Folded Star Sprigs 3D Wreath Tutorial

Raised hexagon wreath base provides platform 

for eight folded stars with 24 sprigs swirling 

in outer and inner "rings". 

Two layers of fir fringe shapes also swirl 

from behind wreath base. Make a wreath - 

like the raffia-colored sample shown 

(or use a more traditional greens combination)  - 

by attaching hanging "loop" & ribbon to back. 

To use as ring centerpiece, 

center a large pillar candle (up to 4" diam. base) 

or the "candle stand 3 inch pillar" separate design. 

Spritz with spatter paint or ink, 

add decorative berry sprigs if desired. 

ASSEMBLY: 1. Identify and cut the shapes:
A platform wedges (8)   
B main wreath base (NOTE some of "finger openings"
have been eliminated in the final version)
C platform support strips (8)
D & E lower & upper edge fringe (8 ea)
F sprig shapes (24)
G folded star strips (shown in 1 set of 8)
H opt. hanger (2 to be layered)
Not shown: corner fringe lower & upper (8 ea)

2. Prepare the platform support strip by

bending back on the center line perforation,

bending edge tabs forward.

3. For each support strip,
apply adhesive to the separate-panels half
backside . . .

. . . then folding and attaching to the opposite

half as shown. Tabs should remain unattached.

Apply pressure all along for a good sturdy strip.

3. Bend the strips into a reverse 'C' as shown,

with the cut edges "seams" outward.

4. Bring tabs together to insert the tab ends

through the corresponding slots of the base, then . . . 

. . . bend tabs outward and glue undersides
(actually face of strip paper) to the backside of base.

Place the base on flat surface and apply finger

pressure to the tab areas until a good, flat

connection is completed.

5. Prepare the wedge shapes as shown,

bending back on all horizontal perforations.

Also bend back the upper and lower side tabs.

NOTE that the center extension is NOT a tab,

and is not bent back. It contains two small dash

guidelines that may be helpful later in the assembly,

but do not fold.

6. Begin the attachment of the wedges by

positioning the first wedge narrow end tab

at one of the 8 inside angles of the base,

fitting it snugly between the angles, with

flange tab perforation line exactly at the

base edge, and gluing in place.

7. Working in a counter-clockwise direction,
add the second and remaining wedges in the
same fashion, bending the previous wedge outward
to keep it out of the way.

8. As the final wedge is being placed, bend the side

tabs back . . .

. . . and flex the tab side to arrange it under

the first wedge straight edges.

The assembly should now have 8 wedges in place,

with the straight side edge of each overlapping

the tab side edge of adjacent wedge.

9. Bend neighboring wedge edge out of the way

to apply adhesive to the inner tab, then . . .

. . . reposition so that straight edge aligns at the
tab perforation, and apply pressure to achieve
a firm joint.

NOTE that it may prove helpful to insert a
"press-against" surface under the wedges
(and between the support strips), such as
the eraser end of this new pencil)
to help complete the seam.
Repeat the inner seam joining for all wedges.

10. Join the top platform face extensions
by applying adhesive . . .

. . . then positioning each wedge so that

the straight edge overlaps to the perf dash

guidemarks, then apply pressure to join.

11. Apply adhesive (we recommend a quick-grab

glue such as "Fabri-Tack) to the lower, outer tabs,

one or two at a time, then wrap the adjacent wedge

edge over to align its straight edge at tab perf line.

Complete all 8 tab seams.

12. Flip wreath assembly back side up to

apply glue to the outer flange tab, bend it

into position, then . . .

. . . use the finger access openings to
apply pressure to join the tab all along
its length.

NOTE that it will also be helpful to insert
a blade "press against" surface such as
the blade end of this spatula tool to assist
in attaching tab ends.
Repeat for all 8 tabs.

13. Prepare the edge fringe ALL shapes by adding

some upward curl to the strips by rolling them over 

a rod tool while applying careful pressure.

NOTE that a 'T' is cut into the "TOP" fringe shapes
(this one showing from shape's backside for
visibility to camera).
The top fringe shape is also slightly narrower
outer to inner edge.

14. Layer a pair of bottom and top fringe shapes

with back and side straight edges aligned

and glue the inner "solid" portions together.

Repeat to produce 8 total paired shapes.

15. Identify the cut dash guidemarks at the

ends of the fringe shapes.

These will assist with consistent base edge

positioning.

Apply adhesive to the face side "solid" area,

then position each fringe shape under one edge

of the wreath assembly, adjusting base edge

to align at the guide dash marks, with

ends centered between angles of base.

16. Prepare "corner" fringe pairs in the same

manner as for the longer fringe pairs.

Position one at each wreath angle, to fill in

the gap between longer fringe strips. . .

. . .centering at angle, and adjusting so that

the outer tips are approximately even

for a smooth visual transition around wreath,

and glue in place.

17. Curl each sprig shape.

18. Note the three 'x' marks on each top surface

of the platform wedges . . .

. . . then position and attach the stem-end punch hole

of a sprig shape over an 'x', working from left

to right as shown in this frame, with the sprigs

arching over the wreath edge.

19. Repeat the sprig position and attaching

a trio of sprigs on each wedge, aiming at the

same angle orientation for each wedge

to create a consistent pattern around wreath.

20. Prepare 8 folded stars by using the cut strips

and following the tutorial steps presented here.

Complete steps 1-19.

21. Experiment with a "dry fit" arrangement of

8 stars, placing one approximately at the

wreath angles. . .

