Burlap-style Deco Mesh Christmas Wreaths

I know I'm probably late to the party with this project, but I finally made some deco mesh style wreaths.  I'm so happy with how they turned out I had to share them!  We get some rough winters around here, so it seemed like it was time to make some really durable (and affordable) door wreaths for the holiday season.  Ones that won't easily blow off or get worn out.  I also had some pretty Christmas ribbons & themed mdf cutouts I'd gotten for my shop that I really wanted to use myself, so this seemed like the perfect project.

I made a pair for our double front doors:

I wanted the highlight the sweet Nativity design of the ribbon & wreath center wood cuts and at the same time have the bright blue of the starry ribbon to stand out against the neutrals of the gold & burlap. 

If you're short on time, but want to make a beautiful wreath, this is a quick & easy way to get results.

Materials:

- 20in metal wreath forms (I used these)

- 10yd rolls of 21in wide poly jute deco mesh (I used these)

- 3 different 2.5in wide wired ribbon (I used Nativity, Navy Gold Stars & Gold value roll from Hobby Lobby)

- chenille stems (aka pipe cleaners)

- hot glue gun

- MDF cutout shapes (Hope & Joy)

- Acrylic craft paint & brushes

- Fishing line & upholstery needle

To do the poof-style mesh wreath base, I used this fantastic tutorial from Dave's Wreaths and Things.  It's easy to follow and worked out exactly as he instructed, so I wasn't going to reinvent the wheel by trying to do any step-by-step photos.  I got the poly jute style because I wanted it to look like burlap but be more durable and not be too floppy to shape.  They turned out nice & full and I didn't have to fiddle around trying to shape them:  

I used a great tutorial from Michelle Smith Creations to strategically add in the ribbon embellishments and make a nice full bow.

I used acrylic craft paints to paint my unfinished Joy & Hope signs.  To get the color just right to match my ribbon, I layered a few shades of royal & navy blue with some broad brushstrokes: 

Then I painted the little Nativity scenes in each one with some metallic gold acrylic and a layer of gold glitter to add a little sparkle to go with the sparkle of my other ribbons.

The center signage being cutout letters, rather than a big circle or rectangle, meant using her technique of attaching a central sign to the wreath wouldn't really work for me, so I got out an upholstery needle and some fishing line and attached it to the back of the wreath form and then looped it around the edges of the outer letters to really anchor it on, but not be super obvious to the eye.

I didn't have time this year to get really spectacular with the rest of our porch decorations (I also need to keep room free for my giant bin of outgoing stuff), but I think they look nice with our potted trees.  Next year I might make more goodies to team with my wreath theme, but for now, it's making Christmas brighter at our front door:)

Burlap Wire Pumpkin Wreath With Layered Ribbon Accents

To decorate our front doors this year I made fun burlap pumpkin "wreaths" using some wire pumpkin forms.

They feature lots of festive Halloween designs and a layered ribbon design to add lots of texture and holiday colors:

I looked at a lot of tutorials and techniques done with wire pumpkin forms before I made this.  I wanted the final look to be more tailored than just draping fabric over the form.  I followed a lot of what this video by Crafting Cousins did, but used burlap yardage I cut myself rather than fabric + burlap ribbon, ditched the messy, fume-y E6000 glue and added my own layered ribbon technique for a unique bow accent that could also handle being outdoors.

Materials:

- 1 yd burlap (36"x40")

- 2 wire pumpkin forms

- Various 2.5" wide wired ribbons

- Various 1" wide ribbons

- Satin cut-out trims (mine are from Sugar Pink Boutique)

- Hot glue gun

I want to start out by saying not all burlap or ribbon is equal!

When I gathered the rest of my supplies I first grabbed some rolls of 5.5" wide burlap at the craft store.  Big mistake!  That stuff is really loose weave so you can see right through it.  Unless you're scrunching it up or have something directly behind it, it's too net-like for most projects, so I needed something better.

I found this fantastic burlap sold by the yard on Amazon here.  It has a much tighter weave and a warmer color.  Much more versatile for sure.  It was really reasonably priced and even delivered on a roll so no creases!

I used some basic craft store solids for my "background" ribbons, but added these specialty satin cutout trims to add really nice detail: 

 I bought from Sugar Pink Boutique.  They cut apart without fraying and are puffy so their dimensional element really kicks the finished look up a notch compared to regular ribbons:

  I also got my buffalo check orange & black wire ribbon there.  It has a soft flannel fabric feel too: 

Now, let's make some pretty pumpkins!

To start I cut the following pieces for each of my wreaths:

(4) 17"h x 4.5"w burlap strips for mid-sections

(2) 12"h x 5"w for ends

(1) 17"h x 6"w for central section

  

I started with the center section of the wire form and dabbed some hot glue on the middle of each of the center spokes:

I placed the widest strip over it, making sure there was enough on either side to wrap it around the wires to the back:

With it affixed I worked my way to the ends, running a few inches of glue down the wire...

...pressing it down as I worked.   Doing it this way on either side keeps the burlap taut to have a nice full shape.  I used a silicone finger protector to smooth it, but a pencil or chopstick would work ok too.  

Once I got to the ends, I clipped into the overhanging ends right where the spokes attached to the outer frame:

Then I hot glued the sides around to the back:

Folded the flaps at the top & bottom over and around to the back side and glued them.  

