COLORFUL / COLOR-THEMED HANDMADE WREATHS

DOOR / HOME & GARDEN / PARTY / WEDDING DECOR / SHOWERS
💠The premise behind this, is very simple, anyone can do it - I learned the "tying of plastic bag strips around a wire hanger" method as a child & grew up making them - for holidays, home decor, gifts - they're pretty! They really become a work of art, a labor of love💛. 🔆& Not just a kid's school project anymore!🔆
💠It's also an inspiring craft project; challenging your eye for color, color coordinating/pairing, design ideas - incorporating flowers & trinkets, mementos and can be therapeutic! Christmas wreaths are great, but you can go way beyond the traditional...🎉
💠They can be theme colored for your favorite sport's team, school colors, parties, groups/associations and/or any extension of you.
🔆Heart-Shaped (for Valentine)...🔆Mardi Gras Themed... 🔆Peacock Design... 🔆Vampire Bat (for Halloween)...🔆 Beer Mug-Shaped -yes, beer mug! 🔆Green Beer Mug -for St..Patrick's Day! Great for Mancaves & home bars! 🔆Easter Egg
💠They can also vary in size; make minis for door knobs, bracelet sizes- like a wrist corsage *Even with ribbon and flowers for Brides' maids and/ or wedding decor - just use floral wire* (I'll demonstrate that separately)

⚫WHO- or WHAT is it (*or "They") for?
🔅Yourself? 🔅Friend? 🔅Gift? 🔅Get Well? 🔅Party / Holiday Decor?
⚫WHAT wreath style do you desire?
🔅Traditional Round? Large? Small? Mini? Whimsical Shape?
⚫WHERE do you want to display it (them)?
🔅The Front (or ANY) Door? Door Knob? Garden Fence? Mancave? She-Shed? Club House?
⚫WHEN do you need / want it? HOW much TIME do you have?
🔅Plan accordingly; devote time out of your day, set goals for completion/milestones
🔅As suspected, the smaller- the quicker to finish
🔅The quickest (and easiest) would be to use ready-made wreath forms;
-Foam rings, Even easier, they're just less versatile, but nonetheless, equally special with creativity & imagination!
⚫THEN.. COLOR CHOICES..!!..
🔆🔆decisions ... decisions... (BUT first things first...)

*For the Wire Hanger Method, as pictured here:
▶ Bend and form a wire hanger into a ROUND* shape;
⏩•With one hand, hold the hook part of the hanger, with the other hand, pull the straight (horizontal) wire down -stretching it out of "straight shape" -seemingly forming a "diamond" shape;
⏩•From there, (with both hands) keep bending and working around, around, around, rotating your hands around (like a steering wheel) forming a CIRCLE*
*OTHER SHAPES (AS PICTURED): HEART, BEER MUG, EGG SHAPE ~ ALL HAND-FORMED ~ JUST WORK AROUND & BEND TO DESIRED SHAPE*
*▶For the Heart shape ~ at The "Diamond Stage" PUSH the "HOOK" down, keeping it in the center, creating two "humps" around it; work around, forming / rounding-out each side~Coming to a POINT at the bottom.
*▶For the "Beer Mug" the HOOK will be on the side~designating the Mug's "Handle"; work around the wire, forming a SQUARE shape, the plastic or ribbon clippings you tie around the top will form the "beer foam"
*▶For the EGG shape ~ at the CIRCLE stage, gently push the sides inward, forming an OVAL, THEN SHAPING A BIGGER BOTTOM
*▶For MINI / smaller wreaths, small (scarf) hangers may be found OR USE FLORAL WIRE*
*▶The HOOK serves as your hanging hook
*(*▶The MINI / smaller wreath PICTURED: the hanger's hook was cut off *WITH VERY GOOD / STRONG wire cutters, the ends, then, were closed / twined together and taped; ANY "PATCH-UPS", SUCH AS THAT, GET CONCEALED! And you can make your own size, just attach a hanging ribbon -see the "Peacock" or "Mardi Gras" designs*)*◀
☀There's so many possibilities, it's hard to show them all

