My Spring Wreath

After surfing the blog world like I do so well I was looking at my friends blog My Yellow Sandbox (Check her out she is so awesome and does some of her own great stuff and also finds a lot of cool crafts so you don't have to go far to search for inspiration) and I found this (from Natsprat), where I got my inspiration for my very own Spring Wreath. I just decided to make it a little different to make it my own to fit my home and personality.I am super excised about this project in particular because I can have it up with my Easter Decor but I can also keep it up all throughout Spring time.

These are the Supplies you will need:
-Wreath Form (Again I got mine at Michaels because it is the closet craft store by me and I had a 40% off coupon to use. It was like $5 I think cuz I got the huge one)
-Yarn (I chose mustard yellow because I LOVE that color...I think my room will be changing to that color in the future. Anyway I got a huge thing of it for $1.50 at Walmart)
-Fabric (assorted textures, patterns and colors, whatever you want to go with the color yarn you chose or for whatever holiday you are doing it for).
-Burlap
-Lace
-Tulle
-Hot Glue gun
-Felt
-Needle
-Thread
-Alligator Clips
-Scissors
-Buttons (and any other embellishments you choose to add on there)

This is What I did:
First of all I made all of the flowers for it. This was so much fun. I had never made any of these before and lets just say I am a bit addicted. You can use them for headbands, hair clips, clip them to a bag, clip them to a sweater or shirt, add them to a necklace, and much much more and I will for sure be using them for all of those things plus more. I made way too many but that is ok because they will be used for projects in the future. These would be really fun to make with friends while you chat it up. I did them by myself which was ok too but think of what fun girl time you could have with these. Alright who wants to make some with me next time? :) Anyway I found a ton of tutorials on so many different kind of flowers and so why not make them all and put a bit of variety in my life. Ok!

The Flowers

Circle Ruffle Felt Flower:

 I found a good tutorial for these beauties at the House of Smith's fabric flowers tutorial page. I did a few with fabric and some with felt like the picture above.Sorry I didn't get a picture of it completed in this section but you can see what it looks like a few pictures down with the group of flowers. But here are the steps I used to make it.
1. I cut out one circle to glue the ruffles to, and then I cut 5 more to make the ruffles.
2. You take the circle and fold it in half.
3. Then you fold it in half a second time and hot glue it into place.
4. Then you will repeat that until you have five completed ruffles.
5. Not Pictured (sorry) you will then glue the ruffles in a circle pattern next to each other on another felt circle. 6. Also Not picture. You can then add more ruffles to the middle like I did to my fabric ones or you can add a button to the middle like I did with my felt ones.

Slit Felt Flowers

 I thought these slit felt Flowers were so stinkin fun and different I just had to make them when I found the I Am Momma Here Me Roar's Autumn Bloom Belt Tutorial. I did some of them exactly like she did and then I did a few that were doubled up so they were a bit bigger and loopy and looked more like Craft Leftovers Loopy Felt Flowers but with IAMHMR's technique.Make sense? The finished product is also in the picture a few below because I am an airhead sometimes and forgot to take one on its own. Bear with me I have a one year old that is so fun but exhausting (always on the move) so I tend to forget a lot lately. Anyway here the the steps I used for the pink one.
1. I cut a strip of felt that was two inches thick and however long you want it to be. Then I used my scissors and cut slits down the whole length of it.
3. Then you just start rolling
4. You glue as you roll so it stays together
5. Not pictured. When you get to the end you hot glue it and then fluff the top and there ya have it your unique and fun flower ready to be put on something to beautify it.

The steps for the loopy one are (There is a picture of this one in the one two below. It is the loopy turquoise one...pretty huh?)
1. I cut a strip of felt 4 inches wide and how ever long you want it
2. Then you fold it in half and hot glue it down so it is now 2 inches wide.
3. You cut the slits with your scissors on the non glued side
4. Then you roll it up the same as the one above gluing as you go and at the end
5. Then you fluff it up and it is finished, loopy and fabulous.

