Stars & Stripes...The Wreath

I, like most of us crafters, have fallen prey to an endless To-Do or To-Make list...thank you Pinterest! Recently, I pinned a cute July 4th wreath that I loved and since she said her 5 yr old could have made it, well...that means it's easy. And...I do a lot of crafting. However, I am not a wreath creator;) Alas...I may now be slightly addicted to creating my own front door decor! Here's a finished picture of my wreath.

Now, I am completely aware I need to paint my front door. I have to wait for these 100+ degree days to pass first! So, here it is. In all her Red, White, and Blue glory. I really like it. I made some changes from the one I took inspiration from...here's hers. And here's her BLOG to read about it.

There are some things about hers I like better. The wreath is fatter, for one. Mine's skinny and I bet if one side was straight...would more closely favor a candy cane. That's fine with me. But, I am on the lookout for a more full-bodied wreath for future projects. I also like how many more buttons (stars) she used. But, on mine...it didn't look good. Again, I think this is because my wreath could really stand a Big Mac. Also, I didn't make it to a big craft store for supplies, so they had NO navy yarn, so my blue section has a different texture, which again, I ended up loving. In reading her post, she mentioned wanting more stripes. That was a big deal for me, too. So, mine has 13 stripes, just like Old Glory, 7 red, 6 white. In the end, I am really, really delighted with my finished wreath. It looks nice on my door, where a large American flag waves gently in the breeze just a pillar away.

If you just wanted to see how my wreath turned out...well, this is the end of the line, unless of course you want to scroll down for the full door picture. Want to make one of these? Well then, keep on reading. I've got pictures for the steps, and a couple tips for you. For those heading on out, thanks for stopping by!

Supplies needed: Glue Gun, Glue Stick, Foam Wreath form (mine was 14"),  Red/White/Blue yarn,
White Buttons. And...a big dose of patience, along with some time. Obviously, I didn't have blue yarn. I bought 2 yds of Grosgrain ribbon instead. I LOVE it, would not change that. But...while I thought 2 yds would be overkill...I wish I'd sprung the extra .31 for another yard to wrap it more closely.

The thing about Styrofoam is that it doesn't hold up great to high heat, so plug in that glue gun and slap that sucker on the LOW heat setting. This will also make those inevitable burns more tolerable;) I knew I wanted 13 stripes, between 2-3 inches wide. So...do some math and make some marks before you start. Take your time, I had to keep reworking the numbers as you'll see. My blue was supposed to be 7" wide...I didn't have enough ribbon, so it ended up being a little smaller than that. It's ok, but map it all out first. Using the glue gun, place a dot on the center of the wreath and start wrapping the blue. Make sure you end it on the same side of the wreath you started it! This entire project, all ends on one side so the front is seamless!!! A dot of hot glue will secure the end of the ribbon in place. It will look like this.

This is just a shot showing my many markings for the stripes.

Once you've secured the blue section, pick up your red yarn. Press the end into a dot of hot glue, and start wrapping. Wrap tightly and push the yarn together as you go so your white wreath form doesn't show through. That wouldn't look so hot. When you have your red stripe as wide as you want it, glue it off on the backside of the wreath. Apply another dot of glue and start the white stripe.

***Time for a little tip. It is very, very aggravating to pull the ball of yarn in and out so many times. Go ahead and cut a VERY long length of the yarn for each stripe so you have less to hold onto. A couple times, I didn't cut enough. That's OK! Simply tie more onto the yarn you are wrapping, making sure to keep the knot on the backside of the wreath. A dot of glue under those knots is helpful as well.***

This wrapping and changing colors continues until you're back at the blue section.

Almost done with the stripes! See the markings? Only I can decipher them, but they helped!

Here's the wreath, all wrapped up. 

Once you've got all the stripes down, you're ready to hot glue your buttons to the blue! Star shaped buttons would have been PERFECT, but as I said...I had limited options. Next time...big craft store! I hot glued a loop of red yarn onto the bag as a hanger. Here it is on my front door. The front door really needing paint. Also those old fireboxes Jim and I sanded and repainted will soon hold plants, not shoes;)

I'm so glad I took this from a 'Pin' to reality. It was such a fun project, and I can't wait to make more wreaths! Also on my agenda...making the foam wreath forms out of pool noodles. I already have the noodle, from Dollar Tree. I'll post if it works! It would be fatter, too. Bonus!

Thanks for stopping by to see me!
Naomi ~ Minus The Picket Fence