May Teen Take & Make Craft: PAINT A POT AND GROW WHEATGRASS

Stop in at the library and pick up one of our May Teen Take & Make craft kits. This month we have mini clay pots for you to paint and wheatgrass seeds to grow. Grab one soon because they are going fast!

The kits contain the mini clay pot, three colors of paint, a paintbrush, wheatgrass seeds, water beads, and instructions. We even included a pair of googly eyes in case you want to give your pot eyes.

Paint the pot any way you like. Once it is dry, you can plant your wheatgrass seeds. Wheatgrass seeds are really easy and fun to grow. They start sprouting within 2 or 3 days, and in about a week you will have a pretty green plant. The wheatgrass seeds can also be grown using the water beads. Plant them in a clear container and you will be able to watch the roots grow.

If you aren't able to pick up a kit at the library, I've included simple instructions below.  You can find small clay pots and wheatgrass seeds at many garden stores or online through Amazon.

Instructions:

·       Painting and planting in your clay pot:

• If you want to paint your clay pot, paint it before planting your seeds.
• Clean the clay pot and let it dry thoroughly.
• Paint it any way you like using the paint and paintbrush!
• Let the paint dry completely before adding googly eyes or planting your seeds
• To add the googly eyes, glue them onto the pot with craft glue or gel superglue.  Superglue is water resistant once dry and may adhere better if the outside of the pot gets wet.
• Once your paint and glue are dry, you can plant your wheatgrass seeds.
• Fill your pot with potting soil to about an inch from the the top.
• Water gently to moisten the soil.
• Sprinkle seeds evenly across the soil.
• Sprinkle an even, thin layer of soil over the top of the seeds.
• Place your pot in an area with indirect sunlight. 

·       To grow wheatgrass seeds in water beads:    

• Find a small, clear, glass container such as a small jar, vase, or glass.
• Add the water beads, and fill the container with water.
• Let the beads sit in the water about 12 hours, until they have expanded fully.
• Sprinkle a layer of wheatgrass seeds on top of the water beads.
• Place the container in a place where it will get indirect sunlight.
• You may have to add water occasionally if the beads start to dry out. 

·       Within just a few days you should be able to see your seeds start to grow! 

What can I do with wheatgrass?

• Let the plant grow tall and enjoy your wheatgrass for the beautiful plant that it is! It will have tall, bright green leaves that will brighten your room and help clean the air.
• Wheatgrass is a rich source of nutrients including iron, calcium, magnesium, amino acids, chlorophyll, and vitamins A, C and E. Some people like to juice it and drink it for the nutritional benefits. You can also try adding it to smoothies or salads.
• Many pets enjoy nibbling on wheatgrass, such as cats, dogs, and hamsters. If you have a pet, you can see if your pet likes the wheatgrass.

Did you try this craft? Let us know how it turned out in the comments. You can send a picture of your plant to Dori at deisenstat@pls-net.org.

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Don't forget to sign up for one of our Teen Thursday online programs this month. Join us for an open book discussion at Books & Brownies, Thursday, May 20th. Thursday, May 27th we will be making adorable hedgehogs out of recycled books at our Teen Thursday Online Arts & Crafts. Click the images below for the link to register.