This time we're combining two crafts that are little used in this day and age: painting and gardening.

A perfect gift for yourself or your favorite crafty matriarch is a cool plant in a colorful pot. You can paint the pot any way you want and plant a flower, a fern or some combination of plants that makes you happy. This is a great starter craft because it illustrates two definitions of the term creativity: you are making something new with your hands and allowing a creation (the plant) to thrive (hopefully) under your care.

To get started you'll need a pot of any size, preferably plastic or terra cotta, some paints (outdoor paint if you intend to leave the plant on your patio) a plant that will fit comfortably in your pot (pick something that's in a pot that's a little smaller than the pot you are buying so it will have room to grow) and potting soil.

First you'll want to decorate your pot. You can do this with spray paint (plain or textured, using special spray paint for plastic will eliminate the need for primer), acrylics, poster paints or pigment paints. You can paint your pot all one color, freehand a wild design or use stencils or rubber stamps to make a pattern along the rim. Painting flowers is a nice (and predictable) motif for a flower pot, but why not take it a step further and paint something abstract that represents spring or life to you?

If you're using a plastic pot, there is really no prep work that needs to be done (though if you want to use paint that is not made to adhere to plastic you will need to prime the surface), but if you want to paint a terra cotta pot and you want your design to last, you should seal the inside of the pot so water won't seep through and wash off your paint. It's also a good idea to prime the outside of the pot with the same acrylic sealer to make a smoother base for your painting and to keep the paint for getting sucked into the pot. These products come in spray versions and can be found at any craft or hardware store.

Once your pot is primed (and dried), painted (and dried) and decorated (and dried) you can plant your plant in the pot. You might choose flowers that contrast with the pot or a simple green ivy or fern. I wouldn't use a hand-painted pot for herbs or anything else you might eat in case any of the paint leeches into the soil. But other than that, anything that will fit in the pot will be great.

If you want to keep the pot outside, place a couple of rocks in the bottom of the pot to make it a little heavier, making sure not to cover the drainage hole. Fill the pot with soil so there is enough soil to surround the plug of earth supporting your plant's roots. The plant should be situated so the roots are all in the dirt and most of the plant is above the rim of the pot (the pot should be all but an inch or two full of dirt).

Once you have filled the pot with soil up to the level where your plant needs to go, gently remove the plant from its container. You may need to squeeze the sides of the pot to allow the roots to release if the plant is root bound. You will know the plant is root bound if the roots are large and white and climbing all over each other. Very gently separate some of these roots form each other (some of them may tear when you do this but the goal is to cause as little damage as possible).

Spread the roots out as you lay them in the pot. Add soil as needed to cover the top of the soil your plant came with, and press down gently to settle the soil. Water your plant well, place it where it needs to go to live (ask the garden store clerk or read the care instructions label that came with the plant) and don't forget to water it.

If you or the person you plan to give this gift to don't exactly have a green thumb, try an easy plant like cacti or a shamrock. Annuals are bright and easy to grow but they won't last year after year. Gardening is not that hard if you start small.

Have fun and enjoy your crafty feminine nature while bringing a little life into your life.