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Wreath tutorial (using 21 inch mesh) and how to make your own picks

10/20/2015

 
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 I love this wreath which uses 21 inch mesh


Use the method Pull, Puff, Pinch method
 1. pulling the mesh
2. gathering it into a puff
3. pinching it between two pieces of the wire wreath

First step is to attach two rows of mesh:
1 is on the outside row
2nd row is on the inside 


Use the technique: pull, puff and then pinching it between two wire wreath branches to attach
the wreath (using the branches to pinch on the outside rows)

Do not cut the mesh between the rows, just pull it over to the other side

The 2nd row is to go around with the same technique pull, pull and pinch
again on the inside rows of branches of the wreath 


You can use two different colours of mesh if you wish, 1 colour on the outside row
and another on the inside row, just cut it after row 1 and hide the mesh end into the wreath
OR you can join two different colours of the mesh by overlapping one over the other
and then attaching them as one layer


To hide the mesh end after cutting:
after your last ''pinch'', extend the mesh for approx. one inch and cut,
then push the end of the mesh into the inside branches (or hide it under the last puff)
​
By doing two rows, the wreath seems to double in size with the mesh

Design idea: add another ribbon over top of the mesh in a more random pattern...
skipping across the middle of the wreath from the out to the inner edge

You can undo the ''pinch'' of the mesh and add the ribbon into those spots
or use any available garland


Use a smaller glitter ribbon (as shown in gold on the red wreath photo at the top of the tutorial)
OR use a mesh glitter ribbon (as shown on the gold wreath in the tutorial)
If you can find it, you can use glitter cardboard that comes in loops 
(which I found at the big box tire store... of all places)

or use whatever you have
In the photo of the red wreath above, I used a very light
gold glittery ribbon that I found in the ribbon section of the craft store


                                         
Be creative, use what you have to make your own picks...
Pick a theme and make a lovely unique item
(winter, new years, valentines, easter, seashells, peacock feathers)
there are lots of ideas for themes on the internet 



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Supplies:
21 inch mesh
​24 inch wreath
Picks (or make your own ribbon picks, tutorial below)
Floral wire (24 gauge)
​Wire Ribbon (approx. 1.5 inch wide)



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How to make a wire ribbon pick

Wire ribbon is the best to fill in spaces between the mesh and picks. 

 Cut a piece of ribbon approx. 8-10 inches long 
Loop each end of the ribbon bringing the raw edges in the middle
Pinch / pleat the middle
Wrap the floral wire around the middle of the ribbon (securing / hiding the raw edges)
(ADD an ornament ball by looping it through the ribbon 
ADD a second layer of a different ribbon
ADD a single different coloured flower or pointsettia
ADD a jingle bell... whatever you like)
Wrap a couple of times around the ribbon

Join the two sections of wire together and twist the end around a couple of times to secure it
Cut the floral wire (approximate length 6-7 inches)
or however much you need to secure it to the wreath
​
Now stick the pick in and fill those spaces
!
Make a pointsettia and mesh ribbon pick
Use a single flower or an ornament ball on a stick or a pinecomb

Use 6-8 inches of wire mesh ribbon
loop the ends toward the middle
push the stick through the hole ensuring that the pick goes through the overlapped sections
You have a pretty pick to stick in your wreath

Mix and match colours...  as in the wreaths below... 
​there are no limits on imagination!


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Make a lovely wreath for your front door and enjoy making it yourself

March 29th, 2015 - Spring Flower Wreath Tutorial

3/29/2015

0 Comments

 
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 Spring is such a lovely time of year... so much colour
and blooming... after the all-white winter...


Below is a tutorial on making a wreath
in celebration of spring and to add colour to your home 
at the front door, on your wall or as a table centerpiece

The Cost? I spent under $15 at a dollar store


SUPPLIES:


Styrofoam or Cardboard ring (bought at the craft store)
​whatever you can find that is on sale!


