"Wonderful Winter" Wreath Project

 Paper-cut dimensional and regular elements find a perfect home

in this multi-materials wreath project. 

Scroll thru the construction process and read about the fun elements

and the "found" fixin's that make this chock-full decoration so visually interesting.

Part of the fun was gathering materials and accents that I already owned,

then creating something that looks so rich for under $15 of actual expense.

(The burlap ribbon was the most expensive single item purchased "new",

even though there are trimmings that would have cost $45; 

many items were "cast-offs" or left-overs from other projects and jobs.)

My wreath began with a plastic-wrapped straw base form found at a thrift store for $1. "Greenwrap" recycled paper webbing for mail shipping that I had on hand was cut into long strips, scrunched, then wrapped and hot-glued in place as the foundation covering.

Here is the pre-performance collection of completed elements that I created or assembled for my wreath. Details are shown in following pics. As I envision, plan and then finally execute a wreath project like this, the collection and prep process is BOTH the best and worst part. It is exciting to hunt and find, but all the time I am impatient to actually get into the project.

Tiny pinecones gathered during my autumn "Thanksgiving Point Garden" walks were wire-mounted into bamboo skewers, immersed in gesso base coat, dried, then top-coat dipped in colored acrylic paint. Here you can see one cone inserted into a deep plastic cup then "spun" by rolling stick briskly between my palms to remove excess paint. When dried, the cones were sprayed with adhesive and sprinkled with crystal glitter to make them sparkle as though just kissed by Jack Frost. 
(Skewers help with the painting; wires remain attached, unwrapped first from sticks.)

In this prep step I turned deep-discount Christmas tree glass mini ball ornaments into "woolly snow blossoms". A searched blog post shared information about cutting 5-petal flowers from wool felt, pre-clustering the petal shape with needle and thread, then joining these into dimensional blossoms. I modified the process to use four of these cut shapes clustered around the ball stem (removed the metal cap/hanger). For Silhouette users, find a petal shape in the online store or your library, or email me a request for the one I created and I will send it by email as a pdf file or svg. file per your request.

Now the details: "Wonderful Winter" (created with this project in mind) is available from SnapDragon Snippets. Three layers were cut and joined, then edge "antiqued". I cut chipboard duplicate base shapes, threaded faux silk ribbon between as these were glued, then attached ends to each side of the wreath. The string of snowflakes are metal "found" shapes I already had, mounted on an offset shape created with the "trace" feature in Designer Studio (traced the metal flake shape) with added holes for the string, with beads between.

Wanting to "cameo" this dimensional snowflake was at the idea genesis for this wreath. Snowflake is also a SnapDragon Snippets cut design.

This image shows the cream bulap ribbon that was the second wrap layer, on top of the brown paper web. The next wrap layer was cream colored faux silk ribbon loop "fringe" that was a contracted sewing project "left over" that suited this project well. You can also see the silver glitter ball pick cluster wrapped in leftover pleated trim, sequin glittered branch tips (under snowflake) from a deep-discount after-Christmas bin.

In this photo, you can see the finished woolly blossom, and also the "extra" ball blossom created from flattened and clustered mini-cup pleated papers (think cupcake paper cups, only smaller) that were used to finished the sixth blossom needed for my three pairs (I ran short of woolly felt). 

At lower right, see the painted pine cone cluster that was tied with ribbon short lengths.

Here is a closeup of the miniature 3d skis and poles, a cut design also created with this wreath in mind.

Plastic Darice tiny snowflake ornaments show in this image (again left over from a decorative craft project).

At lower left a pinecone cluster peeks into the shot. Here you see the tiny "seed drop" stems clustered with the pinecone wires that were separated from a "closeout" pick in the seasonal bins at Jo Ann Fabrics.

The final featured dimensional design is this vintage ice skate. Below is a fabric covered button (again left over from other paid-for projects), made into a double rosette using left-over pleated ribbon trim, hot glued to a circle chipboard base.

Once again, the finished wreath.

Hope you are inspired and energized

to create your own wreath project.

SnapDragon Snippets cut designs available in the Silhouette America online store:

3d skis and poles miniatures

3d snowflake with triangle points

3d ice skate ornament

wonderful winter word art