Crafts

Easy DIY Crafts Anyone Can Do! Holiday Crafts. Seasonal Crafts. Everyday Crafting, as well as decor crafts, seasonal crafts, and everyday craft ideas. I am all about easy to make crafts!

Cranberry Holly Winter White Wreath DIY

October 17, 2018 By Ann Leave a Comment

This beautiful Cranberry Holly Winter White Wreath is a simple rustic wreath that appears time-consuming, but actually comes together in under 30 minutes! Follow these easy step by step directions to make your own lovely custom Christmas door hanger wreath.

Cranberry Holly Winter White Wreath DIY

While I wrote this up as a Christmas wreath for a door, it would also be fabulous over the fireplace. You may want to up the size of it thought – depending on the side of your fireplace mantel – to make it stand out.

The focal point of this wreath is the holiday sign. The cascade of berries is to offset the focal point making it less one-sided. This wreath aims for “snowiness” (yes, that is now a word), but it is not a snow-wreath.

Notes

• Make certain to match the size of your wreath to the door or area where it will be hung. A 36″ wreath on a 30″ door will not work. Likewise, a 24″ wreath over your fireplace mantel will probably be lost.

• Take a look at Halloween clearance sales too as many times you can find white wreaths there for 50-75% off!

• On that note, also take into account the sign to wreath ratio. You want something substantial, but not too overwhelming.

• This wreath uses a holiday sign as the focal point. You could also use a different object as your focal point: a stuffed reindeer or moose, a small birdcage, a Christmas tree topper, Santa or Mrs. Claus, a large partridge – anything that is holiday focused. In other words, you can gear this toward your holiday theme!

• If you plan on hanging this wreath from just after Thanksgiving through most of the winter, consider your focal point to be more generic… that is where a stuffed moose or moose sign would work very well!

• This wreath is frosted, not sparkly. If you choose to add sparkle, make it one or two touches of sparkle – such as the picks used. The sparkle on the picks will pick up the light. There will always be a small sparkle that is picked up from light (even if only streetlights).

• This is a door hanger wreath, it does not really lend itself to a ribbon for hanging. Since rustic does not always do ribbon “well” if you need a ribbon to hang, consider a red plaid one. No bow on this wreath either.

Cranberry Holly Winter White Wreath DIY Materials:

• 1 White Wreath
• 1 Holiday Sign (focal point)
• 2 Pick Floral Fruit
• 1 Geraniums Bush
• 3 picks Holly Berries
• Greenery
• Glue Gun
• Hot Glue Sticks
• Wire Cutters
• Floral Wire (optional)

Cranberry Holly Winter White Wreath DIY Directions:

• Position the sign (or whatever you are using as your focus) on the wreath. This is offset on the center, and “we” (the royal we because my niece had the idea, I’m just the running commentary and photographer) decided lower right. If you would like lower left because that works better for where you plan on hanging this finished wreath, that works too!

• Hot glue or wire in place. If you are going to wire, make sure you loop the floral wire through the hanger on the back of your sign, and through the wire on your wreath. Pretend you are weaving or sewing. Pull tight for less movement. You may also want to wire AND hot glue for stiffer placement, especially if your sign is heavy.

• The berries are being used to balance against the focal point you are creating. That sign (+ flowers you will be adding) is BIG. If you left it by itself on the wreath, it would be a lotta white, and a big old sign. You need something to break it up, hence the berry trail.

• Remember when hot gluing the berries in place that you are layering and adding leaves (intermingling greens) not lumping them together. Overlaying your berries, leaves, and picks will make the wreath look better.

• The reason geraniums were chosen as the flower for this wreath is because they are large. The sign is the focal point (I may have mentioned that before), and the geraniums are actually going to make that focal point a GIANT focal point that cannot be missed. Clip the geraniums, and place two large portions of the clippings (either one large, or two smaller) on either side of the focal point. Hot glue in place. Pull through some of the wreath into the geraniums for a slight break-up, and to show the wreath underneath.

• Two large flower features are set so as not to have 4-5 smaller features pulling your eyes in all directions. Breaking up the geraniums is key – this wreath needed color, but you don’t want it to be a big blob of color that slaps you in the er, eye.

• Once you have layered the berries (always do a dry run before hot gluing), and have added some greenery, use the picks to add some interest and conceal any holes which may show.

• Tuck away any wire you may have used, and move the wreath pines over bare spots.

• Things looked a little bare under the sign, so some greenery was added underneath and hot glued in place.

• Take a step back from the wreath. Make sure all the holes are covered either by twisting greenery over an open space or repositioning a white pine from the wreath.

• Give your wreath a light shake to make certain everything is well placed either via wire or hot glue.
That’s it. This is a super simple, but showy Christmas wreath. It looks simply fabulous!

If you enjoy making holiday wreaths, you may want to make one of these:

• Candy Cane Wreath DIY Tutorial – Make your own no-sew Candy Cane wreath using these easy step by step instructions. This cute holiday decor is perfect for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or any day! Simple and inexpensive to make, this easy Candy Cane Wreath DIY Tutorial will show you how to add a marvelous touch of whimsy to your holiday decor.

• The Grinch Inspired Wreath DIY Tutorial – A beautiful Mr. Grinch inspired wreath sure to make even the coldest heart burst! This step by step tutorial is complete with (free) pdfs for the hat and heart for you to print and make exact. This wreath will look great on your front door, over your mantel, or on a wall. Truly unique holiday decor!

• Snowflake Bead Wreath Craft DIY – This is a beautiful snowflake wreath that is perfect for door decor in the chilly winter months. You can fully customize this snowflake bead wreath for color, and ornaments. Simple to make, this lovely Snowflake Bead Wreath Craft is a real conversation piece.

• Disclosure: the links in this post may be affiliate links.

• For more Craft posts on Ann’s Entitled Life, click here.

• If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for the Ann’s Entitled Life weekly newsletter, and never miss another article!

Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts, Winter

Pilgrims Jar Craft

October 10, 2018 By Ann Leave a Comment

Use this step by step instructional tutorial to make this adorable these Pilgrims Jar Craft for Thanksgiving! Simple to make, these cute little Pilgrims would look great as part of a Thanksgiving centerpiece, or on a fireplace mantel or side table as standalone decor.

Pilgrims Jar Craft

These little Pilgrims jars match perfectly with this Thanksgiving Turkey Jar Craft– so make both crafts and use them as a centerpiece with a few leaves and flameless candles, or place them in other areas of your living room or family room for perfect Thanksgiving day decorations.

When it comes to decorating for the Fall season, you see a lot of things related to Halloween and then, other than Fall leaves and pumpkins, there just isn’t a lot of decorations out there for November and Thanksgiving. To me, that is a shame, because Thanksgiving should truly be celebrated.
Pilgrims are one thing that instantly makes you think of the holiday, so this set of mason jars are meant to do just that. They can be used for storage of course, but are primarily meant to be a fun kitchen decoration.

You can put your own twist on them, too, using different buttons, ribbons, or anything you may have to make them your own. Once the basic part of the painting is done, adding the final touches is what makes them unique.
Another thing you can do as well, to take it a step further, is to make a turkey to go with them.

Pilgrims Jar Craft Materials:

• 2 matching mason jars, with lids – I used 2 that were from pickles we buy all the time, that are a little bit larger than the standard Ball jars are.
• White or cream-colored spray paint – or a flesh color, if you can find that, would be good too.
• Black and brown acrylic paint, plate, brushes and water cup
• Paper towels
• Pencil
• Paint markers in black and white if desired, or you can use the black acrylic with a thin, tiny brush instead
• Buttons for the eyes and cheeks in matching sets (also, you can make a cute mouth from small buttons if you want to go that route) also, buttons for accents like a “broach” for the girl or a buckle for his hat
• Paper Doily
• Ribbon instead of a collar in color of your choice
• Super Glue (or hot glue if you prefer)

Pilgrims Jar Craft Directions:

• Be sure your jars are free from dust or debris, and dry.
• Then, spray paint both the jars and the lids in the cream or flesh colored paint. If you intend to possibly use the jar for storage, I would also paint the inside, at least a few inches down, so that it looks more finished off when you open and close it. The more it gets used, it will take paint off on the rim of the jar, so just keep that in mind. Also, if you are using paper doilies, and want to make them white (if they are not already white), then spray paint them at this time as well. It does help them to become more sturdy too.
• Give the paint a good 20 minutes to dry, and check to see if it is well-covered in the paint. If you have any spots that need another coat, go ahead and do that and then let them fully dry.

• Before you begin designing the Pilgrims choose the best side of the jar. I had one area on one of mine where the spray paint ran, so I turned it to the back.

• Next, you will be painting on their hair. Start by using a pencil to sketch in the lines you want to create first. I made my girl have her hair go all the way around the back but gave her a few layers so it didn’t look as square since I knew he needed a more square hair style, but they are obviously your creation, so how you make them is up to you!

• Then begin with the brown paint to fill in all the areas that are hair. The brown will most likely need 2 coats of paint, so start on the black areas if you have any, while the first coat of brown is drying. I added a black collar line to mine, especially on the girl, so her doily collar would stand out. For her, the brown hair went all the way to the top of the lid, but for him, I made a hat line, and a good amount of his head was black on the top.

• You can also paint in the smile while you are doing the black unless you are using buttons for that part. Use a very thin brush for the smile, and if you need to, draw it on in pencil first to get it even and set. Otherwise, use the paint marker to make the smile, but you can also choose to wait until you are putting the eyes and cheeks on later, too.

• Go ahead and do any second layers of paint that you need, and just be sure as it’s drying to check for empty spots and fill them in. On mine, I noticed a few times near where the jar curves on the corner, that the paint had a harder time staying and I had to touch it up a few times. Then, using a thin brush, use the black paint, or the paint marker, and give the hair some lines to help it stand out. Do some along the edges where the face is, and then random lines here and there in the hair to give it dimension.
• Let the paint dry all the way before you begin gluing anything on.

• This is a good time to get your buttons arranged if you have not already figured out how they are going on. You can layer them for the eyes, doing black on the bottom with a smaller white button on the top, or vice-versa. I gave my girl a more gray pair or buttons for the eyes and him the black ones. They were the same size buttons and very similar so they still matched well. The pink cheeks could also be painted on too, if you didn’t have any pink buttons.
• If your jars are dry, go ahead and glue the buttons on. I would recommend doing one at a time once you have the places figured out, so that you can hold the button in place, pressing down to let the glue set for a minute. Then go on to the next. Repeat the process until both jars have their buttons all on the faces. If you waited to do the smile line, go ahead and do that now.
• Let that dry if it was painted, and then attach any ribbon or doily collar you have. I cut my doily into two matching triangles after playing with it. It lays on the table a little bit too, which I think gives it more dimension, but if that bothers you, you can trim that part off to be even with the jar edge. • Glue on any other accents like the button broach now.

• Check to be sure everything you glued on is well secured, and if it is, you are all done!

If you would like to make more Thanksgiving day crafts here are a few for you!

• Floral Horn of Plenty DIY – this. is. gorgeous. My photos do not do it justice, but it is sitting in my foyer right now, and I smile every time I look at it – it is that beautiful.

• Dollar Store Craft: Lighted Thanksgiving Centerpiece – this is lovely, and everything was purchased at a dollar store making it a very inexpensive craft!!

• Turkey Wine Glass DIY – these little gobblers are adorable!

• Disclosure: the links in this post may be affiliate links.

• For more Craft posts on Ann’s Entitled Life, click here.

• If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for the Ann’s Entitled Life weekly newsletter, and never miss another article!

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Filed Under: Crafts, Thanksgiving

Dollar Store Craft: Easy Thanksgiving Door Hanger DIY

September 12, 2018 By Ann 2 Comments

You know those dollar store holiday plaques you see that look kind of plain – specifically the autumn or Thanksgiving ones? Well, you can dress them up in under 10 minutes to create a cute little door hanger. This is perfect for that side door with a screen on it (because it will fit between the screen door and the main door). It is so lightweight it makes for a great “grandma” craft – if a child touches it and it falls, it does not break. Or, if you are a teacher, it is a $6 classroom door project!

Dollar Store Craft: Easy Thanksgiving Door Hanger DIY

Notes:

• We used hot glue on this project (that is the royal “we” as it was my niece’s idea and execution). If you prefer to use goop instead of hot glue: once you have glued everything put a large plain piece of paper or cardboard on to of the craft, and then a few books on top of that so it dries flat.

• I called this a “10-minute craft” but honestly? It took longer to gather the glue gun, plaque, and leaves than it did to put this together.

Dollar Store Craft: Easy Thanksgiving Door Hanger Materials:

• Small Plaque (12-13″)
• 5 leaves (8″)
• Glue Gun
• Hot Glue

Dollar Store Craft: Easy Thanksgiving Door Hanger Directions

• Arrange the leaves so they overlap, and lay well.

• Place your plaque on top of the leaves to see how it will look when finished (do not glue anything yet!)
• Remover the plaque, and set aside.

• Turn over the arranged leaves, and hot glue them together in place.
• Turn over glued together leaves.

• Replace plaque on the glued together leaves, and hot glue the plaque in place.
• Hang as desired.

Looking for more easy, inexpensive Thanksgiving crafts? You may want to make these:

• Dollar Store Craft: Lighted Thanksgiving Centerpiece – this is lovely, and everything was purchased at a dollar store making it a very inexpensive craft!!

• Easy Thanksgiving Wreath DIY – Make this simple yet pretty and easy Thanksgiving Wreath DIY for the holidays. The colors and sentiment are completely customizable. In under an hour you can have festive Thanksgiving decor!

• Thanksgiving Turkey Jar Craft -Make your own adorable Turkey jar craft. This easy step by step tutorial will show you how to easily make a turkey out of a condiment jar that is perfect for a centerpiece, mantel decor or table decorations this Thanksgiving! If you are looking for an easy to make Thanksgiving craft project, this is it!

• Disclosure: the links in this post may be affiliate links.

• For more Craft posts on Ann’s Entitled Life, click here.

• If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for the Ann’s Entitled Life weekly newsletter, and never miss another article!