Guest Blogging at Smile & Wave: Wreath DIY

Today I'm the guest blogger at Rachel Denbow's Smile and Wave.

Want to learn how to turn all of these things into a super fun holiday wreath? Head on over, say hello, and be sure to link up some of your favorite wreath inspiration!

Edited on 7/15/2011 to add details below:

Supplies:
- 1 knit sweater or Tshirt (I used a waffle striped T.)
- 1 wreath form (You can find junky old wreaths at the thrift store and strip them for your purposes.)
- A bunch of batting (I gutted an old ugly pillow I had.)
- Fabric flowers, buttons, or anything pretty you have laying around the house

Tools:
- Pinking sheers
- Thread
- Needle

Step One:
Cut the arms and side off of the shirt so that you have two even strips of fabric. One from the front, and one from the back of the shirt. The width of your strips will depend on how fat you want your wreath to be in the end.

Step Two:
Stitch your fabric together at the ends so that it is one long strip. I found that one shirt was long enough to wrap an entire wreath after the length was doubled by stitching the two lengths together. The nice thing about knit fabric is that it will stretch. This helps limit the lumpiness of the wreath in the end.

Step Three:
Surround a small portion of your foam wreath form with batting. Then, begin stitching the fabric closed around the batting and the foam. This is a long and tedious process, but it's worth the effort!

As you continue along the wreath, add more stuffing to the areas that have been stitched. The more stuffing you add, the less lumpy your wreath will be.

Step Four:
When you come to the end of the wreath, close the ends the same way you closed the entire length of the fabric. But be sure to leave an opening long enough to add the last bit of stuffing to even out the wreath. Then, when you're done stuffing it, completely close opening.

If your hands are anything like mine, your fingers will be a bit soar by this point! But you still have work to do. Your wreath is probably very lumpy. But it's okay, because the next few minutes or so will be spent massaging the lumps out of the wreath. It helps to have knit fabric that will move about with your fingers so you can maneuver the batting more easily.

Step Five:
Now delve into your collection of pretty things and stitch or glue them onto your finished plush wreath. I actually didn't stitch or glue my items. I used straight pins, so that I can easily remove them and repurpose everything after the season is over.

Step Six:
Use leftover fabric or a piece of ribbon to hang your wreath. You can use any method to attach it to the back of your wreath: stitching, staples, pins… whatever holds it in place. Unless you're hanging the wreath on a glass door, nobody will see the back. Once it's hung, massage the last few lumps from the wreath, and step back to enjoy what you've created!

This is the first time I've ever made a plush wreath. During this process, I discovered a few things I will do differently next time.
Next time I will cut the knit fabric a bit smaller than it needs to be. When it stretches out, I think it will help smooth out the lumps. The second thing I will do differently is before wrapping the batting and fabric around the wreath, I will sew a loose stitch along the length of the fabric. Then, after the wreath is wrapped, I will pull the threads of the loose stitch to gather the center of the wreath. I think this will accomplish a more even gathering of the stripes at the center, and a more tailored look to the entire wreath.

This wreath was definitely a learning experience for me, and I hope you've been inspired by the process! If you've made any holiday wreaths recently, be sure to link them up in the comments section so that all of us can see!