DIY Felt Wreath for $1

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When I saw the huge red and green felt stockings at the Dollar Tree, I just knew I had to make another poinsettia wreath. This wreath was made with one stocking and a wreath form which I cut from a leftover box. So yes, it cost $1! Felt can be expensive, and this is a fantastic way to get a lot of it, in Christmas colors, for next to nothing. This particular felt makes a gorgeous flower. I bought three of the stockings and am busy making more of these gorgeous wreaths for Christmas gifts.

SUPPLIES:

Dollar Tree Stocking

Sizzix and Poinsettia Die

-OR-

Poinsettia template to cut felt by hand, like this free one from Eri Doodle

Straight pins

Wire Cutter

Cardboard box

2 circular items to trace onto cardboard to cut out a donut for your wreath form

Scissors

Pen or marker for tracing onto cardboard

Tape

TUTORIAL:

Trace plate or whatever circular items you have onto cardboard and cut out wreath form like I showed you previously:

Wrap your cardboard donut with tape to reinforce and protect.

Cut your poinsettia petals and leaves with your die or template. Assemble flower and use straight pin to stick onto wreath form. For detailed flower assembly, see my paper poinsettia wreath post. The process for felt is the same, but you don’t fold and shape the leaves like you do with paper.

You will likely have excess straight pin sticking through the back of your wreath. Carefully trim flush with wreath form using wire cutters. Wear eye protection for this part!

DIY Geometric Paper Ornaments + Template

by Johnnie Collier

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I am a little nutty over these geometric paper ornaments I spied over at The Red Thread Blog. It kinda makes me want to start over with my Christmas decor, since I went super traditional this year. Actually, these are the kind of decor I could make and keep up year round. They would be lovely as garland or border in a nursery or kids room. Find the printable template and instructions at the above link.

UPDATE: I had to remove the link for this project because the site has a virus. If the problem is resolved, I will put the link back.

DIY Holly Jolly Christmas Decor

by Johnnie Collier

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This fun project only cost a few dollars, and is the perfect piece to top off our Christmas mantel. I have been wanting to do something with a sign I grabbed from a garage sale for $1 over the summer. With some spray paint, a stencil I made in Photoshop, and a holly/berry paper die cut, I was able to make this festive Christmas sign.

Supplies:

Krylon Banner Red

Krylon White

Gesso or primer

Paint Brush

Holly Jolly Stencil

Holly Berry die cut – I used this holly berry file from Eri Doodle Designs to cut the holly berry from card stock using cricut

Photo source: Eri Doodle Designs

3D Foam mounting adhesive

Medium Grit sandpaper

Towel for cleaning and for drying

Newspaper

Masking tape

TUTORIAL:

Lightly sand your sign and wipe away debris with soapy water. Dry with towel.

Apply gesso or primer. I did 2 coats of gesso, drying completely between. Let dry.

Spray with red paint and let dry. While that is drying, cut out your stencil from clear contact paper or vinyl. Contact paper is way cheaper. It doesn’t have to be clear, I just prefer that so I can see where I am placing it better. Any contact paper will do. I used my cricut to cut out the letters, but you can print the text (file available for free download under supplies, above) and trace the letters onto your contact paper.

Place your stencil on the dry red sign and spray white. Make sure the area you don’t want white is all blocked off with newspaper or tape.

Adhere your holly berry die cut cardstock and you are all done!

Make sure you check out our Christmas gift and decor 50+ roundups for more inspiriation:

Make Advent Calendar Blocks

by Johnnie Collier

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This is the first year I have made an advent calendar, and I am loving it! It was so fun to create. I busted out my stamps and other scrapbooking supplies and went to town on some wooden blocks. What is so cool about it is as you turn each block around when that date passes, a wintery scene is revealed on the other side!

To make your very own advent block calendar, you will need:

25 square wooden blocks (I used 1 inch cubes, but size doesn’t matter as long as they are all the same)

Gesso

Christmas scrapbook paper

Acrylic paint in silver, red and green

Matte Gel Medium

Glossy accents or Dimensional Magic

Craft knife

Distress ink pad in Antique Linen

Ranger crackle paint Clear Rock Candy

Ranger crackle paint White Picket Fence

Number stamps

Stazon Jet Black Ink Pad

TUTORIAL:

To finish, I painted the sides of the blocks green, and coated the wintery scene paper side with clear crackle paint to seal.

Make a Winter Tree

by Johnnie Collier

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Today, Amy from Plucking Daises is back to share with you this technique packed tutorial for a lovely, glittery winter tree decoration. You will learn several ways to create fun wintery decorations for little to no cost using recycled items and dollar store supplies. Warning: you will be headed to the dollar store after reading this post. I know I am.

Hi there! so happy to be back at Saved By Love Creations! Last time I was here I showed you how to make a mosaic flower-pot. Today I’m going to show you how to use that pot to create a festive holiday display. You can make this winter tree with some spray paint and a few items from the dollar store!

All you need is a tree branch from your back yard and some spray paint (Krylon Brilliant Silver)…or you can skip the paint and leave your branch au naturale!

*Be sure to pick a sturdy branch…brittle branches will break under the weight of the ornaments. (Gently pull down on the branches to test their durability.)

Now all you have to do is decorate! Creating a branch tree is a great way to use up those mismatched ornaments from your collection, vintage finds or other pretties you may discover in your travels that may not fit the decor of your big tree. Like these craft birds for example.

I can’t resist a craft bird, much less a pack of 2 craft birds for a buck! You can find cute clip on craft birds like these in the dollar section at Michael’s. If you have some vintage birds that aren’t looking their best check out this tutorial for re-feathering old birds. These tiny birds would get lost on a large tree but perching them on a nearly naked silver branch allows them to sparkle and shine!

I have a “Mieneke” approach when it comes to decking the halls. I wouldn’t “pay a lot for a muffler” and I certainly won’t pay a lot for ornaments. A quick trip to the dollar store does it for me!

I found these sparkling snowflakes in a pack of 6 for just a buck! Six seems to be the magic number with dollar store finds. Notice the silver blossoms, also found in a package of 6 in the bridal section at Dollar Tree.

Altering Dollar Store Snowflakes

The snowflakes were a bit too plain for my tree and most of the glitter fell off when I pulled them out of the package. Not to fear Ranger Ink is here! By using a wintery blend of alcohol inks, Elmers spray glue, and Martha Stewart glitter my snowflakes are new, improved and far from plain. Plus, I still have a bunch left over for other projects. Tie your snowflakes to your branches with Tinsel ribbon for an extra pop of holiday flare.

Create Floating Stars

To fill in the gaps among the branches I created floating stars strung on monofilament. These are easy to create with paper punches and mounting squares.

Punch stars from sheet music and card stock using a Marvy Star punch. *I used Core’dinations Couture Glitter and Shimmer card stock
Adhere monofilament to back of card stock star with a mounting square.
Add Distress Ink (Tumbled Glass) to edges of sheet music star and adhere to top of mounting square.
Embelish with rhinestones, snowflake punches, and crystals with Glossy Accents.
Attach monofilament to branch with a drop of hot glue

Creating Faux Snow

To “plant” your tree simply stuff your pot with floral foam (also available at the dollar store). Create snow by filling the top of the pot with cotton batting. In a pinch you can use bubble wrap painted white.

Give your batting or bubble wrap the look of freshly fallen snow by misting it with spray glue and sprinkling it with a variety of glitter. I used a variety pack of Martha Stewart Glitter for a range of sparkle and shine.

A tree like this can be displayed all winter long even after the holidays have come and gone. The mosaic pot (made with dollar store glass gems) can be used as a planter when warmer weather arrives. This particular pot is used to grow Sunflowers in spring time .

