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Sunday, September 11, 2011

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA-- AUTUMN WREATH


Is there a specific craft you’d like directions for? Or maybe you have some craft supplies you’d like to incorporate into a project? Let us know. That’s what reader Liz V. did. Last week she mentioned that she now had pinecones galore, thanks to Hurricane Irene, and wondered if I could give her directions for making a pinecone wreath. Well, here it is. Hope you like it, Liz!

AUTUMN WREATH

Materials:
12” grapevine wreath

assorted autumn colored silk leaves

five 4” - 5” pinecones

six 2” craft pumpkins

glue gun and glue sticks

wire for hanging

1. Glue silk leaves in five groups of 2 and 3 leaves spaced around grapevine wreath.

2. Glue a pinecone between each leaf grouping.

3. Glue pumpkins between pinecones.

4. Glue several more leaves in-between and on top of pincones.

5. Cut a small piece of wire. Insert into grapevine wreath and twist to make hanging loop.

3 comments:

Liz V. said...

Perfect. Thank you so much.

Cathy Shouse said...

This is a lovely wreath. I'm impressed with how this happened, created from a suggestion. I have a challenge and would love suggestions from a crafty person. It's a bit different and may not be what you are looking for as an idea.

I have two children five years apart in age and their elementary art teacher has them do fairly extensive artwork. It's mostly pictures using various art techniques, (pencil drawing of a face, undersea water color, etc.) but they are odd sizes. (one has been round). Pre-recession, I had Hobby Lobby (during a framing sale) separately frame 4 or five pieces of the older one's art using the same color mat and displayed them in a group over our bed.

Now, I can't afford that cost, and I don't have a real good place to put my younger one's art work, other than maybe a hallway. Any affordable ideas on how to display it? Any Really Simple craft frame possibilities? It bothers me I haven't treated both their art work in a special way.

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

Cathy, one inexpensive way would be to ask a framer to dry mount the art work on foam core board for you. Because foam core board is so light yet sturdy, you can then add an adhesive picture hanger to the back and hang it on a wall without a frame. I used to do this for posters my kids wanted to hang in their rooms.

For odd sizes that you want to frame behind glass, most art and craft supply stores sell DIY packages of picture frame molding in various sizes. They come 2 per package, so if the artwork is 8" x 14", for example, you'd buy one 8" package and one 14" package. All the hardware is included, and they're easy to assemble.

For round artwork, there's nothing wrong with framing it in a square frame. If you can't buy a standard sized one, buy two packages of frame molding in the correct size.

You may also want to think outside the box a bit. Why not use your color printer to copy the artwork onto fabric and sew into a pillow, throw, or wall hanging? You can find fabric for color printers at most craft and office supply stores.