Knot Rosettes

 I have seen these everywhere and finally came across the Organize and Decorate Everything's T-shirt Rosettes Tutorial. I did the one above just like she (my mom-check out her blog she is amazing...creative, organization queen and so much fun) did and I did a few a little looser (to do this I just didn't roll the fabric as often so it was a bigger and a more flowy flower). This just made it look a little different and a little bit looser fit.  Just tryin to mix it up and get a variety of flowers goin on here. Random is the name of the game for this project. This is how i made it:
1. Cut out a felt circle. Cut or tear (depending on the look you want) your fabric about 2 inches wide and how ever long you desire.
2. Tie a knot at the end (or on some of mine in the middle of the fabric work on one side and then add to the other just a little different look) and glue it to the middle of the piece of felt
3. Move the fabric in a circle pattern going around the knot twisting the fabric as you go. Make sure to hot glue everyone and a while to make sure the fabric is staying on the felt. At the end glue and tuck under the last piece to hide it. And Wala you have your rosette.
Check the Organize and Decorate Everything site for more details she even has a link to a good video that shows you step by step instructions.

Here are some of the flowers I started out with. The off white, pink and red ones are the ruffle flower, the pink and turquoise one are the first slit flowers and the loopy turquoise one is the second type of slit flower, The pink, blue and yellow ones are the knot rosettes. I also made some that didn't get pictured (Surprise.. Surprise I forgot to take pictures...jeeze brain dead I tell you. I promise I'll get better I'm sorry) using the technique that Maize Hutton did on her frayed flower. I did this with fabric like she did and I also did it with some burlap for a fun different look. The steps I used for these are
1. Cut or ripe your fabric 1 inch wide and how ever long you want it
2. Fold over one end and secure it with a stitch (I just hand stitched it really quick cuz I don't have a sewing machine...it was easy enough but I am getting a machine soonish I hope)
3. Flip it over and start a running stitch along the bottom of the strip of fabric (again I hand stitched it and did a really loose long stitch...This makes gathering it a lot easier)
4. When you reach the end of your strip, Pull the thread and it will start to gather.
5. Shape the gathering fabric into a flower. (It kind of does it on its own when you pull the thread but just guide it a little)
6. Secure all the layers by stitching through each layer and securing it on the back. and wala it is perfect and just what I wanted. I also did this with burlap and LOVED it with capital letters.
For pictures of the steps go to the Maize Hutton link above. 

F.Y.I. This is what my living room looks like when my little Maddux is in bed and I am making fabric/burlap/felt flowers. This is about what it looks like whenever I am doing some sort of crafty project. Don't worry it gets all picked up and put away nicely before little M gets up or before I go to bed depending on the time of day. Sometimes I craft at all hours of the night. Bad habit. Sorry honey. He doesn't realize how fun and addicting crafting it and how time just slips away. Don't you all agree?

The Wreath

A few days later after re-cooping from all the flower making I started on the actual wreath form. I just look my yarn and rapped, rapped and rapped some more until it was a beautiful mustard yellow color and there was no more white in sight. I pinned the beginning of the thread into the foam and rapped and then pinned the end into the foam. I didn't glue it  just in case I want to remove the yarn one day and because the pins actually hold it better I think. Here she is half way done and about an hour or so into it. Yeah it takes a lot of time because it is big and I wanted it tight so I was completely covered. Don't worry Ty and I were catching up on some TV shows while I worked on it. (We watched one of our new favorite reality shows "The Ultimate Fighter" on Spike while working on my crafts. Yeah I know it is such a guy show but I get soooo into it. Come on what isn't entertaining about a bunch of testosterone filled guys living in the same house all together?)

Here is what she looked like all wrapped up (about 21/2 hours later) and all ready to be accessorized.

I attached an alligator clip to the back of each flower so I can just stick them into the foam wreath and change them if I want to later. I like that they are not permanent so it can be used for all different seasons and holidays. Good idea right? But if you did want a it more permanent all you would have to do it glue them the the wreath with hot glue instead of just clipping them on. The clips did work fabulously and hold like a champ.

Finished Spring Wreath

And here she is all complete and hanging on my wall. We live in a basement apartment and the entrance is in the back so not a ton of people see our door so I have something else on the door and wanted to put this beauty in my living room on the wall (same place as I put my St. Patrick's and Valentines Wreaths  where I could see it everyday. It brightens up a space like you wouldn't believe. I am so so so so HAPPY with it and it looks better than I even imagined in my head. I Love it. It was time consuming, but easy and so worth it. What do you think?

This Wreath is linked up to:

Blue Cricket Design Show and Tell Wednesday