By using smaller pots and branches you can create a festive tree to give as a gift for Teachers, neighbors, and friends. No time to wait for mosaic adhesive to dry? No problem! Try Mod Podgeing wrapping paper to your pot and tie a ribbon around it. I’ve made many of these trees for teachers, family and friends. They make lovely gifts that won’t break the bank!

I hope you all have a warm and wonderful holiday season!

Amy*

Find me at Pluckingdaisies.com | Pinterest | Facebook | and Twitter for more creative ideas and tutorials.

DIY Paper Star Garland

by Johnnie Collier

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What is more beautiful than glittery, 3D paper star garland? I strung this above my fireplace, and it is mesmerizing. This is easy to create, especially with a die cutter, but can be done by hand with a template in no time too.

SUPPLIES:

Cardstock in white, glittery white and glittery silver

Tim Holtz Star Die

-OR-

This 3D Paper Star Template to cut by hand

Baker’s twine or other string

Embroidery needle

TUTORIAL:

Cut out stars and fold creases to create the 3D form

There are tabs on the back of the stars in the template above and in the die cut by Tim Holtz. You can make your star double sided by gluing 2 stars back to back at the tabs. I chose not to do this since my garland would be against a wall and you would only see one side.

String the needle with your thread and sew through the top point of each star (in one side of it and out the other. Continue until your garland is the length you want and hang with excess string at each end.

Z Gallerie Inspired Dollar Store Winter Wreath

by Johnnie Collier

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This wreath was inspired by the Z. Gallerie silver magnolia leaf wreath that I fell in love with, but not $70 in love with. More like “make my own version for $10” love, is what it was. I had the spray paint, primer, wreath form and ribbon on hand. I just needed leaves. Hmmm. I scoured my city for some magnolia trees, to no avail. I did find some leaves in my neighborhood with the same basic shape. I gathered up a pile, dipped them in beeswax and spray painted them silver. They look stunning, but I wanted a big wreath, and was not about to dip and spray that many leaves. You will see that technique in an upcoming post. For today’s tutorial, see how I primered and sprayed dollar store leaves to create my own Z. Gallerie inspired silver magnolia leaf wreath!

Supplies:

16 inch Styrofoam wreath form

10 bundles (5 leaves each) of big oblong leaves from Dollar Tree

White Primer

Silver Spray Paint

Wire Ribbon

TUTORIAL:

I left my leaves on the stem and splayed them out to spray them. Protect your work surface for over spray first!

Primer, let dry overnight, then spray with silver.

When that dries, cut leaves from bunch, leaving 1.5-2 inch stem to insert into wreath form.

I made 3 concentric rows of leaves around my wreath form. I stuck the leaf in perpendicular to the form, then bent it at 90°.

NO GLUE REQUIRED!

Add a bow and hang.

Here is the Z Gallerie inspiration:

I love my $10 version. What do you think? What is on your door this year?

Make an Aluminum Can Poinsettia Wreath

by Johnnie Collier

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Last week, I showed you this paper poinsettia wreath tutorial using a Sizzix flower petal die and card stock. I decided to use the same die to create this aluminum can poinsettia wreath. The “wreath form” is a stove top piece I picked up at my local Habitat for Humanity Restore, making this an all around eco-friendly holiday decoration. Total project cost – about $1.

My Aluminum can rose video shows you how to cut the cans. Be careful – they can be sharp when cut.

For creating the flowers using the die or template (provide in the following linked post), see the paper poinsettia wreath tutorial:

I use alcohol inks to color my poinsettia petala , like I showed you in my aluminum can leaf wreath tutorial. To give each one some variation, I went over the petals with copic markers. For the leaves, I used Martha Stewart Glitter paint. I sealed my leaves with Mod Podge Pearl Spray Sealer. I love the look of this sealer with the alcohol ink.

