Deck The Halls

I didn't intend to take so long in posting this. We have all been passing a flu, then a cold, around the house for the last week or so. But, now that the sniffles and aches have all cleared up, I'm back in action. January's "12 Months of Christmas" project is a home decor item, as opposed to a gift. If you're in possession of some vintage Christmas light reflectors, this will be a perfect project for you. If you don't already have any, there are many lots available for purchase on eBay. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles so shop around. Here's a peek at the final result...



We'll start with a list of supplies:

* One wreath form. For the example pictured above, I used a 9" wreath. But, I have also made an extra one that I will be giving away that is made from a 14" form.

* Tinsel garland. Mine is vintage, purchased off eBay. Obviously, you can still buy it in stores too... in a variety of textures, thicknesses and colors. I'm thinking a vintagey-looking white color would look even nicer than the silver. I might have to give that a try on another wreath. The 14" wreath required about 18" of garland. That works out to be about 1.29" of garland for every inch of wreath.

* 2 yards of ribbon (2 feet for the hanger, 4 feet for the bow). The ribbon I used is red satin in a 2 1/4" width, available at Michael's.

* 1 3/4" T-Pins. The amount you need varies from wreath to wreath. I bought a box of 28 pins, and that was more than enough for 2 wreaths with several pins left over.

* Vintage Christmas light reflectors. The amount you'll need varies depending on how many you want on your wreath, the size of the reflectors, and the size of the wreath.

* Flat-backed rhinestones in a variety of colors. You can also use jeweled brads. The beaded flower brads I used are from K & Co, and are available at Michael's.

* Hot glue gun.

Step 1: Use a dot of hot glue to adhere one end of the garland to the wreath form. Begin wrapping the garland tightly around the form until the whole thing is covered. Secure the other end of the garland to the form with another dot of hot glue.



Step 2: Take a 2' length of ribbon, and wrap it around the top of the wreath to make a loop. Secure the ends of the ribbon together with a line of hot glue.



Step 3: Secure the hanging loop to the wreath with a T-pin.



Step 4: Use the remaining 4' length of ribbon to tie a bow. You'll have to fiddle with it until you get it looking just right. Once you do, trim the ends of the bow. Then, secure the bow, using a couple more T-pins behind the center of the bow, over the pin you've used to attach the hanging loop to the wreath.



Step 5: Flatten the backs of any jeweled brads you are using. Then, use a dot of hot glue to attach them to T-pins.





Step 6: Attach the flat-backed rhinestones on top of T-pins using dots of hot glue.



Step 7: Use the jeweled pins you've made to attach the light reflectors to the wreath.



Voila! Your wreath is complete. Hang, and enjoy! And, if you want to bypass the whole hassle of making one of these wreaths, just leave me a comment here. You have until Saturday at 11:59 pm PST. On Sunday, I'll draw a random winner to receive the extra wreath that I made! :D