I would like to be a crafty person. I would like to actually finish more than one scrapbook in my lifetime. I’ve got a box full of scrapbooking supplies to help me out with that.
But I don’t always have the know-how to translate my perfect crafty vision (or the project I saw in a magazine or on Pinterest) into reality. Things tend to end up looking less than perfect.
But this year I had a thought. My front door is looking awful bare since the glitz of my sparkly red and green Christmas ornament wreath was put away. Why not break up the monotony of winter with a pretty, festive Valentine’s wreath?
And why don’t I attempt to be crafty and make the wreath by gluing conversation hearts to a piece of styrofoam? I could handle that.
Sorry for the crappy photo quality! I hadn’t really intended on blogging about the wreath until random people in the hallway complimented it
A quick Google search revealed this wasn’t an original idea (I assumed it wasn’t anyway), but it gave me some ideas on what I’d need.
Off I went to the craft store and purchased my very own glue gun. I had no idea they came in such an array of designs! I chose the zebra print one with hot pink trim, obviously. The extra $2 over the boring plain one was worth it. You can get glue guns cheap! I had no idea. The mini fancy ones were only $5-6.
I accidentally purchased wired ribbon, which worked perfectly! The wire helps the bow hold it’s shape.
I glued hearts to my wreath while watching Downton Abbey reruns. Then I hung up my wreath, feeling quite pleased with myself.
A little while later I wanted to admire my wreath some more because it was just that awesome. I opened my door, and there was a lady standing in the hallway taking a picture of my wreath! I think she was embarrassed, which she had no need to be because who randomly opens their door to stare at their wreath? I was kind of embarrassed myself.
A few days later, just before heading out to chisel a think layer of ice off my car, I had another compliment from a different neighbour down the hall.
So I guess this means I’m a regular Martha Stewart, right?
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Which also explains the wicked flyer background. This was a text I sent to my sister, showing off my awesome new glue gun
How To Make A Conversation Heart Wreath
You’ll need:
Styrofoam wreath form – my first pick was a heart shaped one, but I couldn’t find one so I went with a round one instead
Glue gun and glue sticks
Conversation hearts – I bought two 525 g tubs from Wal-Mart and ended up using a full one and part of the second.
Wired ribbon
Modge Podge
Small foam brush
Directions:
Pick a spot and start gluing candy hearts to your styrofoam wreath form, and keep going until the whole thing is covered. I tried to keep the hearts as close together as possible, keeping the gaps between them minimal. I didn’t like the look of wreaths that had the colors organized, so I just randomly glued hearts on, making sure the same colors didn’t touch each other.
Cut a piece of ribbon and tie a bow. Trim the tails so they’re even. Set aside. Cut another piece of ribbon long enough to loop around wreath and to hang from your hook. I looped the ribbon around the top of my wreath, and twisted the ends on the back. I secured the twist with hot glue then tied the ends together at the top to make a loop to hang from the wreath hook. I had to play with it a bit until I got the right length so the wreath hung where I wanted it. Word to the wise, cut your ribbon longer than you need, because it’s easier to trim the excess.
Now I also read on the internet that I should seal my wreath to prevent moisture from ruining it. So I’ve got some clear matte Modge Podge to apply, but haven’t gotten around to doing that yet. Before I put it away for the year I’m definitely going to seal it, because I want to have my wreath to enjoy for many years to come!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
