Monday, September 12, 2011

Fall Wreath Tutorial

The harvest moon is out tonight, which means it's almost my favorite season of the year. The nights have already begun to draw in, and soon there will be a chill in the air. Inspired by warm fall colors, wooley textures, and layers, I decided to celebrate the new season by making a wreath. And here's how you can make one too!

This wreath is really simple to make using materials you most likely already have at home.

I started by tracing a wreath shape onto foam core board using two different sized bowls. (You could also use the side of an empty box or any sturdy material. I just happened to have boards left over from an old school project.)

Once you have your wreath cut out, find a piece of fabric large enough to cover it. I used one of my boyfriend's old wool sweaters that he no longer wanted. (I washed and dried the sweater on hot first so that the fibers would shrink and felt together.) Cut out a circle (and cut a hole in the middle) so that you can wrap it around your wreath board. It helps to cut slits in around the edges to fold it in easier. Glue in place using a glue gun or any type of strong craft glue. Don't worry if the back looks messy; no one will see that side, and you can always cut out a circle of felt and glue to the back to cover the messy bits if you desire.

Next, I made some pom pom flowers out of felt to add as embellishments. Take a long strip of felt, maybe an inch wide, and cut little slits in it all the way down. (It will look a bit like fringe.) Next, start rolling it, adding a bit of glue every now and then to secure. Want to make a larger flower? Just keep adding more strips and rolling and rolling.

I made three pom poms in different colors and sizes for some variety. But of course, you can add as many as you like. Attach your pom pom flowers to your wreath with a dab of glue.

The last step is to add a ribbon in a complementary color to hang your wreath.

And just like that, you're done!

Because my fabric had stripes, I kept my wreath pretty simple, but you could also add acorns, pine cones, twigs, leaves, little woodland creatures...anything that says "fall" to you. And what better way to use up old materials or clothes than upcycling them into pretty decorations?

10 comments:

  1. this is so cute!! i especially love the pom pom :)

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  2. Super cute wreath!! I kinda want that sweater!

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  3. Awesome! Cute! Lovely!

    I love the idea and how easy it is to make, Mary! Thank you for sharing!

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  4. Mary, you are an inspiration:) Can't wait to show you the wreath that I am making:):)

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  5. What a cute idea! I honestly wouldn't have thought of using a sweater for a wreath!

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  6. Your blog is full of such beautiful inspirational 'DYI's! I agree, this is super cute!

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  7. Yes, Kala! I can't wait to see what you're making :))

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  8. Thanks for all the sweet comments, guys! xo, Mary

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  9. Great idea to repurpose a sweater like that. So creative. And the pom poms are so cute!

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