Paper Wreath – tutorial

It wasn’t beginning to look like Christmas at the Seither House. I had seen pictures posted on Facebook of decorated trees and lights glowing from greenery draped banisters,but the Christmas totes of our decorations were still in a small shed. Every time our kids mentioned getting a tree, I felt my inner Grinch start to grumble, something that really is uncharacteristic for me. There was just something buried deep in Mount GRUMPet. Christmas sometimes is a bummer, especially if it is a reminder of pain, loss, or disappointment.

We used to cut down a huge 18 foot tree every year when we lived at Pine Lodge, now we pick a small one from Home Depot. In our last move, most of our ornaments and the stockings I made were ruined. Sometimes, Christmas doesn’t feel like the songs of joy and Winter Wonderland experience seen on the front of Target ads or postcards.

Change happens whether we want it to or not. Maybe this has been a year of change for you. A year of unexpected loss, a yearly reminder that things will never be the same, or that there are no magical ruby red slippers to click together in hope of going home.

But, things can change for the better. A new year can breathe fresh perspective in your life and this year has definitely been a year of hope, joy and lots of love.

This year, Amy and I decided to make a new wreath. Something simple. Repurposed. Something we created and laughed over while trying to avoid being singed by the hot glue gun while working together. Jack made an awesome playlist of Christmas music to listen to while we spent the afternoon crafting and decorating. We changed pillow covers, and swapped out the big picture of our family, silhouetted against an ocean sunset, to one of Amy, catching snowflakes on her tongue when she was younger.  We set up the nativity scene and strung lights where we had never had them before. It wasn’t the same as when we lived in Pine Lodge.. but something felt good. It felt like Christmas. 

When all of our family comes over, we will make new memories. We will share new stories. Next year, when we hang up the wreath we made for the hearth, we will remind ourselves that Christmas is something bigger and more meaningful that what we could ever put in a tote or on a tree. It is something precious and worthy of making room in our hearts for.

We used an old Hymnal to make the wreath, but you can use whatever book you happen to have on hand, or go to the Goodwill and for 50 cents buy one you don’t mind taking apart. We looked at a lot of Pinterest tutorials on how to make a paper wreath and they were all a bit different, so this is what we came up with-disclosure- there is NO right way to do this, so get creative. It’s paper, for Heaven’s sake! If it turns out badly, toss it out and start over!

Supplies

Book or paper rectangles.  ~ Roll into a cone and put a dot of glue on the corner to hold. If you are doing this craft with little kids, you might want to use glue dots or double stick tape.

A round circle of cardboard.   ~ We used a 12 inch cake cardboard we had on hand because of making gingerbread houses a few weeks earlier. We drew a circle on the inside to help us keep track of staying even.

Hot glue gun and glue sticks.

A wire hanger or something that you can add to the back to hang your wreath on.

Bow, small ornaments, or whatever you have on hand.  ~ We saw some wreaths with a fabric fan in the middle, but a bow added the color we needed so we went with it.

Like I mentioned, we didn’t find just one tutorial, we found a lot; but since each paper is different and the size of your cones are going to be different, you will have to adjust, just make sure you get a good glue bead down and then attach the already rolled and sealed cones. Once you have the first layer of paper cones down, decide where you want the second and perhaps the third layer. This is YOUR project!  We used a spool of thread to make our small inside circle. We put a blob of glue on the tip of the cone and then a line and carefully pushed it onto place.

We added a bow to the center to hide the raw edges, but you can cut the center out if you want! Then, put a hanger on the back. ENJOY!

What a fun and inexpensive gift for the music lovers in your family, or just to help set the mood for your Christmas.

May you find the room in your heart to celebrate what really matters this season!

May the hymns of old resonate deeply this Christmas.

Oh Come let us adore Him….