Easy DIY Mini Wreath | Made From Upcycled Sweaters

mini Christmas wreath

I hope you’ve been saving your felted wool sweater scraps! This adorable mini wreath is so fun and easy to make. It’s a project that even the little ones can handle.

mini Christmas wreath doorknob

You can hang this mini wreath on the Christmas tree, on a doorknob, or attach one to a wrapped gift. These Christmas wreaths can be made any size! This particular wreath measures about 4 ½ across when finished.

mini Christmas wreath tree

I have a video tutorial for those of you that are visual learners.

Mini Wreath Materials & Items Needed

Sweater scraps of all colors cut into small pieces (size depends on how big or small you want the wreath to be)

mini Christmas wreath rotary cutter

Mini Wreath Instructions:

Cut fabric into small pieces, approximately 1-1 ½ inches for the mini wreath. Don’t worry about making them uniform in size or shape. Just cut them all in the approximate same size. I really like using a rotary cutter and mat, but scissors will do just fine. BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET YOUR FINGERS IF USING A ROTARY CUTTER!

Once you have a bunch of different colors cut out, place them in a bowl or container and find a comfortable seat. This is a fun project to sit around the table with friends and family and chat while making a mni wreath or you can cozy up with your scraps and watch a good movie.

mini Christmas wreath adding scraps

Take a wire and start threading the scraps onto the wire one at a time. There is no need to pre-cut the hole, just poke the end of the wire into the center of the scrap. Keep adding scraps until you have it to the desired size.

mini Christmas wreath twist wire

Once you have all your scraps loaded onto the wire, twist the ends together to make a circle. You can make a loop with the wire to hang it with, or you can clip the wire and add a ribbon to hang it with.

This mini wreath is a fun addition to a wrapped gift or given as a gift itself. A gift and decoration that is unique, charming, and EASY TO MAKE!

sweater scraps bin mini Christmas wreath

It’s pretty simple and straightforward. Gather your sweater scraps and get cutting.

I have a few bins full of sweater scraps. There are so many fun things you can make with even the smallest scraps of upcycled sweaters. Here are some other fun ideas.

Upcycled Sweater Hearts

How To Do Crazy Scrap Quilting USING YOUR Upcycled Sweater Scraps

Felted Wool Sweater Hearts Tutorial

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Connect:

Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Read More

DIY Recycled Magazine Christmas Tree

DIY magazine Christmas tree

If you want a simple, relaxing Christmas craft to make this holiday season, this DIY Recycled Magazine Christmas tree is a fun little project that even the kiddos can make.

I love the simplistic look of this tress. The variety of colors and text you get from the magazine pages add so much charm to your home and just make me smile. I also like the fact of recycling materials.

Magazine Christmas Tree Items & Materials Needed

Another plus for this project is you don’t need a lot of supplies and materials.

  • Magazines of all sizes can be used (my favorite size is the Reader’s Digest, and Prevention Magazine) It’s nice to have a variety of sizes sitting by each other.
  • Tinsel Pipe Cleanser (optional for star)

That’s it!

Play Video

Magazine Christmas Tree Instructions

Start with the first page of the magazine. Fold the top edge of the page over to line up with the binding edge. Make a crease with your fingers and fold the creased edge over again to line up with the binding edge.

Flip the folded page over to the left side. Take the pointed part of the page over so it lines up with the bottom of the magazine.

Gently push on the fold, which will pop the folded page open so you can stuff the pointed edge inside.

Go to the next page and repeat this process until you have folded all pages. Depending on how big the magazine issue is, it will take approximately 30 minutes to an hour.

 

This is a great little project to do while watching a good movie!

Most children can handle this project and will enjoy the process. It’s quite relaxing actually.

Once you have folded all the pages, REMOVE THE FRONT AND BACK COVER.     

Evenly space out the pages. Sometimes you will need to glue the front pages to the back page.

How to make a pipe cleaner star for the magazine Christmas tree

Fold the end of the pipe cleaner 1 inch from the end.

Fold it at 2 inches, and then four more times that size. (You should have 5 2-inch folds)

At the second fold, flip the ends to the left, then at the next fold, flip it to the right. Tuck the flipped section either under or over the wire you are crossing. 

Flip the next fold over to the left and under or over the wire.

Adjust the star points and twist the ends together at the bend to form a complete star.

These little stars can be placed at the top of the magazine tree by sticking the ends into the middle of all the points of the folded magazine.

Make more stars to hang on the tree or as you can see in the picture above, I have hung it on an ivy wreath.

Simple projects are the best. 

Grab a magazine, turn on a good movie, and cozy in and make a magazine Christmas tree!