How to Make A #Christmas #Wreath from #Recycled Cans #Upcycle #DIY @savedbyloves #Sizzix

To adhere the flowers to the circle stove part, I use Beacon Fabri-Tac. This stuff rocks. It is like hot glue in a bottle. Dries strong and fast.

I finished the wreath off with a silver wire ribbon bow. I love it against our off white door. It was going to be a gift, but it just can’t leave that spot. Sometimes that happens, right?!Like aluminum can Christmas decor? Check out our aluminum can angels:

Make Birchwood Candle Holders

by Johnnie Collier

Need an inexpensive, quick handmade gift or home decor accessory? This birch wood candle holder DIY from Oleander and Palm is the answer. Bring the outdoors in for eco-chic decorating for little to no cost.

Want more craft ideas from things you find outside? Visit our 50+ nature craft collection:

Make a Paper Poinsettia Wreath

by Johnnie Collier

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It doesn’t get much more Christmas than poinsettias, right? My grandmother has loved this flower since she was a young girl. She gets sad when they die, so I thought a paper poinsettia wreath would be just the Christmas gift for her this year. I made this in about 2.5 hours using the Sizzix Originals poinsettia die. You could go for the Sizzix Tim Holtz Poinsettia Die if you prefer layers over individual petals (guess what I just ordered). You could also use a different die cut machine, or heaven forbid, cut the leaves out by hand from a free poinsettia petal template like this one, used to create the flower below. The look is beautiful. No die machine necessary!

I love the red and green vellum!

However you get your petals, see how to assemble and shape them, then finish the wreath with me. This will bring classic beauty to your holiday decor.

You can use any paper you want, but I prefer Kraft Core by Coordinations. This stuff is by far my favorite flower paper. You can fold, wrinkle, crease, sand and beat it down, and it comes through beautifully. I like to ink the edges of my flowers with Kraft Core by Coordinations and the blending tool.

TUTORIAL

For the center of the flower, I used yellow seed beads, super duper tiny ones. To glue them in place, I put a few dots of Mod Podge Jewel Glue. I love this because it dries clear, grabs fast, and comes in a container that has a twisty lid and doesn’t clog. This is key. If you are using another glue that clogs, like… all of the time, and you squeeze impatiently over the center of your flower, the entire glossy bottle contents may just ooze out all over your precious paper masterpiece. Ask me how I know #CanYouFindTheGlossyPoinsettia. This is another testament to Kraft Core. I literally washed – under the faucet, with soap – my paper flower, determined to save it. Once I got off as much of the glossy accident that I could, I took my heat tool to my soggy poinsetta, reshaped it, and it is good to go. Amazing.

DIY Felt Wreath for $1

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

DIY Geometric Paper Ornaments + Template

DIY Holly Jolly Christmas Decor

Supplies:

TUTORIAL:

Make Advent Calendar Blocks

To make your very own advent block calendar, you will need:

TUTORIAL:

Make a Winter Tree

Altering Dollar Store Snowflakes

Create Floating Stars

Creating Faux Snow

Find me at Pluckingdaisies.com | Pinterest | Facebook | and Twitter for more creative ideas and tutorials.

DIY Paper Star Garland

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

Z Gallerie Inspired Dollar Store Winter Wreath

Supplies:

TUTORIAL:

Make an Aluminum Can Poinsettia Wreath

Make Birchwood Candle Holders

Make a Paper Poinsettia Wreath

TUTORIAL

Meet Johnnie

Categories

Recent Printables

50+ Roundups

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

Supplies:

TUTORIAL:

To make your very own advent block calendar, you will need:

TUTORIAL:

Altering Dollar Store Snowflakes

Create Floating Stars

Creating Faux Snow

Find me at Pluckingdaisies.com | Pinterest | Facebook | and Twitter for more creative ideas and tutorials.

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

Supplies:

TUTORIAL:

TUTORIAL

Meet Johnnie

Categories

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