Ornament Wreath how not to, and how to

So, every year for like the past three years, I walk by the lush, pretty color coordinated ornament wreaths in cute antique stores and home decor shops. And sigh, because there is no way I"m paying $65 for a wreath. No way.

So this year, I'm embracing my craftiness and trying to do a lot of homemade things. And I decided to make my own ornament wreath.

So, I bought ornaments. And ribbon. And found a piece of foam core leftover from design school (Thanks Mom!)

I found a round platter that was a nice large size. And traced it on my foamcore. Found a pedestal that seemed the right size for the inner circle, and traced it too.

Cut it out with a very un-sharp exacto knife. It had lots of jaggedy edges, so I sanded it smooth.

And started gluing my ornaments on.

And it totally looked like crapola.

Got frustrated.  Tore everything off. Used a different, thicker sheet of foamcore. And changed the blade in the knife. Started over. Hated that you could still see the foamcore.

So, in desperation, I actually READ the tutorials all over blogville. I know, amazing concept. When all else fails, read the directions.

And I found this post from Better Homes and Gardens.

So, off to Joann I go. Bought my foam wreath.

And I glued them like shown in this post.

Starting with the inner circle, then the outer circle.

And then just add ornaments on top until you can't see any of the wreath form anymore.

I used hot glue and held them until set.  Use a lot of glue.

Once done, I  realized it's way too deep to fit between my front door and storm door. So I added it to my mantle instead.

I then decided to make a burlap and tulle wreath for my front door. Post on that coming soon! You can see the picture here.

Christmas decor home tour

If you know me, you know I'm late for everything. So as usual, I'm late to the party for showing off my holiday decor.


But I thought I'd share my holiday decor with you, better late than never.

Since I'm having trouble getting into the spirit, I'm light on decor this year.  Hopefully I will get inspired and put some more stuff out in the next week.

Linked to:

Shel's Christmas House

Mom's friend Shel bought this old Victorian. It was in really really rough shape. Apparently it was more of a birdhouse for pigeons than a real house. But Shel likes a challenge, so she and her hubby bought this place.

And proceeded to renovate and restore the whole thing. Took it down to the studs and all.

Well, now the project is finished. So they've opened their home up to the annual historic home Christmas tour.

Mom and I were in charge of decorating. Mom did most of the work I have to say.

Sunday was the big day, and here are pictures for you to enjoy.

These lanterns were on the pillars at the end of the driveway.

 The house all lit up.

 This cozy spot on the front porch invites you to sit and watch what's going on in the neighborhood.

The hall tree in the entry

To your right from the front door is the parlor

Across the hall is the study

Beyond the parlor is the formal dining room

Taking the stairs to the second level

 The china cabinets were decorated for the season with hydrangea trees, garland, and lace.

This sitting area at the top of the stairs is so darling.

The Gentleman's Study upstairs with the "family tree"

Showcasing Christmas books from when the children were little

 And ornaments they made growing up.

This upstairs bedroom features an antique hand-turned bedset

 And the beautiful restore mantle with summer cover on the fireplace.

 This looks like my grandmother just stepped out of the room.

The grandchildren's room

And this final display in the kitchen speaks to the essence of next year's project: The Gentleman's farm

I hope you enjoyed touring Shel's Christmas house as much as I did.