DIY | HOLIDAY PAINT CHIP WREATH

Crafting, well for me at least, can be kind of relaxing and the fact that I get to come up with cool ideas for different crafts at work is beyond awesome!!! It's like I'm not even working, guess this is what they meant by "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life". I am finding that to be more and more true the older I get. However, this post is not about life...it's about DIY CRAFTING haha so let's get to it!

The holiday season is upon us and I know many people like to partake in DIY projects either for fun or as a gift idea. Plus, if you're looking for something you can do on a tight budget...this might be exactly what you need. Throughout this post I'll share with you how I put together this little holiday wreath together along with all the materials used.

FLOWERS & FALL LEAVES

Here's a little wreath that would look great around the home or in an office; it is super easy and inexpensive to make!!! Overall, the entire wreath cost about $7 to make (excluding the items I already had in my craft bin). The materials included:

- Styrofoam Disc or Ring

- Black Fun Foam Sheet (for mounting)

- Spray Adhesive

- Double-Sided Tape

- Scissors

- Fishing Line

- Pipe Cleaners - bag of 25

- Paint Chips (Dunn-Edwards colors)

- Pearl Stickers

- Ribbon

When I initially started the project I had to cut a hole in the Styrofoam disc in order to turn it into a ring or wreath shape. For this I used a box cutter, but I know they sell pre-cut Styrofoam...just depends on how much work you're looking to do as well as what is available in your local craft store. After cutting the Styrofoam, I began drawing and cutting out the templates for the leaves and flower petals. I drew them free-handed, but I know they do sell pre-cut stamps or stencils if you're willing to spend the extra cash. I drew onto the back of the paint chip cards and then cut accordingly.

TIP: If you're wondering where you can find a bunch of paint chips there are a few places I know of that you can go. First, you could check out and raid your local paint or hardware store (like Home Depot). If you're not up for cleaning out the paint chip section at the store, check out Dunn-Edwards website...you can order up to 100 free 5" x 7" paint chips online and get them sent directly to your house. CLICK HERE to visit the site for color chip samples.

Paint Chip Colors Used: For Leaves - Fall Harvest DE 6160, Bronzed Brass DE 6161, Bread Pudding DE 6159, Buckskin DE 6158, Bisque Tan DE 6157, Northgate Green DE 6235, Wilderness DE 6236, Denali Green DE 6264, Spruce Woods DE 6265. For Flowers - Soft Ivory DE 6155, Marble Dust DE 6156, Whisper DEW 340.

Once all of the pieces were cut, (I made extra just case because I wasn't sure how many leaves and flowers I would actually need) I assembled the flowers using double-sided tape, layering each piece on top of one another. You could also use glue or spray adhesive, but that would take up more time due to drying, the tape was more accessible to me and easier for me to use. Then I peeled of a little pearl (I bought the sheet from Michael's back when I was decorating my cap for graduation, it was about $6 tax included) and stuck it in the center of my flower cutouts and folded up the petals to add some dimension.

Now that all of the flowers are put together and the leaves cut out it is time to assemble. To start the wreath I used pipe cleaners, which gave me something that would stick into the Styrofoam. First, I taped a pipe cleaner in between two same-colored leaves and then stuck the pipe cleaner into the disc, pushing in a little bit with my scissors for added pressure. I repeated this step a few more times, building up a stable area to begin taping on top of, ensuring the remaining leaves would stick on top and stay!

Before you begin taping and arranging the leaves, stick one flower in with a pipe cleaner (for this I taped the cleaner underneath a flap behind the leaves), which will create a starting point for the rest of your flowers to be based around. Next, I lay the leaves around, taping as I go to create the shape of a wreath. For each flower, I continue to insert those with the pipe cleaner because I want to make sure those are the most secure since they are a bit heavier.

Continue to lay the leaves and flowers in the order that you like, taping as you go. To finish off the wreath I added a gold and white glitter polka dot bow...I mean what's more festive!!! If I were placing this in my own home I would have probably made everything a bit bigger and more elaborate, but since this was a work project I was limited on time and resources. However I am extremely happy with the end result!! Such a cute little wreath that is perfect for this holiday season.

Did this project get you into the holiday spirit? Head on over and read "An Inspirista Christmas" post, which showcases some of the Christmas decor I put up throughout my little apartment. I'll also be talking about how to turn your budget friendly decor into a magazine worthy spread as well as maintaining and sharing your holiday cheer!!! Please read.

ESCAPE THE ORDINARY!!!