos of other Peace Plants I just had to do it. I love artsy-fartsy stuff, and this just seemed so non-threatening and female-centered. Even my husband admires the beauty of the concept...although he and I disagreed about what to do if we're asked by the landlord to remove it.

(Our house -- mobile home -- is ours, but it's on rented property. I said if we're asked to remove it I'd just put it on the house; he argued the legal view that it would still be considered on their property. We'll just have to wait and see, maybe they'll leave us alone. I don't plan to keep it up forever anyway...wouldn't be practical with hurricane season coming! lol)

Thanks again for sharing this terrific idea! :)

[DesertRat]

40. Just beautiful!

I'd love to make one too. Thanks for the inspiration. :hi:

[Katherine Brengle]

41. there is something beautiful and eerie about them...

i'm going to make one too.

great idea--k&r!

[Generic Other]

44. kicking

:kick: