Make the neighbors jealous!

Hi there! Been a few weeks and we're sorry! This silly thing called life keeps getting in the way of making coolio stuffs for you to read about! However, I have told life to sit down and shut up for a few hours while I get this done. It seems that the millisecond Trick or Treating ends, Christmas shows up. Last year, Christmas didn't exist for me since I was due Christmas Eve to have my daughter. This year? Oh my. This year is a WHOLE different story. In our first installment of Christmas-decorating-has-possessed-Katey, we learn how to make some fancy, funky felt wreaths!

Prepare yourself for amazement.

No, really. Do some breathing exercises or something. Ready? Good.

So, I've made a few of these now, and I love each one more. This is the one I showed my friend Jen how to make today.

It hasn't made it to a door yet because she isn't quite ready to let go of fall. I digress... Here's how to do the damn thang!

First, hunt and gather all of your supplies. I find machetes work wonders when gathering in a craft store during a sale. Seriously. Take a weapon.

Or, take this list:

1 foam ring in your chosen wreath size

1 1/2 yards TOTAL of felt...Divide the colors up however you like

Decorations for the theme of the wreath. I use things on sticks from the floral dept.

1 small, pointy object. Think skewer or cuticle scissors.

a measuring tool

a cutting tool

a piece of scrap cardboard or foam board

glue and/or mod podge

Now that you have fought your way through that AND managed to make it out with everything, let's get started! First things first...Trace the outline of the foam circle onto the scrap cardboard, cut it out and glue it to the back of the foam. It just gives it a little bit more strength. While you let that dry, we will move on to the ever so thrilling task of cutting the felt into squares, I have found that 2"x 2" gives a nice fullness without looking too puffy.

Understand that no matter how many you cut and think are enough, you're wrong and will have to cut more before you're done. I really have come to love my rotary cutter since I've started making these. Anywho, here is what you should have now that you are ready to start!

I used Mod Podge because it's here and I keep forgetting to buy tacky glue....and it sticks to EVERYTHING. So, now we are going to take our squares, put the pokey end of whatever it is you're using in the center, fold it over once, then gather it up on the sides to make a little felt covered pointy thing! Confused? Lucky for YOU, I took pictures!

Just like that! Don't worry about getting it perfect because this isn't one of those color inside the lines kind of project...mainly because I don't do those kinds, but whatever...Dip the point in to the glue. Just enough to hold it in the foam. Now, you are going to stab away your frustrations of the day ~ GENTLY! Push it in just far enough that it doesn't come out when you remove your chosen pokey thing. This is what you should have....

Fantastic! Now we are going to do it about 400 more times! This is where it helps to have a little bit of a plan. You can do stripes, color blocks, a solid color, or randomly place colors. This one was a randomly placed color one. I would recommend to do one color at a time if you are doing it randomly. For now, just work on the front of the wreath. We will get to the sides in a moment. I SAID WE WILL DO IT IN A MOMENT. Stop being so pushy. I will turn this blog around RIGHT NOW.

Are you going to settle down? Ok. Good. Since you have decided to keep at the task of pushing felt squares into some styrofoam, let's see where we are at.

Great! Now, you don't want to crowd them together too much. You run the risk of spliting the foam and no one likes broken foam. The foam will also fluff out a bit to cover the white. Now that you have the front all covered just the way you want it, NOW we will move to the outside of the foam. Fill it in the same way you did the front. Here's what you should have after another 300 stabs with your pokey thingie.

Now, we will move on and do the same to the inside. Only 200 more pokes!! You can do it! ...There's a joke in here somewhere...So, now you should have an AWESOME looking wreath!

Now we get to decorate it! I am really digging the cheap glitter floral decorations that Joanns Fabric is carrying for Christmas. They are funky and you can really make this wreath pop! For this one, we went with a simple spiral and a snowflake. All you have to do is trim the metal post its on, bend it right under the decoration, and stab that baby right into the foam.

Voila!!

This awesomeness is what shall adorn you entrance of your domicile.

You can hang this any way you please using ribbon or a wreath hanger. Seriously, go put this on your door. It's beautiful and different and people will seriously be jealous.

You're welcome!