DIY Patriotic Rag Wreath

 

 

 

What better time to make a patriotic wreath than for Memorial Day? This easy DIY project can be done in little time and DIYers from the novice to the expert can tackle this with ease. Finish this project for Memorial Day and then you will have it on hand to use for Independence Day as well!

 

What you will need:

*wire wreath form

*burlap ribbon, fabric, ribbon, and pipe cleaners

*can-do attitude

 

I found this wire wreath form at Wal-Mart for under $4. It's the perfect form for making this rag wreath.

Got fabric scraps that you have been wanting to use? This is the perfect project to use them in! Take your fabric and tear into strips about an inch wide and around eight inches long. You can also cut grosgrain or satin ribbon for this project if you want.

Colored burlap ribbon works great for this project! Cut into sections around eight inches long, making sure to cut the ends at an angle for a finished look.

Start by adding the burlap or bulky pieces first. Gather your burlap in the center, then affix to the wire frame with a pipe cleaner.  

 

 

You can tuck the ends of the pipe cleaners under to keep them from sticking up and poking someone. Once you start filling in your wreath, these won't show.

 

Next, you'll fill in around the entire wreath with your larger and bulkier ribbons and fabrics. Once those pieces are equally distributed around the wreath, start adding your smaller fabric strips. Make sure to evenly distribute your color and the different textures throughout the entire wreath. Be sure to hold up to make sure that you fill any gaps that may be showing. Then, you'll be ready to hang your beautiful, patriotic rag wreath.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend! Thanks to all those who have sacrificed their lives in service to our great country! God bless!

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Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Fall Hydrangea Wreath Tutorial

A couple of Sundays ago, a sweet lady in my hometown allowed me free reign with her Limelight hydrangeas. She had tons of blooms and was willing to share. I cut blooms until my heart's content and then brought them home to start the drying process. (You can see how to dry hydrangeas in this post.) This is a first for me this year. I've never really used hydrangeas in fall decorating, but wanted to try it out. The colors of the dried blooms are absolutely gorgeous!

Just a couple of quick things about drying hydrangeas, now that I'm done with that process. 

*Fresh blooms will not dry well. They shrivel up and look terrible. Be sure to pick blooms that are already a little "papery" for best results.

*Make sure to cut the stems long. Better to err on the side of too long than too short. This makes it so much easier for later projects. 

*It's as easy as pie.  Seriously, there was nothing to it. Why haven't I tried this before?

Okay, now on to the fun part....making a beautiful fall hydrangea wreath. This was so easy and no wiring was necessary!

Start with a grapevine wreath. Size depends on what you want but I got a really large one. I have to have a large wreath for my front door or it won't be seen.  Tuck the largest of the blooms around the wreath. I didn't need anything else to secure the blooms. They stayed put just tucking them in. 

Fill in with smaller blooms. After the largest blooms are secure use your smaller ones as filler. Make sure to fully cover the wreath on the outside and inside. 

Hang at eye level to see if there is any adjusting to be done. I always try to do this when making a wreath. It is hard to see well with it flat on a table. When I hang it up, I can always see where I need to fill in. 

Then you are done! Hang your beautiful wreath! I had originally planned on adding some other things to the wreath, but once I got it done I saw that it didn't need anything else.  

I love all of the variations in color. I see fall reds, browns, and oranges with just a little hint of green.  Just like the fading greens of summer melding into the golden hues of fall.

I absolutely love fall! It is one of my favorite times of year!  I am so excited to officially have my first fall project done!  

A couple more things.  Don't forget to check out What You Wish Wednesday Link Party!  It is my fist week as a co-hostess. Go check all of the amazing posts linked up (or if you have a blog, link up your posts!) You can see it here. 

Linking up to:

What You Wish Wednesday

Make it Pretty Monday
Saturday Soiree Blog Party
Creative Spark Link Party

Also, today is the last day to enter the One Year Blogiversary Giveaway!  Go enter here!

Thrift Store Chair Makeover

Once upon a time there was a girl who loved a good bargain. She searched high and low for great deals on furniture and items for her home. After a long and tiring search, she found the perfect chair at a flea market. Lo, it was only $7! She brought the chair home with her and they lived happily ever after. 