I did the same with the spokes on either side, leaving gaps between like this:

To fill in the remaining mid-sections, I glued along the edges of the wrong sides of the burlap sections I just did, starting at the middle as before:

And placed the remaining 12"h x 5"w pieces onto them, working the same way outward, but from the backside this time:

For the outer end sections, I glued the inner sides the same way, clipped them right at the ends and then pulled the outside edge under the wire....

Then folded them over to the wrong side over the wire and glued in place.  This will cover up all the wire so the burlap pumpkin is good to go.

Time to embellish!

I dabbed a bit of hot glue to the back of each of my satin cutout trims 

and affixed them to some 1 inch wide grosgrain ribbon to  make them really pop and add a firmer body to them:

A lot of tutorials I saw for bow-making use insane amounts of ribbon.  You don't want to waste anything when you use specialty trims, so I have this layering trick for getting the most out of every inch!  I cut each of these "treat" pieces to be about 9 inches:

Then a cut 24 inch long pieces of my wider, basic ribbons:

I centered the smaller strip over the longer ribbon piece and dabbed a dot of hot glue on the back ends of the short piece and stuck it to the longer one.

Then I folded each of the new multi-layered ribbon strips in half:

I stacked them in the order I liked and tied them tight around the middle:

I fanned them out and fluffed up the loops to get them how I wanted:

I tied the bows onto each wreath and added some hot glue onto the stem for extra security:

I added a loop of burlap ribbon tied in a lark's knot to hang them off my door hooks:

And then my pretty pumpkins were door-ready.  I like that they add some seasonal fun, but aren't too busy or over-the-top.  Just the kind of holiday I need right now!  

Happy Halloween!

Easy Ribbon Thanksgiving Turkey Art

 

 It's hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is right around the corner.  Since time to craft is short around here, I wanted to make something festive, but also VERY easy.  

Enter my Easy Ribbon Thanksgiving Art.

 

 Using basic supplies, it's simple to make this fun decorative project to celebrate the holiday.  By layering a card stock "window" over a ribbon filled shadowbox frame, there's an interesting dimensional effect:

 

Using an assortment of ribbons give interesting detail & texture too:

  

And while I used fall themed ribbons because I had them on hand, you could pick whatever colors & designs you want.  Then it can match any decor!

Hang it on the wall or prop it on a mantle or shelf.  And the best bit is it can easily be dismantled, so you can reuse everything for a different projects at a later date.  

 

   I always feel like poor Thanksgiving gets short changed when it comes to holiday crafts.  Loads of Halloween & Christmas ideas abound, but unless it's recipes, Thanksgiving gets less attention.  Maybe because it seems a little harder to get creative about.  I've been craft blogging for over a decade, but I've only made a couple of specifically turkey day holiday projects:

 

 

 But that has changed this year!  

Now, let's get to how to make this festive Thanksgiving decoration in next to no time...

Materials:

- 12in x 12in unfinished wood shadowbox (mine was from Michael's)
- 1 inch thick craft foam (or foam floor mat)
- Assorted 1.5 in wide ribbons
- Wood tint (I used Folk Art Home Decor in Grey)
- 12in x 12in card stock
- Dressmaker's pins (basic silver flathead pins)
- Cricut Explore (or similar cutting machine)

 

I started by brushing the grey wood tint onto my unfinished frame.  This color seems to go with everything.  Two coats does the job & it dries super fast too.  

  

Can I just say, how much I LOVE this stuff?  I've had this jar forever, but it's just as good as the day I bought it. I've used it on a bunch of projects and always loved the results:

 

  

 For my interior base I cut up an EVA foam floor mat - the kind they sell for kid's rooms and garages - with an exact-o knife to fit my frame (12in x 12in).  We had a bunch in the house from past projects, so it made the most sense to use that, but I know craft stores sell styrofoam squares in that size for a ready-cut option.  Upholstery foam would probably work too.

Of course I didn't take a pic of it because I jumped right into the next bit - cutting 8 strips of my various 1.5in ribbons to be 15 inches long and laid them in an order I liked over the foam. 

 

 Again, I was using ribbons already in my stash (waste not, want not!). The burlap looked a bit plain on its own, so I jazzed those strips up by overlaying some narrower decorative ribbons on top of them:

It added a bit of extra dimension and texture which I liked:

  

I wrapped the ribbons around the sides of the foam and anchored them there with the pins.  This made it really quick & easy to secure them:

 

Then I carefully laid the foam into the frame.  It fits snuggly so there was no need to attach it with glue or anything.

 

Turkey time!  I found a free clip art turkey silhouette:

I imported that into Cricut Design Space and removed the background to make a simple cut file.

 

I sized this guy to be 9 inches high, which seemed perfect to fit the 12 in square frame.  

 

I cut him out of the card stock with my Cricut Explore and popped the center out:

  

I inserted the outer piece into my frame.  I put pins in the corners to hold it in place.  A few glue dots would probably work too. Then I added some decorative gourds & candles around it.  Presto - my ribbon turkey tableau was done: 

 

It felt nice to be able to make a little something to decorate for Thanksgiving this year and, apart from the shadowbox, I already had all the supplies here at home so it was thrifty too.  I may do versions for other holidays going forward and just swap them out in the frame.  Being able to make fun things despite a tight time & cash crafting budget is well worth it.  And since it comes together so quickly, there's time for more projects left too!!