MBP Gets Crafty...

Burlap Wreath

With fall in the air, I have been itching to add a pretty little outdoor wreath to my front porch. I already have a fall wreath for my front door, but wanted to be able to hang something festive on the siding between the porch window and the door. Wreaths can be pretty pricey, but using some simple materials can be cost effective, and give you a beautiful finished product! I wanted to create a simple, sort of rustic look, so I sought after some burlap and a couple of other craft supply items to make a wreath of my own.

I went to a local craft store and purchased...

2 Yards of Burlap

1 Fall Floral Pick

1 Wire Wreath Form

1 Pckg. Brown Pipecleaners

Everything I need to make my wreath...

The burlap was cheap at $3.99/yard, and the wreath form under $4.00!

Fall floral pick for $1.99!

I cut the burlap into strips to start with. You could make them as wide as you like. The idea is to end up with long strips that you can bunch up and attatch to the wreath. There is a certain way to cut burlap so it won't ravel on you. Simply pull one of the strings all the way out, and cut down the line where the string was. This will give you an edge. I actually wanted my burlap to ravel, so I just cut it the regular old way. 

Attach the burlap...

Attach one end of your first burlap strip to the wreath form back with pipecleaner pieces. I used brown (I couldn't find tan) pipecleaners, and cut each one into thirds to make small pieces. Simply loop it over, and twist closed in the back. Then, begin gathering or bunching the burlap to make 'puffs'. You can make them as large or small as you want, and can leave them spaced out or scrunched together. JUst push them closer and tighter together if you want more puffs.

Here's how the back looks with the pipecleaners attaching the burlap to the wreath form. You won't be able to see the pipecleaners on the front of the wreath.

As you start out, your wreath will look something like this...

Keep adding more strips of burlap, and push the puffs tighter together to create a fuller look.

A little more than half way done here...

Full wreath

I used a little more than one yard of the burlap for this project. I had a lot of long frays, since I just cut the burlap without removing a string first. I trimmed some of the strands, but left them, because I liked the way it looked... messy, but beautiful- sort of like life. I then added my fall floral pick. I simply poked it through and then fastened it to the wreath with a pipecleaner piece. I could have added more picks, ribbon, or even a fall garland to this, but I just wanted a simple wreath. The best part about this, is that I can use it for every season. All I have to do is remove the pick and add a new one fot another season, add a ribbon, etc. As long as I don't glue anything onto this, I can remove embellishments and add new ones. Think of the money that'll save!

The finished project...

I love the way it turned out! The wreath took about an hour to make, and the materials were around $13.00, total! I can't wait to try to make some more wreaths with pretty ribbon, in this sort of style. They make beautiful gifts or lovely decor for your home this season!

Give it a try and let me know how it turns out!