Whimsical Paper Wreath
I love Christmas crafts! There are so many fun things to make – from paper ornaments to Advent calendars to boxes and bows!
If you’re visiting The Hybrid Chick for the first time, there are quite a few awesome tutorials for making all kinds of hybrid goodies.
Have you seen the 12 Days of Christmas grab bag at The Digi Chick?
It is chock full of fabulous papers and elements and hybrid printables and even cutting files! It’s an incredible deal and is only available until December 13.
Be sure to follow the blog hop that’s going on along with it. The projects are fantastic and there are some freebies too! I love the whimsical, fun look that the kits have and so I chose to work with the papers for this project.
I went through several ideas before finally settling on this adorable paper wreath that is really easy but packs a huge WOW factor. It’s so simple you don’t even need adhesive, even if you happen to have a paper tearing incident (more on that in a minute)!
Supplies Needed:
- 12″ styrofoam wreath form
- 12 Days of Christmas grab bag
- 6-7 8.5×11 sheets of Epson Premium Matte Photo Paper
printed with an assortment of digital designs (I used 7)
- straight pins
- paper cutter
- pencil
- ribbon to make a bow (optional)
After printing your papers, cut each one in half at the 5.5″ mark lengthwise (along the 11″ side).
Then cut the 8.5×5.5 piece in thirds, approximately 2.81″ each.
Next, fringe your paper. Sure, you could cut it into strips and attach each strip to the wreath. But, because I am all about maximum results with minimum effort, I decided to fringe my paper instead, which necessitates the use of only two straight pins as opposed to ten or more per row of paper. So I cut the paper into 1″ strips with the last strip being just a half-inch wide. (If you like things perfectly even, feel free to divide 5.5″ by 6 and then measure and cut accordingly.)
I left a 1″ piece at the top intact on each strip using the nifty cutting guide on my Fiskars paper cutter.
Did you know that line indicates where the blade is on the cutter? I was so excited to learn this trick years ago and it really comes in handy when you want to cut a piece of paper but don’t want to cut it straight across, but rather have the cut stop before the edge of the paper. Using the guide was perfect for this project.
Pin your first sheet on the inside of the wreath and then wrap the edge around to meet up on the other side.
Secure the other end with another straight pin. The paper doesn’t overlap itself but you end up with so many layers that you’d never know it.
Now add the second piece of paper about an inch above the first, offsetting the place where you pin it from the first paper. Continue on around the wreath until it is completely covered in paper.
Remember how I said you don’t need adhesive even if you were to hypothetically tear a piece of paper?
It’s a super-simple fix – just add a couple of extra straight pins to hold the piece in place, and continue on. It’ll end up getting covered by the next layer and no one will know the difference!
Once you have covered the wreath with paper, you can curl each fringed strip using a pencil. You could also do this as you add each layer, but I found it easier to add all of the paper and then curl all of the strips.
If you’d like to add a bow with ribbon, now’s the time to do it. I preferred the look of my wreath without a bow.
I’ll be honest, there is quite a bit of cutting involved in this project, but even with all of the cutting, the whole project took me about an hour and a half from start to finish, and that includes a few brief interruptions by my 1-year-old son. The payoff is well worth it, I love looking at this wreath every time I walk into the room!
Other Articles by joana1n:
- Make Your Own Paper Tape! - March 25th, 2013
- Thanks a Latte Single-Serve Coffee Gift Box - February 18th, 2013
- Tootsie Box and a 3-D Santa Sticker - December 5th, 2012
- An Unlikely Advent Calendar - November 28th, 2012
- Gift Card Holder! - October 30th, 2012