OTHER CHRISTMAS CRAFTS YOU MAY ENJOY:

How to make a dried orange slice garland

How to make a Christmas Stocking

How to make an orange pomander

 

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Connect:

Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Read More

How to Make a Dried Orange Slice Garland and Ornaments

dried orange garland

The holidays are just around the corner, so let the crafting begin! One of my favorite Christmas crafts to make are dried orange slices. Their bright cheery color and aroma really add character and charm to your holiday home décor.

This is a fun little project that both adults and children can enjoy!

By the way………..your house will smell fabulous when you make these!

What do you do with slices of dried orange?

  • One of my favorite things to do with them is to make a garland, and that is what I will be showing you how to do in this post.
  • Make single Christmas tree ornaments.
  • Use them to embellish your gift wrapping.
  • Add them to a potpourri mix.
  • Hang them in a window.
  • Add them to a Christmas wreath.
Play Video

Items and things you’ll need

Cooking the oranges

1 -Preheat oven to 250°

2 -Slice oranges ¼ inch, crosswise. Discard small ends.

 

dried orange garland

3 -Blot with paper towel.

4 -Place on parchment covered cookie sheet.

5 -Place in preheated oven and cook for 3-4 hours. Flip oranges over half way through cooking time.

6 -Check periodically to make sure oranges are not overcooking and turning brown.

7 -Remove when almost dry and place on cooling rack to finish drying.

Making the garland

1- If using small twine, thread the yarn needle with the twine.

If not, just poke a hole into the orange with a nail or another small pointed object and insert twine.

2- Insert the needle just inside the rind from the back side.

Stick the needle back into the rind about an inch away from where threaded.  (Insert at 1:00 and exit at 11:00) Like on a clock.

Leave about a 12 inch tail for hanging.

3- Continue to thread until you achieve the desired garland length.

(Make sure to leave a little space between orange slices so they don’t overlap).

4- Make a knot with the leftover jute on both ends for hanging.

To make single Christmas tree ornaments

 

You can use these nifty pre-bent wire hangers or simply poke a hole in the orange and tie with a piece of jute or ribbon.

Doesn’t this just add some fun color to a Christmas tree!

Look how cute these single dried oranges look hanging in the window. They look like mini stained glass windows.

Let the holiday crafting begin! These also make cute Thanksgiving decorations. Perhaps some cute Thanksgiving dinner place setting decor?

Enjoy your holiday crafting.

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Connect:

Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Read More

Upcycled Sweater Mistletoe Tutorial

Upcycled sweater mistletoe

I love having greenery in my house in the winter and a cute little sprig of mistletoe with its contrasting white berries and a red ribbon hung above the door is a breath of fresh air to me, and a great way to get a few more of those heart felt kissaroos. Who couldn’t use a little more loven in your home? I am going to guide you through a quick and fun upcycled sweater mistletoe tutorial.

GET THE FREE PATTERN BY CLICKING THE LINK ABOVE.

So how did this plant’s association with Christmas and kissing come to be? It is an interesting story, and I will let you read about it here if you are interested.

As you know, I have a thing for upcycled felted wool sweaters, and my favorite color of sweaters is GREEN. Whenever I go to the second-hand store and find a sweater that is a good shade of green, I buy it and consider my day a success. Well, I have found another fun project to use my sweaters.

This is all you will need:

Get out your sweater scraps and find all the green pieces.

 

Cut out 5-7 leaves using different shades of green sweaters.

Cut out different lengths of leaves.

To apply floral wire to the leaf: set the wire in the middle of the leaf and straight down the center.

Using green thread, set you machine setting to a small zigzag stitch, and short length stitch. Sew from the tip of the wire down to the end of the leaf.

This is what it will look like.

Make about 5-7 leaves.

Using the floral tape, begin to wrap at the bottom of the leaf, catching a little of the fabric. Continue to wrap about 1/2 inch.

Add another leaf and wrap around both wires.

Add a spring of berries and wrap.

Continue to add leaves and berries spacing the way you want them to be. Then wrap down the stem a little further.

Cut most of the wires, but leave two

Make a little loop with the two wires. This is what you will use to hang your sprig.

Twist the wire and cut off the excess.

Wrap the ends well with the floral tape.

There you have it. Bend and shape the leaves to your liking.

Add a red ribbon and you are set.

Look how cute it looks hung above the doorway.

So, get out your green wool scraps and whip up a few sprigs for your home, or share some kissing attracting love with your friends and family.

These upcycled sweater mistletoe sprigs do make a great gift and a gift wrapping embellishment.

 

 

Christmas gifts

Here is a fun neighborhood gift idea that I did one year. I bought a bunch of yummy-smelling Mrs. Meyers dish soaps. The pine and the peppermint really do smell wonderful.

I attach a card made with the PDF below.  

You can download the FREE PDF HERE.

Have fun creating!

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Connect:

Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Read More