Silk FLOWERS in pretty bright colours


Fabric or 7/8 inch wide ribbon (to cover the ring)


Ribbon in matching colours to the flowers


Glue & Glue gun


Wire cutters and safety glasses

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 Start by wrapping the cardboard ring with ribbon or fabric


I used fabric and turned the long edge under on one side

(so there would be a finished edge showing)
The strip of fabric is approximately 1.5 inches wide You could use ribbon or
burlap or whatever is on sale 
or whatever you have available


When you finish going around, fold the raw end under and 
put a couple of globs of glue from your glue gun to secure it


Tip: the end that you just tucked under to finish should be on the
flower covered side of the ring
(so the end will not show as it will be hidden under flowers)
​so start with this side up
​
Top photo below shows the ring and flowers ready to go!

 
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Next I removed the stems from the flowers
using wire cutters  (and safety glasses)
and arranged them on the ring FIRST (photo above)
to ensure 
that I had enough flowers to go around

You can always add more flowers, leaves or ribbon if needed
but to keep it symmetrical, it's always good practice to FIRST check
you have enough materials


When you have everything the way you like it...
plug in your glue gun to get it warmed up!



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A loop to hang your wreath... 

You can make a ring of ribbon wrapped around the ring first and then 
tied it in a double knot, and then glue it to the ring to make a loop
so you could either put the wreath up on a nail on the wall 
or make the loop larger to place it on a holder for the front door

However you will be affixing your ring 
You can add it later... but it's easier to hide if you add it first

Now for the super fun part... adding the flowers!!!
​

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Tip: make sure that the remaining part of the stem that cannot be cut off
is slightly to the side 
as it will not sit flat
(see photo above) 
​

To explain... the flower will be facing a little to the left or right
(alternate them facing right or left as you go)
and slightly overlap the petals  of the next flower to cover a little bit of the space
in between each flower

If you look at the finished wreath in the photos above
... you will see that the flowers
are slightly turned to the right or left... 


After all the flowers are placed on, you can use ribbon loops (instructions below),
leaves and smaller flowers to fill in the spaces so not to worry about any gaps

SECURE THE FLOWERS
Remember to 
check the placement first before you glue

Make a little puddle of hot glue with your glue gun
(watch your fingers)
Push hard on top of the flower and hold for a couple a minute or two
to ensure adhesion of the flower to the ring


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​Keep adding the flowers until your wreath is full

I add the flowers in random order but paying attention to not
 putting the same colour right beside each other

Keep moving the wreath around like a steering wheel to 
check that it is not "lopsided" 
(with too many flowers clustered in one spot of the wreath)

​Make it perfectly imperfect!!! 
If you make a mistake... chances are that no one will see it
They will be so impressed with your creativity!

****


After you flowers are affixed, you can then add bright, matching
​colour loops 
of ribbon
to fill in the gaps and spaces between the flowers
and to add some depth and interest to the piece




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Picture

To make loops of ribbon
(2 photos above)

Cut a piece of ribbon approximately 8 inches long

Make one loop on one side, then a loop on the other,
the cut ends meet in the middle (top photo above)
overlap the ends a little then fold (2nd photo above)
with the raw, cut edge folded in the middle
so you don't see it
​
You're ready to glue them in place into the spaces between the flowers

You can also pull the leaves off the stems that you cut off
and often flowers that you buy in a bunch will come with
smaller branches of flowers too... add those into the space as well!

Be creative and use what you have!


Your project is now complete and ready
to hang on your day or wall... or lay on your table
to brighten up your space!!!

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A lovely green and purple wreath on a twig base
     A wreath is not just for your front door, you can... 

Hang them on the walls inside your home
to add a pop of pretty colour on the wall


Use them as a centerpiece for your dining room table


Surround a candle with a wreath as a centerpiece
​


   Enjoy the vibrant colours that draw your eye 
and 
the compliments 
​



Be Creative and Have Fun

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Pretty flower mobile for baby or little girls room - tutorial

3/18/2015

2 Comments

 
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A Baby shower is a great excuse to get crafty....
I spent hours searching online for something beautiful and unique
and was so excited to find this lovely flower mobile for a baby girl
nursery or little girls' room.


