Although the calendar says it is officially spring, it hasn't felt like it here. Temperatures have been below normal since we came back from vacation. However, there are buds on the trees and the tulips and daffodils are peeking up from the soil, so I know it's only a matter of time before spring arrives.
While waiting the weather to warm up, I thought I'd get in the mood by replacing the wreath on the front door with something more suitable for spring.
I found a really unique floral wreath online. It was crafted using a garden hose as the base, which gave it a fun, whimsical feel. I loved it... but not the price tag. It was just under $85.oo with S/H...ouch!
I decided I could make something similar for a fraction of the cost of the wreath I found online. However, before shopping for supplies, I went to Michael's Facebook page and found a coupon for 25% off your entire purchase. I printed it up and headed out the door.
As I approached the door at Michael's, I noticed a bin outside with silk floral bushes for $4.19 each. I like to use floral bushes whenever I do floral crafts, because they really give you more bang for your buck. What's more, a designer already coordinated the colors in them, so they're a great jumping off point for any project.
I remember hearing somewhere that yellow was a big color trend this spring, so I chose a floral bush with a yellow and white color scheme. I found one that had some silk butterfly detail on a couple of the stems. Once inside Michaels, I found some more floral bushes with yellow tulips, as well as some filler stems to add texture. I also grabbed a styrofoam wreath form, then headed over to the ribbon. There, I found a pretty yellow plaid ribbon to use for the bow.
After paying for my supplies using the 25% off coupon, I did a happy dance as I walked out with everything for $16.52! After leaving Michael's, I headed across the street to Home Depot for a 15-foot connector garden hose. I found a bright green one for just under $7.00.
Once I was home, I remembered I had a couple of silk forsythia bushes left over from another project in my craft closet, so I headed upstairs to retrieve them. I also found some spiky greenery picks in there, which I thought would add some additional texture. I grabbed all the supplies, including a pair of wire cutters, then headed for the kitchen table to have some fun.
I removed the packing from the garden hose and arranged it to my liking, using the wreath form as a guide for the size. I saved the strapping from the packing to use to attach the wreath form to the hose.
I then cut the wreath form in half and attached it with the strapping.
After cutting each stem from the floral bushes with wire cutters and poking holes into the form with my scissors, I began arranging the forsythia branches toward the back of the form.
I continued adding flowers and the fillers until I was pleased with their placement. I saved the two stems with the butterflies to add at the top near the bow.
I left a blank space in the center, then made a large, loopy bow with the ribbon. I attached the bow with floral wire and snipped the ends at an angle with scissors.
How to Make the Bow
Begin by making a loop with the ribbon, leaving the tail the desired length. The larger the starting loop, the bigger the bow will be. Continue making loops, twisting the ribbon in the center, so that the right side is always facing upward. Be sure to make the loops uniform in size. Tightly secure the center of the bow with a long piece of floral wire, so you’ll have enough to secure the bow to the wreath. Fan out the loops, gently tugging on them until the bow looks full.
This closeup shows the butterfly detail on the flowers.
I hung the wreath on the front door, where it welcomes guests with a breath of spring. And, at just under $24.00, unlike the wreath I saw online, it was well within my budget.
I heard on the weather forecast we're supposed to get a bit of snow tomorrow morning. However, it is supposed to warm up into the low 60's on Tuesday...yippee!!
Happy spring!
is about 50% lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid considered responsible for many of its health benefits. (The only other abundant source of lauricacid found in nature is in human breast milk.) Lauric acid has been shown to have antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal properties which have been recognized by researchers for over 40 years.
