Okay, still not officially back on the DIY wagon just yet, but I could not pass up sharing this wreath that I did last year. Super easy and super fun if you get someone else to do it with you!
{Archive from 10.18.10}
The original source of this fun project is on the Woman's Day website. This project is super cute and pretty easy once you get the hang of it! Plus it costs next to nothing. And with my current obsession of all things decoration, I jumped at the chance to try this out.
{Archive from 10.18.10}
The original source of this fun project is on the Woman's Day website. This project is super cute and pretty easy once you get the hang of it! Plus it costs next to nothing. And with my current obsession of all things decoration, I jumped at the chance to try this out.
And what a bonus: my savvy and crafty girlfriend, Megan, was in town. I just had to invite her over for a morning of gettin' crafty! {More on her amazing talent later this week}. The day before our craft date, I gathered the supplies I didn't have from Michael's {make sure to use mailer coupons}...
Foam Wreath Ring
Black Duct Tape
Ribbon
Hot Glue Gun & Sticks
1-2 Bags of Candy Corn (not pictured)
{Side notes: I went with the 12'' ring wreath since our townhouse entry is pretty small. The 16'' can also be used which is pictured on the magazine cover. I also picked wired ribbon because it has more structure and firmness; easier to work with. I was hoping for a more halloween-ish ribbon, but wasn't happy about the options.}
That evening, I went ahead and completed the first step so we won't have to wait to use the duct tape. I covered the wreath completely in the tape.
Thankfully, there's no wrong way to do this step. I just smoothed out any bubbles and edges along the way. In the end, most of it is covered by the candy corn.
It was recommended to lay out the candy corns to get a feel for how they will go. We tried that.
Didn't really seem to work. When we tried to start gluing, the nearby corns fell off. We then lined the inner part of the wreath with ribbon. We hot glued every so often as we laid the ribbon around. In the end, this helped out a ton because we were super low on candy corn. Plus it gives an extra pop to the wreath.
Next came the full-on commitment part: gluing down the candy. Our first row started at the edge of the ribbon. All candy corn pointing in the same direction. The big thing is to make sure the white tip ends are touching or close to touching the next candy as you move along the circle.
Then we worked ourselves out the outer edge of the wreath. Making sure to alternative the direction of the rows. We tried to always end at the same spot so whatever gaps {if the candy didn't match up to a perfect enclosed circle} would all eventually be covered by the ribbon.
It took me about three rows to finally understand the candy spacing around the circle and feel like I was doing it right.
Once all the way around the wreath with alternating rows of candy corn, put some ribbon around the top. Leaving enough ribbon to tie a bow to finish it off.
Most of the crafters on the website said it took them about an hour. We took way longer. Probably because we were talking, hanging out with Ezra, drinking coffee, and at one point I ate breakfast. :) So it took us about 2.5 hours. Not the average time, by any means.
And I only lost two fingers to glue gun burns! A small price to pay for a great finished project that I'm in love with:
To preserve the wreath for next year, use some mod podge after removing the ribbon. Brush on in small sections all around the wreath. Have left over candy corn?? Here are some more great decor options for the extras.
Thanks, Megan for a great and fun craft date!! So wish we could do these more often!
Thanks, Megan for a great and fun craft date!! So wish we could do these more often!