Or at least they have lived happily so far. 

When I spotted this chair a couple of years ago at a local thrift store/flea market, I could not believe the price. It was such a pretty chair if you could look past the faded and dated floral fabric, and the fact that it looked like the previous owner tried to "white wash" the chair using blue paint. It is hard to see in the picture, but it didn't have an even coating of blue paint, just randomly slopped on.  Anywho, it had to come home with me! (The fabric wasn't torn when I bought it. That tear is thanks to regular old wear and tear.)

How I updated the chair:

I started by removing the seat and taking off the old fabric that had been stapled on with a bazillion industrial staples. Then I spray painted the chair with Valspar semi-gloss paint and primer in one.  While it was drying I got busy working on the seat.  

I had this cute curtain panel tucked away in a closet, but hadn't used it because it wasn't long enough for my windows. It is a Target panel that I got at Goodwill (still in original packaging) for $6.  I decided that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush in this instance. It would've cost me more than double that for a yard of upholstery fabric.  I only had to use a small portion of the panel and still have lots left over for more projects. (That cute white design at the bottom of the panel is going to make some really cute throw pillows!)

When covering seat cushions, make sure you leave a good bit of excess fabric on either side of the seat. Once you get your cushion and batting on, it will take up more space than you think. You can always trim excess later.  Oh, and make sure you iron your fabric before you attach it to the seat. 

I chose to go really neutral with this chair because I wanted to have the freedom of moving it from room to room if I need to. That way, it will work well in more than one room. If I had a permanent spot for it, I would've gone much bolder with the seat fabric. 

After the chair was dry, I took a piece of sandpaper and roughed up the edges a bit. I didn't do much. It always drives me crazy to see furniture makeovers where it looks like the sander attacked it with the vengeance of jilted lover.  You've seen them, too. They will have random patches of "wear" in places it wouldn't naturally happen.  I like my pieces to look more natural. 

I usually sand lightly only in places where wear would naturally happen; on the edges of the chair, on curves and sides of the piece. 

The gray and white is super neutral but, like I said, it enables me to move the chair around to different rooms if I need. I can always add a pillow for a pop of color.  I still can't believe that I found this chair for $7. It has such pretty detail in the woodwork. It is one of my favorite flea market pieces.

Linking up to What You Wish Wednesday

Have a creative day!

Amanda

How to Dry Hydrangeas

In thinking ahead to fall decorating, I knew that I wanted to use dried hydrangeas. They are one of those flowers that makes a statement and dries really well. I have four hydrangea bushes in my yard; one oak leaf hydrangea and three regular hydrangea bushes with the bluish flowers. I had already cut all the blooms I could from my bushes but I still needed more. A sweet lady from my hometown offered to let me come to her home and cut all I wanted from her many, many bushes. I took her up on her offer and came home with an abundance of gorgeous blooms, and it didn't even put a dent in the amount of blooms she had. 

Just in case you are wondering, these are Limelight hydrangeas, and unlike traditional hydrangeas, they grow in sun on new growth. I definitely want to plant some of my own next spring. They are gorgeous with huge blooms. 

There are a few methods to drying hydrangeas and it's good to experiment to see what works best for you.  Some people cut the blooms and hang them upside down to dry. When drying the blooms I cut from my own yard, I just put them all on a table in out of direct sunlight and let sit for a few days.  This didn't work so well for me because (1) I waited too long to cut the blooms in the first place and (2) I left them in the sweltering heat.  They are now very crisp and brown. I don't mind so much. Since I am using them for fall decorating, they will work just fine. For the hydrangeas I cut this weekend, I wanted to try a different method. 

Drying Hydrangeas:

*Pick blooms when they are a little papery. New blooms won't dry well. Then, remove all leaves from the stem.

*Put the stems into water. Since I had so many and they were so large, I used five gallon buckets. Fill the water about half full. Allow the water to evaporate out and by the time the water is gone, your blooms should be dried to perfection. Also, make sure they are out of direct sunlight. 

I made some bouquets for inside, too. The best part about drying hydrangeas is getting to enjoy their beauty during the process. 

Have you ever dried hydrangeas?  What method worked best for you? I'd love hear about it. Leave a comment!

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