Unconventional Side Table

On my birthday, I took in a free – and very large – hibiscus tree. It was a little spindly and bare (what little leaves it had fell off after the “stress” of the trip to my house) but nothing a little time and TLC won’t fix.

See, it’s already getting loads of new baby leaves.

Plus, it looks like it’s gearing up for a number of blooms. There are at least a dozen buds in various stages, and more emerging everyday!

In the meantime, we’ve added some color by nesting Sophie’s cardinal in there, folded months ago while older sis was at Kindergarten. (I was wondering what happened to the fourth egg, but actually I’m more astonished that the rest of it has survived this long.)

But, aside from its current non-beautiful sparseness and legginess (I can’t prune it anymore til it gets more leaves!) here’s the problem: that’s a BIG surface area of dirt. Also know as Lucy’s personal indoor sandbox.

Black dirt on white carpet. Not good. After cleaning that up about 3 times a day for the last few days, I've had enough. And a simple towel draped over the surface is unfortunately NOT enough to deter her.

Besides, how can I attempt to keep my living room tidied up when I have that bit of plastic ‘n’ brick ‘n’ ripped cardboard box ugliness sharing the space?

Since neither my woodworking skills nor my time allow for a nice wooden “end table/plant cover-up,” I went to the next best thing, a combination of:
tape (and knife skills)

and cardboard (sidenote: note the box? Our playroom is getting organized too these days)

and some fabric from the stash.

A little unconventional, to have a tree growing up out of the middle of one's side table, but I figure it's better than it was before. Let’s see Desctructo-Girl get to the dirt now.


P.S. Got all the squares for the back of the quilt cut out this morning. So now it's time to start sewing...