🔆~Creating an extra special, highly imaginative work of art doesn't rest only on the wreath form, size & shape, BUT also on Color(s) / Color Combinations and Use of Accessories & Decor Items.~🔆
🔅As noted in Step One, determining your color scheme is key -choose your colors (and your materials), then Cut Your Strips🔅
⚫Lay out your material; in these examples, sheets of colored plastic table cloths
⚫and just "cut away"... Cut (verticle) lengths of the sheets about 3 inches wide; then you can-
⚫Stack those 3 inch wide sheets on top of each other (*Tip: Careful- do a few at a time to get used to it, the sheets can slip/shift) *Make sure your scissors are sharp *BUT*⚠as always, Watch Your fingers*⚠ ..-then
⚫Turn them horizontal and cut about 1 inch strips all the way down the length
⚫Do this for all your colors -see photos of all the color 'ribbons' / strips
☀-a FULL-SIZED wreath, in ONE color, will use about one table cloth
⚫(*Tip: incorporating different shades of a color adds attractive depth and variant color grading- the thin, colored trash bags are good for this*)
⚫Gather your strips and start tying! 🔆For me, mixing colors is the name of the game!
🔅Take the strip and tie a simple (one loop) knot around the wire, then push/slide up to the top -as shown
🔅Tie another strip & push up, taught/tight to the last strip you pushed to the top
🔅Tie the next strip, slide up...and the next...and the next, like so, continue on
🔅Working your way all -the -way -around -your form - until it's FULL (& FLUFFY) and all stuffed tight!
🔅Then it's time to decorate! Go all out or keep it simple with a traditional bow or a few flowers!!
🔅See the next steps & options..

⚫When you have finished wrapping the strips on the hanger / wreath form, you'll have to clean it up; go around it with scissors, to snip & trim the uneven ragged edges & pieces that stick out (*Tip: I suggest you do this over a garbage can*)....
⚫This gives you an idea of what your ("almost" finished") product looks like-
⚫Where you have touch-ups; you can also twist & rotate the tied strips to put the best sides forward
⚫Once you've trimmed, then you can apply your desired decorations & adornments
However,
⚫There may be some ornaments, faux flowers, flora & such, that may be easier to tie on while you are tying strips
🔆But, this is also the fun part! Enjoy and view the next step for EVEN more inspiration and ideas..

In almost every stage I have photos of several different wreath design options -I've done so many over the years, I ran out of room ;D But, nonetheless, you can refer to just about every step to get size, design & shape ideas for:
☀Holidays & celebrations ☀Seasonal ☀Whimsical ☀Hobby ☀Theme(s) even ☀Fruit
Then there's external adornments & ornaments; Look around~everywhere, for inspo
🔅I epoxied a glass aquarium bead to a charming rock -something perfect from nature I found, I attached a loop and created a dangle I called a "DOOR KNOCKER -it worked too! ;D
🔅I used epoxy and paint and made an orange slice & attached it to my "SPRING ORANGE" Wreath
🔅I free-handed an adorable little (themed) red & purple HAT out of cardboard and felt (I'll create a separate Instructable for that & a smaller version made from a surprising item -in Crafts> Felt)
🔅I made a (couple) BATS - i used those for SEVERAL Halloweens, it shows!
🔅BEER MUGS 🔅EASTER EGGS 🔅VALENTINE HEARTS-I attached GIFTS to them
(& A handmade 'Sand dollar-but that's still a different Instructable!)
Color Themed:
🔅BABY SHOWER -"It's a Boy", "It's a Girl"
🔅Peacock
Foam Ring / Wreath Forms:
🔅Seasons, Colors, Faux Flowers & Ribbon - You can push PINS right in, I also used little (store bought) colored puff balls and made HONEY BEES & BUTTERFLIES -you can use BALL-TIPPED SEWING PINS to stick them in and for antennae
And Then of course:
🔅Store Bought Party Decorations
🔅Beads / Beaded Strands
🔅Faux Flowers
🔅Ribbons
🔆🔆YOUR IMAGINATION!! Happy Wreathing!!🔆🔆
☀the Bat and Beer Mug forms are very simple (beer mug is described in Step 2), the bat hanger just gets squeezed and "crimped" -it's easily creates a bat figure; then just wrap & tie black strands around it, trim and decorate - I used sticker eyes & fangs.