One of my favorite crafts is wreath making. I was excited when I envisioned a wreath for my daughter that could be more than a wall hanging or door decor! With quick innovation, my wreath transformed into an easy burlap wreath Christmas card holder.
Imagine being able to display beautiful Hallmark cards on a do it yourself work of art. Today I’m going to help you do just that!
Once I decided to make this gift, I headed to my local craft store and purchased the wreath frame and the burlap to make the wreath. I didn’t buy any bow material since I was planning on using other decorations on it.
What You Need To Purchase:
Burlap (I used two rolls of 4″ x 15, but you’ll need three rolls if you don’t add a bow)
Wreath Frame
Bow or Ribbon for a bow (optional)
Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments
Hallmark Christmas Cards (just one to give your recipient with the wreath)
Christmas Twine
Mini Clothes Pins
Red or GreeN Pipe Cleaner (or a twist tie)
Christmas Ornament Hooks
I shopped at our local Hallmark store to purchase the Keepsake ornaments and card I needed to complete my gift. Of course, I also bought some Christmas cards to send this year. I figure the earlier I start, the better!
My son-in-law is in the Coast Guard, so when I found the Military Mail Call Santa Keepsake ornament, I was thrilled and getting energized about my project but when I saw the Near but Far Keepsake ornament I knew it was just what I needed to give my daughter the perfect gift.
Since my daughter lives several hours away, we try to stay in touch as much as possible by phone, texts, and emails. I love the way this ornament tells her how I feel about our relationship!
I started the wreath by tying a knot in the burlap to attach it to the frame. Now all I had to do was thread the burlap through the openings in the frame one by one until the wreath was complete.
When I reached the end of the burlap, I simply laid the end of the new roll over the end of the first roll and continued weaving the burlap through the openings in the frame. One of the reasons I love wreath making is because it is so easy to do and the result is amazing in comparison to the effort it takes to make one.
Unfortunately, when I reached the end of my burlap, I was not at the end of the frame!! I only had a few inches to go, so I did not want to buy a whole roll of burlap for one section of the wreath.
After a little brainstorming and checking my ribbon stash, I came up with a solution. I had burlap ribbon that I bought on clearance after Easter, but it was pink and brown. “No problem,” I thought, I will just paint it green. I found out that the back side of the ribbon covered better with the spray paint, so I sprayed the front with a lighter coat to make the paint last until I had enough ribbon painted to make a bow.
While I was waiting for the paint to dry on my ribbon, I wound the twine around the wreath. The twine was Christmas twine that I had purchased a few weeks ago because it was cute, but at the time I had no idea what I do with it. My wreath was taking shape, and I could hardly wait to see the finished product.
To make the bow, I started with a small loop and twisted the ribbon behind the loop so that my right side of the bow would be on top. Then I made a little loop and another twist so that my next loop would be right side up. I continued this process until I was almost out of ribbon. I ended my bow, by using the last of the ribbon to make one large loop that I would cut to make the ends that would hang down. All of the loops were secured with a pipe cleaner that I twisted until it was tight enough to hold everything in place. Now, one diagonal cut across would make my two streamers. Then I just had to poof out the loops and spread them out to make a nice big bow. The bow was simple to attach to the frame by using the excess pipe cleaner that I had used to assemble the bow.
Now it was time to attach the ornaments so that my wreath made a statement to my daughter when she saw it. The Hallmark ornaments would work perfectly to show her how I feel about her, but I needed to attach them. My husband noticed the project and was willing to share some encouragement and advice. He suggested I place the Military Mail Call ornament at the top of the wreath with a pipe cleaner for the best effect. I had been thinking about putting this ornament in the bow but decided his suggestion was the better plan. Then we agreed that the best place for the Near and Far Ornament would be hanging in the center of the wreath. Attaching the second ornament was no problem since all it took was an ornament hook!
I used a mini clothespins that I found in my scrapbook room to attach my daughter’s card. I LOVE it, and I know my daughter will too. This wreath was everything I had hoped it would be. I made an attractive and functional decoration for the holidays that expressed my feelings at the same time. Not only that, but I can give her a new 2016 Keepsake ornament or two next year to update her wreath!
This wreath makes a beautiful gift and is super easy to make. If you decide to make one for yourself, I would love to see it.
Want to see step by step images for this craft? Watch the video here:
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