Hello! You made it to part 10 of our series 31 DAYS of Giving Handmade! You can find links to the entire series, in order, on our Giving Handmade Index Page. I'll add each new link as that day is published.
{Leafy Wool Wreath}
Handmade gifts don't always have to be wrapped up in a package, and they don't have to wait for Christmas, either. How fun would it be to surprise a friend with this autumn-inspired wreath! It took less than an hour to make, and since I had all the materials, it cost me $0. You cannot beat that.
{materials}
Here's what you need -
:: pizza box or large piece of cardboard
:: wreath form or large bowl to trace (mine was about 14 inches)
:: scissors for cutting paper and fabric
:: several wool skirts in similar tones (I used yellows and greys) You could also just buy felt.
:: glue gun
:: stapler and staples
:: bias tape or ribbon for hanging
{instructions}
1) Trace your wreath shape onto the pizza box lid. Mine extended to the bent parts of the box, but it didn't seem to matter at the end. If you used a bowl for tracing, draw another circle about 3 inches inside the first one. Carefully cut it out.
2) Prepare your fabric. If you are using wool skirts, make sure they have been washed in hot water and dried in the dryer. This will bind the wool fibers into a felt-like material. You could also use store-bought felt, or even paper if your wreath will be kept inside. Make a simple leaf template out of cardstock or cardboard from your pizza box. My leaf was about 4.5 inches long with a flat edge along the bottom.
3) Cut out lots of leaves. I started out tracing them onto the fabric, but that was taking too long. After that, just holding the pattern and cutting around it worked fine. I'm guessing I have about 65 leaves or so on the final wreath.
4) Fold each leaf over at the flat end so that both sides overlap slightly. Staple all of the leaves this way.
5) Mark the half-way point on the top and bottom of your wreath form. Starting at the bottom, arrange the leaves, overlapping them slightly for fullness. Use the glue gun to secure the stapled end, but leave the tips free. This might take a little practice to figure out the technique, but once you get it, it goes really fast. When you get to your mark at the top, start the other side from the bottom again. Try to keep the colors balanced on each side, without making it look too symmetrical.
6) When you are finished with the whole round, hold it out and look for bare cardboard spots. Fill them with leaves, or glue existing leaves down to cover them.
7) Wrap your bias tape or ribbon around the top with a spot of glue, and it's ready to hang!
:: If you make a wreath from this tutorial, leave a link to it in the comments! I'd love to show it off to the rest of my readers!
