The latest fad in all-season wreaths seems to be burlap. You could, of course, buy a premade one at any number of stores—but where is the fun in that? Instead, why not can make your own personalized one and impress your friends—all for a very low outlay in materials and time. Here's how!
Steps
-
Buy some burlap. You'll need two yards (1.8 meters). Cut it into 8-inch-wide (20cm) strips. Alternatively, you could purchase several rolls of loosely woven garland (at a higher price.)
-
Obtain a wire wreath base. These often can be found for a dollar or two at the craft store.
-
Roll or gather the end of a burlap strip. Weave it through the wires of the wreath base to start your wreath. This serves to hold the end in place while you assemble the rest of the wreath.
-
Pull a loop of burlap strip through the wreath slats.
-
Lift the loop. Fluff it out to the size you want the wreath to be. This is generally a 2-3 inch (5-7.5cm) high loop.
-
Pull the next loop through the next slat over. Repeat back and forth until you completely hide the wire frame. This can be done with as little as 12 ft (3.6 meters) of burlap strip or as much as 36 ft (11 meters), depending on how thick and full you want your wreath to be. The wreath shown used two yards (1.8 meters) of burlap, cut into 8-inch strips.
-
Slide the loops firmly together. This will make space on the frame for more loops and "puff out" the wreath some more.
Squeeze loops together at the base to help make space on the wreath for more loops. -
Adjust the loops to make your wreath look even.
Adjust loops to round out the circle. -
Decorate the wreath with seasonal colors and floral sprays. You can reuse the base many times so long as you avoid gluing anything to it. Instead, use decorations you can wrap around or wire to the frame so that you can easily replace them from season to season.
-
Another variant.
Tips
- Decorate however you please. Make something uniquely and expressive of your style and taste for a fraction of what you'd pay in a crafts store or Christmas emporium.
- Keep the burlap loops the same size all around the wreath.
Warnings
- Exercise appropriate safety precautions and be careful with wires and any sharp-edged tools such as scissors.
Things You'll Need
- Burlap cloth or strips (at least two yards of cloth or 24 feet of 8-inch-wide garland)
- Wire wreath frame
- Suitable embellishments of your choice
- A touch of whimsy
