Striped Hydrangea Wreath

Fall is a great time of year to break out the wreaths and celebrate the turning leaves.  I have been wanting a new wreath for my front door for some time, and have been window shopping craft stores, Home Goods, Marshalls and even Etsy for months.  It got to the point that I knew exactly what I wanted in my head and the price I wanted to pay, but I couldn't get the two to marry.


So insert: Pinterest.  The savior of all that is crafty and creative!

I found this great DIY tutorial courtesy of V and Co, and modified it to be a striped version, perfect for multiple seasons.

The entire project (not including shopping time) took me less than 1 hour.

The entire project cost me about $48 - including floral stems which were 50% off at Michaels.


Supplies:
(1) 14 inch grapevine wreath (approx. $5)
(12) stems of silk Hydrangeas - 2 colors (approx. $5-7 each, normal price)
Wire Cutters
Glue Gun and Sticks

Directions:

1. Cut your stems to about 3 inches long with the wire cutters.

2.  Insert the stems into the wreath form by opening the form in the middle to create a hole.  Then push the stems through.  Create the pattern of stripes by rotating the white with the green.  Push the stems so there is a little crowding between the two stems.  You don't want gaps on your wreath.

3.  Once you have all the blooms on the wreath, take a step back and see if you have the colors where you want them.  I moved a few around for appeal.

4.  Take your glue gun and put a glob of glue around each stem of flowers on the top of the wreath while pulling the stem down to create tension.

I also add a few strips of glue to a few stems on the outside to pull some of the flowers outward.  I was mindful not to get glue on the flowers themselves.

5.  Flip the wreath over and add globs of glue to the stems on the backside.  This will ensure the stems stay put.

6.  After the glue has dried, take your wire cutters and trim the stems on the backside of your wreath, without disturbing the glue.

7.  Turn your wreath over and admire your handy work.  I hung mine on our front door with a burlap ribbon.  You can also embellish with floral picks or other colorful ribbons based on the season.  The simplicity allows for so many options!

What I love is how simple yet elegant this wreath looks, and even better, how easy it was to put together.  It was certainly worth the savings and it was a lot of fun working with my daughter on this.