Christmas (or Any Holiday) Ball Wreath

This is a relatively inexpensive project that makes a spectacular wreath! You can customize the colors, too! I had a lot of fun making it! It is a good project to do while listening to a podcast, audio book or music or while talking to a friend.

• Metal wreath form, 18" in diameter

mine was from a dollar store; you could use a smaller one, if you want a smaller wreath

• A roll of 6-inch wide decorative mesh in a color that coordinates with the Christmas balls you plan to use

mine was silver and was 6 inches wide by 5 yards (but I didn't use nearly all of it)

• Assorted sizes and colors of Christmas ornament balls (lightweight, NOT glass! I got mine at a thrift store that was selling them by the bag, but you can get them at dollar stores; if they are missing the "top" that is fine)

for my wreath I used three sizes:

3" (the largest purple ones)--3 balls

2.75" (the pink and larger silver ones)--9 balls

2.25" approx. (assorted colors)--27 balls

1.5" approx. (assorted colors)--10 balls

If you want your wreath to look fuller, you can use more balls. TIP: get a few more balls than you absolutely need, in case you decide to make the wreath look fuller.

• Glue gun (a hot one, NOT the cool type) and glue sticks for the glue gun

• A pair of scissors (regular household type)

• A place to work that you don't mind getting hot glue on (for example, I used a table, covered in a couple of pieces of freezer paper, but many places will work, as long as the glue won't damage the surface)

• Optional: small ornament that coordinates (mine was a silver Christmas tree with a bell--check thrift stores or dollar stores)

• Optional: silicone finger protectors (helpful, but you can do the project without it, using an old pencil or popsicle stick)

• Optional: additional small light-weight decorations that could be glued onto the wreath (I did not do this).

• Some way to hang your wreath wherever you choose--for example, on a front door with smooth glass, you might want to use a suction cup with a hook (available at hardware stores). You could also use a wreath hanger that hooks over the top of the door. Or, if you are hanging it on a wall, the wreath could rest on a nail or picture hanger.

Once you have gathered your supplies and found a good place to work (where stray hot glue won't melt the surface), plug in and turn on your glue gun and, if you are using them, put the silicone finger protectors on the fingers of your non-dominant hand, as shown.

Turn the wreath form upside down, so that the "curved" side is laying on the table. Next, open the package of mesh and find the end. Apply some glue to the back of the wreath form and press the end of the mesh into the glue, across the whole width of the mesh. If you are wearing silicone finger protectors, you can use your fingers to press the mesh into the glue (I was not when I first started...ouch!) Allow to cool for about a minute.

Begin to wrap the mesh around the wreath frame, applying hot glue periodically on the back of the frame (pressing the mesh into the glue with your protected fingers...if you don't have finger protectors, use an old pencil or a popsicle stick), wrapping at a slight angle so that, gradually, more and more of the wreath frame is covered. When you get back to the "beginning," put one final line of glue under the mesh, press the mesh onto the glue and, when the glue is set, use your scissors to trim off the unused mesh. Turn the wreath over (curved side facing up).

Choose a medium-sized Christmas ball to start with. Place the Christmas ball, as shown, with the "top" touching the middle of the wreath and the ball itself resting on the wreath (not up in the air). Lift up the Christmas ball slightly, apply a puddle of hot glue (feel free to be generous...use your judgement) under the top and side of the Christmas ball and then press the ball into the hot glue. Hold in place FOR ABOUT ONE MINUTE until the glue is set. This is important because if the glue is not set, the ball will fall off.

Choose a second medium-sized Christmas ball in another color. Position the ball opposite the first ball, but again, with the top touching the middle of the wreath. Try to position the balls close so that they may even be touching. However, you don't want too much of the wreath form to be showing at the sides...use your judgement. Again, hold in place for about one minute.

For the third ball, I recommend selected a slightly larger one. Glue in place, using the same procedure as before. Continue to glue on Christmas balls, alternating various sizes and colors, as you go around the wreath. The two smallest sizes of Christmas balls are used as a second "layer" in order to fill in the "holes" or gaps (but you use fewer balls). For the second layer, you will need to apply glue, either to the ball itself before you put into place, or to the surrounding balls. TIP: you can do the first layer and then the second layer or you can do both layers as you go--your choice. ALSO: this is your time to enjoy listening to something or talking to someone because you will have to hold each ball in place for a minute to let the glue set...sorry! BUT: it will be worth it because the really hot glue holds SO much better than the cool type does.

Once you have attached balls all around the wreath, hold the wreath up and look at it to see where you might want to add more balls to fill in gaps. Also, if you are using an optional ornament, decide which side of the wreath is "up." For my wreath, I decided to have the ornament hanging down from the top of the wreath, on the inside. In that case, you would apply hot glue in a gap under the Christmas balls, press the string loop of the ornament into the glue (use those finger protectors, pencil or stick!) and allow the glue to set.

If you want to add additional, lightweight pieces of decor, glue them on now.

Congratulations on completing your wreath! When it is time to hang it, whether it be on a door or wall, consult the supply list for options. Enjoy your beautiful, creative holiday decoration!