There are so many talented people out there making amazing wreaths for all seasons and occasions and I was inspired to try my own. Since Canada will be 150 years old on July 1st, I decided to design a patriotic wreath for our house. The basic techniques can be used to make wreaths for other holidays, birthdays, or even to show support for your favorite sports team.
MATERIALS
- foam core board (or cardboard)
- scissors, exacto knife
- acrylic paint, brushes
- pencil
- ribbon, fake leaves/flowers, other decorations, if desired
1. Draw a circle on the foam board whatever size you want the wreath to be. I traced around a dinner plate to make a fairly small wreath.
Draw a second smaller circle in the center of the first, leaving a few inches of space between the two circles.
2. Draw or trace a maple leaf in the smaller circle, making sure that several parts of the leaf extend past the line into the ring between the two circles.
NOTE: If you want to make the wreath more than a single layer thick, you can glue the layers together before or after cutting.
3. Cut out around the outside of the large circle.
Cut out the pieces between the small circle and the maple leaf.
4. Paint the maple leaf red. I did one coat of regular acrylic paint and one coat of pearl red.
5. Paint the ring between the circles white. I did one coat of regular acrylic paint and one coat of pearl white.
NOTE: The paint will probably warp the foam board. Painting the back side will help warp it back, or you can squish the wreath beneath something heavy to flatten it again.
6. Add whatever additional decorations that you like, such as ribbon wrapped around the ring or hanging down from the bottom, letter stickers spelling out "CANADA", or red and white glitter.
7. Decide how you want to hang the wreath and attach the necessary loop or piece to the back near the top.
8. Proudly hang your beautiful wreath on the door or wall. DONE!
I was thinking that a larger red ring around/behind this would look great if I decided to make it larger. What else do you think would be fun to try with this wreath?
Whether you're looking to tie your towels to your bathroom theme or color scheme, want to make a special gift for someone (wedding, house warming, baby, etc.), or simply want your kids to be able to easily identify their towel, sewing on some grosgrain ribbon is an easy and eye-catching way to achieve your goal.
Grosgrain ribbon comes in a variety of widths and almost every color and pattern imaginable, from aquamarine to zaffre, apples to zigzags, and "Avengers" to "Zootopia". It's available at dollar stores, craft stores, big box stores (like Walmart), and online (eBay, etsy, etc.).
Transform your boring towels into sharp-looking accents and tie-together mismatched towels into coordinating sets without spending a tonne of money on new or designer towels.
MATERIALS
- towel and matching thread for the bobbin
- grosgrain ribbon and matching or coordinating thread for the top thread
- sewing machine, notions, scissors, etc.
1. Lay the towel edge on a flat surface that you can pin on. Lots of towels have a band that is shorter/smoother than the fluffy parts, which is the perfect area to sew on the ribbon, but if the towel doesn't have that, you can still sew the ribbon on over a fluffy area (you may need to measure up from the outside edge of the towel to ensure that your ribbon is straight.
2. Cut a piece of ribbon that is the same width as the towel. Position it carefully and pin every few inches/centimeters to keep it in position while you sew. At both ends, tuck approximately 1/4" (0.5 cm) of ribbon under itself and pin securely. This keeps the "raw edge" of the ribbon sewn inside the stitching so that it won't fray.
3. If you're sewing on hand towels or face cloths, you can simply sew around the ribbon along the edges and backstitch at both ends. For large towels, it's much easier to sew two separate seams. Sew along one long edge, turn at the end, and sew the edge of the end, making sure to backstitch at the start and finish.
4. Start sewing again at the same start point, this time sewing the edge of the end first, then along the other long edge to the same finish point, making sure to backstitch at the start and finish.
5. Trim your threads. Apply a dot of fabric glue to any spots that you think might fray or come loose, if applicable.
DONE.
#TeamCap #TeamIronman ;)
Whether it's for a party, parade, picnic, or just playing around, these simple but colorful wands are sure to delight the kids. They're fun to make for the kids or with the kids.
Choose team colors, favorite colors, patriotic colors, or whatever catches your fancy.
MATERIALS
- wooden dowels approximately 24" (60 cm) long (or whatever length you prefer)
- acrylic paint, brushes
- ribbon
- glue
- scissors
- other decorations, such as: beads, glitter glue, washi tape, stickers, markers, etc.
- large wooden beads, decorative pencil-top erasers, or other items that will fit on the end of the dowels (optional)
1. If your dowels are too long, cut them to the correct length. Remove any stickers/tags from the dowels.
2. Paint the dowels with whatever color or colors you like. Allow the paint to dry completely.
3. Decide which end of the dowel will be the "top" where the "streamers" will be attached. Cut 5 to 10 pieces of ribbon approximately 12" (30 cm) long. You can make them different lengths. Glue one end of the ribbons to the sides of the dowel near the "top" end, varying the side that you attach them on and the distance from the tip.
Alternatively, you can cut longer ribbons (approximately 24" [30 cm]) and glue/tie the middles of the ribbons to the dowel.
Put a little bit of glue on the loose ends of the ribbons to stop them from fraying. Allow the glue to dry.
4. Decorate the rest of the dowel however you like. You can wrap tape or more ribbon around the "top" to cover where you glue the ends of the ribbons on.
5. Add a painted bead, bow, or other decoration to the "top" of the wand (optional).
DONE. Enjoy watching the kids play with their new wands.
