This…this is kind of a crazy project, just so you know. I won’t dwell on the details, but it’s worth noting that this was NOT the Autumn wreath I had originally planned on. The first one was a complete and utter disaster and is now known as “the wreath who shall not be named”. Suffice it to say, not all of my ideas are winners!
BUT…as I changed course with a new idea, I decided to take on a challenge- which started with a pretty plaid shirt from the thrift store.
It may be 90 degrees out, but I’ll still be seeking out plaid and flannel shirts!
One of the disasters of “the wreath who shall not be named” was finding the right ribbon. All the Fall-colored ribbons were too…something. Too bright, too glittered, too…something. And that’s when I wondered…is it possible to make my OWN wired ribbon? This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience.
I had already purchased the perfect shirt because it was $1- I’m a sucker for clearance thrift store plaid! And the colors and quality of the fabric were ideal for my DIY ribbon challenge. So, I attacked it (thoughtfully) with my fabric-only scissors and cut out all the large/long blocks of fabric from the shirt that I could.
…with very little wasted!
After determining the width of ribbon that I wanted and accounting for necessary hemming along both sides, I cut my blocks into thinner strips and sewed them end-to-end until I had one continuous piece (about 12 yards).
Starting to resemble ribbon yet?
Then the real challenge- adding the wire! But it was easier than I had feared- I simply strung along some nicely-weighted jewelry wire as I hemmed the raw edges, making sure to keep the wire under the fold as I went along.
Things are working out…
And after carefully stitching in the wire- it was done. I made my own wired ribbon!!
Hey now- it worked!
Since I’m not overly-skilled at bow making, I watched a couple of videos on YouTube…but hurray, hurray- I used my wired ribbon to make exactly the kind of bow I wanted.
A shirt no longer…
Now I could assemble my wreath! I decided on a grapevine wreath, but I wanted to add just little shimmer here and there. So, with some pretty metallic craft paint (this one and this one), I dabbed a little autumn “magic” on the dark grapevine.
A little pizzazz never hurt anyone, right?
Next, I hot-glued a few shafts of wheat to the wreath a long with some of my leftover “faux sea oats” from my sea glass bottle project.
Let’s put it all together now!
Interspersed in the wheat, I wanted to add some autumn-y feathers. BUT…the animal lover in me decided to forego feathers from a craft shop. I can’t bear to think about how they are harvested…so I did a little research and found an Eco-farm in West Virginia that sells the naturally molted feathers from their variety of free-range chickens! Aren’t they so pretty??
A fan of feathers…
Cottonball is quite the fan of their feathers- all of them humanely harvested (collected from the ground), sanitized, and dried to perfection. I might be a little obsessed, so expect future projects to involve feathers.
When it all came together, this is what I ended up with- I really LOVE it. Autumn-y but not too kitschy.
Ta-da!
All in all, making my own wired ribbon was definitely more complicated than buying some at the craft store. BUT, if I can do it, then anyone can- and it opens up a world of possibility! Especially if you don’t have oodles of craft stores to choose from OR simply can’t find the perfect design.
PIN ME!
Now- a little something extra! I am part of a Fall Ideas Tour (today is Wreath Day), but check out the other fantabulous ladies and their amazing ideas!
2016 Fall Ideas Tour
Monday – Mantels
Tuesday -Tablescapes
Wednesday – Wreaths
Thursday – Printables
Check back on Friday for Porches
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