. . . but adjusting as necessary

for even spacing, as well as "spinning" the star

tips to avoid the neighboring tips while covering

the sprig stem end punch holes as much as possible.

Glue each star into position

(it may be helpful to use a glue such as Fabri-Tack.)

22. Prepare the optional hanger by

layering and attaching the pair of shapes.

23. Position and attach the hanger under one

octagon edge of the wreath base, using the

dash cut guidemarks on the hanger to align

at the edge.

24. Complete the optional decoration of your wreath.

The sample wreath includes:

a) brown paint or ink spattering to give the

wreath a more blended appearance

b) ribbon loop through the hanger

c) cut sections of a winter berry stem

(this one came from JoAnn Fabrics)

with sprigs stem ends hot-glued and placed

under edges of stars on inner and outer 

wreath curves.

Here is the completed wreath.

Wreath "Merry Christmas" Card Hanger

Have you also fallen in love 
with the beautiful wreath 12x12 card stock print

from the DCWV "Hand Painted Christmas"?

Presented here is a custom designed die cut to make a special project

(or at least one project idea).
To obtain the FREE digital download for Silhouette Cameo or
other cutting systems,
visit SnapDragonSnippets.com.
https://www.snapdragonsnippets.com/store/product/1304

One process involves using the inner wreath file shape as template

to lay over the card stock print to trace, then fussy cut by hand
and punch holes as marked.

-OR-

Follow the process described in this tutorial to use a "dummy" cut shape

as template to mark a center top registration hash on the print sheet,

next cut a second "dummy" from "waste" paper, then

LEAVE THE WREATH CUT SHAPE ON THE MAT,

weed outer and inner shapes away from mat,

and re-position the wreath sheet over the dummy wreath shape

taking care to line up the registration, pressing to attach

sheet in place (good to use a new mat),

then re-load the mat to re-cut the wreath shape.

FOLLOW THIS TUTORIAL to see the fussy cut process step by step.
READ ALL THE WAY THROUGH BEFORE PROCEEDING!

CUTTING: 1. Identify the shapes in the cut file, which are:
(left, top to bottom)
a. top reinforcement shape (to strengthen for hanging)
b. base wreath shape
c. top wreath layer (fussy cut from traced template, or registered
on digital cutting machine; see description that follows)
d. bottom reinforcement shape
(right top)
e. "weeded" center shape from the special paper print

2. Cut the shapes, *including a "waste paper" or "dummy" copy 
of the inner wreath, which will be used to mark a registration hashmark 
onto the printed card stock paper.
 Wait to cut the top wreath (and center) shapes.
3. Set up your cutting device to cut *a second "dummy" copy 
of the inner (top layer) wreath,
making sure to center it side-to-side and top-to-bottom.
IMPORTANT: as you load the cutting mat into the cutting machine,
take special care to use the machine markings to insert the mat
using your very best "method", and pay attention because
you will need to repeat the load as closely as possible a second time.
(Also NOTE that it is a good idea to use a fairly fresh mat:
stickiness is valuable in this process!)
(* see NOTE in Step 5 below for an alternative)

4. Once the second dummy wreath shape is cut, eject the mat

and remove the outer waste frame and inner waste shapes

and discard (see NOTE with next step).

5. Place the dummy cut #1 over the printed paper,

centering around the "Merry Christmas" and

over the wreath design, though it can't be seen. Once satisfied

with the placement, use a light pencil to mark the vertical center

(up and down) with a tick mark, and also the top center edge

of the wreath scallop.

(*NOTE: an alternative is to retain the waste frame from a 

single dummy cut of the inner wreath to center and mark

the vertical and top ticks. This will allow you to view the wreath print

to make sure it is centered appropriately - probably better!)

6. Apply a ring of light adhesive in the center margin of the

 dummy wreath on the mat to help the new sheet stay in place once

the cut is being made, since this cutting will release it 

from the mat's stickiness.

Carefully position the wreath print paper onto the mat,

on top of the dummy cut that is still adhered . . .

using the pencil marks to position the print EXACTLY

over the same position on the dummy cut. . . .

Square up the sheet, and "scrape" with your applicator to get 
the best "grab" you can where the exposed mat touches the print
and also from the temporary adhesive applied.

You may wish to ratchet up your blade cutting depth and settings

a notch, in case the mat is not loaded absolutely exactly as during

the dummy cut, when the blade would be cutting two layers. 

7. Load the cutting mat as precisely as possible

to duplicate the original cut from Step 3.

NOTE that one of the hazards of this process is that

since the shape being cut will only be sticking to the mat

around the edges and in the center "hole"

(and where you applied temporary adhesive to the dummy)

 until the cutting progresses, after which time it could POP free

and interfere with the machine's carriage movement. 

So you will want to watch the cutting process, in case

a quick rescue is required!

ASSEMBLY:

8. Layer the inner and outer wreath shapes and glue together.

Also glue the top and bottom reinforcing shapes to the

backside of wreath base. 

If you want the "Merry Christmas" middle to be part of your wreath,

simply apply adhesive near the edge of it's face surface,

then position the wreath over the center cut, and adjust

before joining the two.

9. To use this project as a card hanger display,
prepare it by attaching fancy ornament hooks through
the tiny holes along the bottom edge.
(Or alternatively, use the wreath as an over-size 
fancy Christmas greeting card,
with ribbons through the top punch holes.
"Release compound path" in Silhouette software
to "ungroup" and eliminate the bottom punches, if you wish.)

Here's our finished project, with ribbon inserted through
upper side punch holes, and cards (hand punched) 
hanging on the hooks.