I could not wait to get to the craft store to make my purchases...
I bought the pink flowers and the ring.
I Asked the mom of the mom-to-be what the nursery
colours are (I had already bought the pink flowers)
so I was lucky that
the colours are pink and grey! perfect.


Bought some grey ribbon, beads and crystals... and was all set!


Now, how do I construct it??? I searched online and could not find a tutorial...
so decided that if I succeeded, that I would post one myself!
and here it is...
It was a long project... with trial and error
and I did it in several stages (even took it to a friends house
to get some feedback...) 
​
so I did my best to capture as much of it in photos as I could
to help to get this tutorial made...


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SUPPLIES:


12 inch styrofoam ring
7/8 inch ribbon (main colour)
beads (I bought 2mm and also 4mm in two coordinating colours)
Silk flowers (I used approximately 30 main flowers with filler flowers that came as a bouquet)
Needles and fireline or fishing line
Hot glue gun and glue sticks!!!


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FIRST the foam ring needs to be covered with the ribbon. I overlapped the
ribbon as I went along. Used two straight pins to tack it down at the start and finish.
​
I used a whole roll and bought a second to finish covering the ring
​ (and the remainder to hang).
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I strung the pearls using needle and fireline.

At first, I thought I would tie the
fireline onto the covered ring, but decided that the hot glue would
melt it and the pearls would all fall off. 

I decided to cover the fireline with tape and make these staple things using
wire to push it into the foam and hold the fireline
(and I used wire for the bigger
beads going toward the middle as shown in the photo)

I was very careful when adding the flowers to ensure that the hot glue
​DID NOT come into contact with the fireline.
​

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I suspended my project by sitting it on top of two tension curtain rods and setting up two
boxes on my sewing table and suspending the ring on the rods...
it was easier to work on it while it was sitting up and straight in front of me.


I added the teardrop crystals using wire and wire wrap technique. 


I separated the stems from the flower tops. I put a bead of glue on the flower
(where I cut off the steam) to secure the flower.
There may still be a little bit of stem left ... (I will
address this issue later in the tutorial)

​I set out the flowers around the ring to ensure that I had enough


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I placed the foam ring onto a plastic container with rulers on top
(but under the ring supporting it)
while I added the flowers around. I just kept turning the plastic container as I went along.
Easier to turn the plastic container than the wreath with the glued flowers

I placed the ribbon bows on top of where the tape is holding the strung beads.

At this point, I added two strands of 7/8 inch ribbon each end wrapped around the foam ring
and joining in the middle (to hang the mobile from a hook in the ceiling)
​
No picture taken.. but hopefully you will work it out as I did!



Picture


I  went around and hot glued the main flowers onto the outer facing part of the wreath.

The flowers have the stems cut off, but there is a little bit of stem left over.
You have to place the flowers a little bit to the side (left or right facing) as they will not sit flat

For a photo of what the flower looks like when gluing it on, I borrowed the photo above
from my silk flower wreath and ribbon loop tutorial.
For more complete instructions on adding silk flowers to a flat surface,
please visit that tutorial
It can be a little tricky... but it will be worth it in the end!

After the main flowers were hot glued on, I used the filler flowers in between the main flowers
and also added some ribbon bows as filler.
To make ribbon loops, visit the silk flower and ribbon loop tutorial 
on this website.



This was the longest part of the project but so worth it.


I think the mom to be will love it!!!
It was made with love...

2 Comments

How to Make your own ornament ball wreath for the front door or as a holiday table centerpiece

12/28/2013

0 Comments

 
A wreath on the front door makes a great first impression 

You can make a wreath for every season
or a wreath can become a centerpiece as a festive decoration

Below is a tutorial on how to make your own wreath
for ourselves or to give away as gifts that can be personlized
which are always the best gifts, in my opinion!

