Miniature Linen Wreath {and a few others, too}

Hi friends!

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! I don't know about you, but I am excited to see what 2011 will hold. I love the thought of another year and a fresh start. And maybe it's silly, but I always make New Year's resolutions. How about you?

Well now...Do you remember the linen wreath I made this past fall?

Well, as I was going just a little crazy making ornaments this Christmas, I thought it would be fun to try and make a miniature version of this...

{Miniature Linen Wreath}

Now, don't worry I haven't lost my marbles...I know it's not Christmas anymore. But I just had to show you this idea, because one thing so often leads to another...

{Miniature Wreath with Ticking}

{Miniature Felt Wreath}

I love miniature things. I just can't help it. And I'm thinking that these little wreaths could used any time of the year, not just as ornaments at Christmas time. :)

With the original linen wreath, I opened a wire coat hanger and formed a circle. I "poked" the linen strips though one end, and wove the linen onto the hanger. But I was curious if thick gauge wire would work. I found some at Michael's in their beading section...It is 12" gauge aluminum jewelry wire.

Now in the past year I have discovered many wonderful tools, but one of my favorite hand tools is the common awl. With a handle like a screwdriver, this tool has a sharp point that is perfect for making little holes in fabric. Any fabric. This makes fabric easy to slide onto handmade wire wreath forms, of whatever size you like...

{What you'll need}

Awl

Pliers

12" gauge jewelry wire

Fabric of choice

Glue Gun/glue sticks

Ribbon

Here is how I made my wreaths~

With a pair of pliers, I formed into about a circle, about three inches in diameter.

I cut the strips of felt about one inch wide...

And this is where the awl comes in...Make holes in the felt or other fabric with the awl, and try to make the holes about one inch apart. {You want the spaces between the holes to be the same as the width of the strips.}

Now just weave the fabric through the wire, accordion style, by way of the little holes the awl made.

Once it is nice and full all around, make a knot with your pliers.

I added a little bow to the front with my glue gun...I also tied a loop of rick rack onto the top of the wreath and slipped it between the folds of the felt, easy peasy. :)

And there you have it!

If you want a linen wreath, just follow these same instructions, but there are just two things I have to add. In the tutorial for the original linen wreath, I ripped the linen strips for extra fullness. However, for strips this small in width, I found the wreath looked way better if I cut them. Even if you cut them, linen or other cloth fabric will fray quite a bit. (Ticking frayed more than the linen.) I spent some time cutting away the strings, until I was happy with how they looked...

Okay, and here's a confession: I got further carried away with this wreath idea, and make a half-sized version of the large linen wreath, but with felt...again. The one below is eight inches in diameter~ hopefully hanging it on this shutter gives you a little perspective on it's size.

{Ruffled Felt Wreath}

It is eight inches total in diameter~ hopefully hanging it on this shutter gives you a little perspective on it's size. I think felt is such a warm and cozy fabric~ just perfect for winter. :)

You can use a thick gauge wire for this wreath as well, and it is extremely easy to work with. I do think though that if you are making anything larger than 10 inches, you would want to use a stronger wire, like a hanger, because at that point you want something that can support more weight. :) I made it the same way as the others, only the strips were 2-1/2 to 3 inches wide, and the wire circle that I began with was about six inches in diameter...

I am linking this to Freckled Laundry's "Air Your Laundry" party...If you haven't heard of this party, be sure to check it out! I love the theme, which is "Textiles" every Friday. So if you have a craft or project that includes cloth, be sure to head over and link it up to Jami's party! I always see some of the most beautiful things there...

I am also linking this to Tatertots and Jello's Weekend Wrap Up Party, Under the Table and Dreaming's Sunday Showcase Party,
and Sew Chatty. :)

Thank you so much for stopping by! :)

Have a beautiful night~

~Jenni