I LOVE summer. I am so excited to get it started. All our school friends are in their last week of school (good luck on finals!) and then it's play time! Swimming. Hiking. Picnics. Making collapsible kayaks (the husband is quite excited about the possibility of this one). Family reunions. The 4th of July. What a wonderful time of year!
So I know some of you still have snow (ew...sorry), but I'm going to jump into a summer post anyway. It's always fun to decorate your house for the season. We live out of town a ways and I used to think that meant that there was no reason to decorate the outside of our house because no one would see it. And then after a while I realized that was a silly way of thinking. That shouldn't be the point of decorating, to show others how awesome you are. The point of decorating is to beautify and personalize, to make a place your own. So now I try to add small touches that will make this our place, and not just that one spot we lived in once upon a time. Some times I better at it than others. Today's submission though has me thinking about what I could do to add a small touch of us for summer "decor".
The Original Pin
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| http://thecreativeimperative.blogspot.com/2011/06/american-flag-wreath-sort-of.html |
Cute, no? I already know I'd lose patience wrapping the yarn over and over and over again. But I'm supportive of all y'all who stick with it! Betsy saw this and wanted to make one to summer-ize her front door, only those foam wreath forms are expensive! So she found another pin that suggested to use foam tubing and decided to give that a try.
The Pinstrosity
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| http://everwys.blogspot.com/2012/09/pinterest-fail.html |
Betsy said, "I'm sorry USA, it's not you, it's me. Can you forgive me?
And yes...it hung sorta proudly on my door for the summer. Too cheap not to."
Hey...this reminds me of a wreath we were sent in around Halloween:
The same thing happened.
So how do we make this work? There has to be a way, right? There probably is, but it probably will take more time and supplies. That's how it usually goes. Cheaper doesn't always mean easier or quicker.
Idea #1:
Run a piece of wire through the inside of the wreath. Not jewelry wire. A coat hanger that's been opened up and shaped into a circle. If you have a general contractor in your family see if they have some leftover wiring from a building project (growing up with a general contractor Dad was/is awesome for doing projects). Get some good thick wire at the store.
Idea #2:
The instructions I've seen to do these DIY wreath forms has you tape the two ends of the foam tube together to form the wreath. I'd use duct tape. Lots of it. And I wouldn't just tape the two ends together. I would wrap the entire tube in tape to help stabilize the shape. Layers of tape.
Idea #3:
Cut out a cardboard "wreath" to glue the foam wreath to. This will help make hanging easier and if the glue is strong enough it can help hold the shape of the foam. You just have to make sure the cardboard is smaller in width than the wreath or your wreath may turn out looking more like a bundt cake.
You know...one of these:
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| http://pixelatedcrumb.com/2011/10/16/pumpkin-buttermilk-cake/ |
Idea #4:
Paint a wreath on your front door and then you can just use stickers to change out the decorative items for the seasons. Okay, not really. Unless you're an awesome painter. Mine would look like an ogre sneezed on the front door.
So there you have my ideas. If you try #4, send me a picture.
I don't understand the whole wreath thing, but I did give it a whirl one time. I used the hanger method. It worked for me. Sorry, no pictures.
ReplyDeleteI dislike the hanger method based solely on the amount of time it takes to make the hanger into a non-bumpy/kinked circle. I made 12 wreaths a couple of years ago to decorate my office for Christmas, and just wrapped them all in a single layer of duct tape, all the way around. Took way less time than unbending the hangers would have, and 3 Christmases later, they're still holding shape. Also, with all of the new colors of duct tape on the market, you could find one you like, cover your wreath in it, and then just change the decoration picks with the seasons or when you want a change.
ReplyDeleteWhen I use pool noodles for wreaths I tape the ends together and then I wrap it in strips of plastic table cloth I get at the dollar tree. I try and match it to what I'm doing, so purple when I'm using purple, etc. It's cheaper than using colored duct tape and gives me a little leeway if I have some empty spaces.
ReplyDeleteThese will kink every time and here is why: The inside diameter of a ring is always going to be less than the outside diameter, so trying to form something that is parallel into a ring is not going to work unless one side is shorter than the other. The blog 'Gail Made' gives a tutorial on using pipe insulation: http://gailmade.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-avoid-pipe-insulation-wreath.html
ReplyDeleteYou can do the same thing with a pool noodle if you cut a slit all the way around, thought it's going to be tougher to form because the walls of a pool are thicker than pipe insulation.
Its been awhile since I bought one of those foam wreath forms but they can't be THAT expensive!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of the JoAnne's and Michael's coupons. They give them out every week and they're usually at least 40% off. I never go craft supply buying without coupons
I agree Aralis, with using a coupon it's got to be worth buying a wreath form instead of taking all the time to put wire through something or covering with tape. Remember your time is worth something too.
ReplyDeleteI was just getting ready to say, am I the only one out there who knows that craft stores already SELL foam wreathes for decorating? I can't see wasting my time and energy trying to tape something together when I can just buy an actual wreathe to begin with.
DeleteThat's what I was going to say! I get my styrofoam wreaths with coupons for maybe $3 or less, and I've been re-using the same ones with variations since Christmas! The good sturdy wreaths aren't that expensive to resort to such makeshiftery. I've used makeshift tools and supplies before, but this doesn't seem worth the money 'saved' =)
DeleteMy first thought: #4 isn't a bad idea. I'm not crafty enough for this.
ReplyDeleteSometimes we spend more money and time trying to save money. That said I am guilty of have some pipe insulation hanging around my craft room and a few pool noodles as well. Maybe they just need to be used for their original purposes. I would be soooo bummed if I spend the time wrapping yarn around and around and around a wreath and then had it turn out like that Halloween wreath. Craft store coupons are definitely the way to go. They usually have a 40% off each week and as smart crafters, we should use them every week for something. Even if you don't need a specific item, there are always the staples you need for crafting like glue, ribbon, paper, etc. The trick is to get in and get out with that weekly purchase without buying a bunch of other stuff which is what they count on you doing! Hence the coupon to entice you in.
ReplyDelete