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Starting with a white hanger or piece of wire, shape it into a circle the size that you desire

You can purchase wire from the hardware store
suggestion: use 14 or 18 guage wire 
(depending on how much ''bendability'' you prefer to work with)


Depending on the size of the wreath - cut the wire accordingly
The white hanger is great though as it is the right size
(as well as already having a "hook" if you wish to hang it from the wall or door)

Gather your ornaments and place an egg container
 (an egg container will hold the balls while gluing so they don't roll away and they are held into position with the stem/cap up)

Add hot glue on the tops of each ball to ensure the tops 
will stay on when they are attached to the wire (reinforcing the stem/cap attachment to the ball)


You'll need lots of glue sticks for this project!

You may use bead garland or the fluffy garland or a pretty ribbon as embellishment
this is where you can get really creative!
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For visual interest, use different sized balls
You can either attach them directly to the wire by threading them (using
 the stem/cap of the ball)
or you can glue them to those that you have already attached to the wire directly
to fill in the gaps between balls

(note: the balls shown in the photo above are without the stem/cap) 

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Place the ball onto the wire through the hole in the stem/cap

Pictured above, the larger balls are spaced out

When the wire is full of balls, you will need to make a hook at the back
 Use the hook part of the hanger and push the two ends together to create a circle or "hook" then wrap
and overlap each end around a bit and glue into place

You do not need a big hook if you are attaching to a nail on the wall
or to a hook on your door or no hook at all if you are creating a centerpiece

 Ensure that you hide the hook s
o that it does not protrude past the balls at the top of the wreath
Add garland on top of it to further hide it
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After you have all the balls on the wire and have them spaced out (alternating on the sides of the wire)
you can add small balls in between to fill in the gaps



Check the fit and placement of each ball before gluing! 
You can pull them apart after gluing but the glue spot may take some of the paint off the ball

Place the glue where the balls are meeting in the gaps i.e. "drop" the glue in the space and push the balls together
Hold in place after you glue for a few minutes to ensure adhesion
before moving on to the next ball
 

Use as much glue as you can without it showing 
If you can see the glue, use some garland or another ball to hide it

After completion, handle the wreaths carefully as they are somewhat fragile
 
They are durable enough to go on the front door or use as a centerpiece
Also, when gifting - wrap them carefully!



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In the photo above, after securing the balls
use the glittery garland behind the wreath to hide the wire (optional)

Use a small stick to push the garland from the back to the front in between the cracks
​ so you just see a little garland protruding to the front of the wreath
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Additionally, another option is to use the beaded garland cut into lengths of approx. 8-10 beads
Place these loops in between the balls to fill the gaps 
You can also weave the garland in and around the balls 
securing with a dot of glue as you wrap around




Tips and Tricks

To add the garland loops - "drop" the glue in between the balls and using a stick,
push the bead garland loops into the gap

 
Buy an ornament kit in a package including balls, stars, cones and garland 
(
local tire store sells them for $10) Not only is it inexpensive but they are already matched

Turn your project around like a steering wheel as you add more items
so you can check 'symmetry'


The more you practice making them, the quicker you will be
 approximately 1 wreath in 2 hours

Place a plastic sheet or cardboard under
your craft station to avoid glue from
adhering to the work surface beneath it


Ornament ball style wreaths can be made in other colours 
For example, red and pink for valentines day 
or all pink for the wall of a girls room
(including their name with wooden letters from the craft store)

​Lots of ideas on the internet



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Photo above is an example of a garland bead loop

Photos of wreaths
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The wreath in the photo above is made from an ornament ball kit that included stars and glittery snowflakes


TIP: while you are gluing, always hold the wreath up and turn it around (like a steering wheel) to look at the overall shape of ball placement to ensure that it is staying rounded and evenly spaced

Freely add more balls to create symmetry and fill gaps


For the wreath in the photo above, I borrowed some green balls from the brown ornament ball kit
to add an additional pop of colour and weaved the garland around the balls
​and around the outer edge of the wreath



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A wreath can be used as a centerpiece

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Add a festive candle to your wreath
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A variety of colours add interest to the piece
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Use snowflakes and pine cones to add height to your wreath
I enjoy giving these wreaths away as gifts
They are unique and can be colour matched to the recipients tastes or decor!
It's amazing what you can make with a glue gun and your imagination!
​

Be creative and enjoy!


0 Comments

    Be creative!

    $10 DIY

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