I'm not going to lie. I am really impressed with my new Christmas wreath. It is colorful, distinctive and shiny like a new penny; best of all, I crafted it myself and you can, too. All you need is a little bit of tenacity and whole lot of glass ball ornaments.
Now, when I say "you need a whole lot of glass ball ornaments," I mean you need a ton and when you think you have enough, get more. I raided my stash and was confident I had plenty but stopped by Michaels and stocked up on more just in case. Mid-wreath, I knew I was going to be short and ran out to get additional ornaments...again. Bottom line is, it's a lot easier to complete a project when you've got everything you need at your fingertips, so stock up, sisters.
Before you get knee deep in shiny glass orbs, pick your palette. If you already have an existing holiday color scheme in your home, go with it or pick colors that will complement what you've already got going on. Have no color scheme? Just pick some of your favorite hues.
Below you will find a list of the essential elements and some tips and tricks to help you along the way. When you're ready, click through the slideshow above for step-by-step instructions.
Essential Elements:
- Dozens of glass ball ornaments
- Wreath form (this can be made of foam tubing, styrofoam or straw)
- Ribbon
- Hot glue gun with plenty of glue sticks
- Command Hook for hanging
Tips & Tricks:
- Create your workspace by laying down a large sheet on the floor or over a table.
- Get all of your essential elements together so they are at your fingertips.
- For wreath form, the straw option is the cheapest but has little variation when it comes to size. You can also go to a home improvement store and pick up a length of pipe foam and duct tape the two ends together to create a circle.
- Give yourself plenty of uninterrupted time to complete this project. Plan on two to four hours, depending on the size of your wreath.
- Choose ornaments with different finishes and textures.
- Get at least four different sizes of ornaments.
- For the smallest sizes, I opted for small styrofoam balls painted to look like ornaments. These came in a large bag from Michaels and had about three different sized balls in each package.
- Work symmetrically around the wreath, and whatever you do to one side, do immediately after to the other. This is especially important when gluing on the large and medium sized ornaments.
- Stock up on glass ball ornaments after Christmas this year (they'll be on sale) and make your wreath on the cheap next year.
- Pick your display spot carefully. Be sure that the wreath will not get crushed between a door and the wall and that nothing else will hit it. It is glass, after all.
- You may use plastic ornaments; just keep in mind they have seams that will show.
Color Palette Suggestions:
Not sure where to start when it comes to a color scheme for your wreath? Here are a few of my favorite palettes:
- Cobalt, fuschia and purple
- Aqua, apple green, silver and bright red
- Brown, gold and aqua
- Deep red, silver and white
- Gold, champagne, pearl white and iridescent clear
- Red, apple green, purple and silver
