Welcome back to One Tough Mother’s 24 Days of Christmas!
On the 2nd day of Christmas, One Tough Mother brings to you…
Christmas Wreaths!
Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, the family and I got a little crafty. We made 3 different Christmas wreaths that I’d like to share with you. The first two wreaths are similar, made with loops of ribbon and a cute ornament.
First, pick several different styles of ribbon, including one spool of wide wired ribbon to wrap the wreath:
Use the wide wired ribbon to wrap your wreath (I used a 14″ floral foam wreath for these):
Here’s my pink and green wreath:
And mom’s red wreath:
Cut your decorative ribbon into 3″ lengths, form loops using glue dots to secure. Then randomly put them on your wreath with stick pins. For a full, step-by-step tutorial, see my previous post HERE.
Here’s my pink and green wreath – almost finished:
And with the cute little penguin ornament attached:
Here’s mom’s red and green wreath:
And with her little ornament:
Aren’t they cute?! I love them LOTS!
For a different style, I made another type of ribbon wreath using only grosgrain ribbon. This one is very easy. I used a 12″ floral foam wreath for this one.
To figure out how much ribbon you need, first determine the size of the wreath that you’ll be using. Measure the circumference of the wreath. Then determine the width of the ribbon you’ll be using. Divide the circumference of the wreath by the width of the ribbon. This will tell you how many strips of ribbon you’ll need to cover the entire wreath.
TIP: Use pins to hold your measuring tape in place every 7 or 8 inches.
Example:
A 12″ wreath has a circumference of 37″. Using 5/8″ grograin ribbon, I’ll do this:
37″ divided by 5/8″ = 59.2, so 60 strips of ribbon needed to cover the wreath
Now, use a sample strip of ribbon to determine how long you need the piece to be to tie a knot. For my own wreath, each piece of ribbon should be 13.5″. Now multiply that length by the number of strips you need.
Example:
I need strips that measure 13 1/2″ long. I need 60 strips to cover my wreath.
13 1/2″ x 60 strips = 810″ or 22 1/2 yards of ribbon needed
I know, it sounds complicated, but it’s really not so hard.
Once you figure out how much ribbon you need, gather your supplies, and start working.
I decided to wrap my wreath in wide wired ribbon before I tied my knots to avoid any ugly green foam from showing through.
Cut your strips of ribbon to the desired length:
TIP: As you tie each ribbon in a knot, use a straight pin to secure each one. I pinned mine right next to each knot under the flap of ribbon.
Here’s the almost finished product.
The final step is to burn the edges of each piece of ribbon so they don’t fray. And here you have it – the finished product with nice clean edges:
I hope you enjoyed these tutorials and get inspired to make your own fabulous Christmas wreaths! These would be perfect for decorating your own home or to give as gifts.
Be sure to come back tomorrow as we continue our 24 Days of Christmas!
Linking up here:
Whipperberry, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Thirty Handmade Days
Sassy Sites, Simply Designing
5 Responses
Beautiful wreaths!!! Thanks for the tutorial!
Cute designs! Love the snowman! He’s too cute!
I have made ribbon wreaths and hate the fraying edges! How do you burn the ends so they do not fray?
Hi Nicole! I wanted to email you directly but didn’t see an email address for you, so hopefully you’ll see this comment! I burn my ribbon using a regular ol’ lighter. You don’t put the flame directly on the ribbon, but if you come close to the ends, the heat from the flame will kinda melt the ribbon. Use a practice piece to get the hang of it, but it’s pretty quick and easy! Hope this helps!