My Creative Blog:
Wreaths

You guys. Every once in a while one of my crazy ideas actually pans out and is awesome. I have to say, that in my opinion, this project is one of them. You know me, I'm a whole lot less modern than Monica when it comes to decor (and most things, come to think of it), so I surprised myself with how much I liked this wreath!! Without further ado, here's my little bit modern/little bit rustic Wood Slice Wreath:

I pretty much adore this wreath that I made from a tree that was knocked down during Hurricane Sandy a few weeks ago. We were fortunate to only have a few downed trees, but we still need to figure out what to do with all that wood! It was pretty much free, since I used materials I had on hand. That makes it even better in my opinion. Can I get an amen? You'll want to let your wood sit inside out of the elements to dry out for a while before beginning.

Here's how to make your own:

1. Cut a slice of wood from a tree trunk using a chainsaw. I'm pretty comfortable with most saws, but I stay away from chainsaws! My hubs cut a slice for me at about 2 inches thick. These pictures are a bit deceiving because the diameter of this wreath is about 1.5 feet, so it's pretty large!

(Wondering why everything looks so golden? No it's not Heaven, it's the nightime lighting in my garage. Please tell me I'm not the only one using power tools at 11 PM in the garage. My neighbors love me, as you can imagine.)

2. Using a large drill bit, drill a hole in the middle of the wood slice. This makes it easy for you to start cutting with a jigsaw.

3. Cut out the middle portion of the wood slice to create the wreath. I was lucky to have a piece of wood that had distinctive rings for me to use as a guide for the jigsaw. Make sure you have a long blade that is specifically designed to use on wood. This will make the job SO much easier! I'll be honest, this part was hard work! I had my husband hold the piece of wood to give me some resistance as I was cutting. We eventually had to switch jobs because it felt like my arms might just vibrate right off!

4. Sand the inside ring of the wood to even it out and to get rid of splinters. Easy peasy.

5. Tape off the top of your wreath and spraypaint the inside a fun color. This step is optional, but I wanted to give my rustic wreath a little bit of glam. I used Valspar Gold Metallic spray paint and did a couple of coats. Warning: because of it's circular shape and it's 2 inch depth, the paint will deflect right back at you! My gray nailpolish quickly became gold!

6. Add Self-Stick Foor Care pads to the back of your wreath to prevent scratching. This wreath probably weighs close to 10 lbs, and the last thing I want is for it to bang around in the wind and mark up my freshly painted front door. Adding pads creates a nice barrier between the wreath and the door!

7. Add your desired ribbon and step back to admire your work! Isn't she pretty? (Yes, it's a girl)

Look at those multi-colored rings! You just can't beat the beauty you find in nature.

My gold ribbon is just the right touch, don't you think?

And the gold interior ring is just subtle enough that it doesn't steal the show, but totally complements the tones in the rest of the wood.

If you want your wreath to last a long time, I recommend brushing a water-based polyurethane on all the surfaces to seal it. Because it's water-based, it won't change the color of the wood or cause it to yellow over time.

What do you think? Are you digging it like I am?

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Oh yeah, did you hear? We want YOUR Christmas cards!!

Please please send them to us because getting Christmas cards is one of the highlights of our lives. A bit dramatic, yes, but oh so true.
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Welcome to Day 2 of our mini-series on spicing up your front door for the holidays! Yesterday, Jess showed you how to make your own snowman wreath, and today I'm going to give you a super fast and really versatile (not to mention, it looks awesome!) way to change things up and get rid of those old, dated Christmas wreaths- c'mon, you know you have them. I like to call it the Anti-Wreath.

You may remember that last year, I made an Autumn Anti-wreath using some gilded pumpkins, orange ribbon and a frame that I spraypainted purple. (You can find the whole tutorial here)

I love it, but the purple frame just isn't cutting it for that Christmasy feel. Enter Anti-Wreath #2.

We debuted this baby yesterday on the morning show at Channel 69 News — you can see the whole segment here- Needless to say, we have a pretty fun time with Eve & Jaciel!

Anyhow, back to the Anit-wreath…it's going to make it's home on my front door as soon as I get back from London (the countdown is on!!)

The other thing you can do to dress up your door is to add vinyl words to it. This option is perfect for those of you who aren't ready to make a permanent change, because it can be removed when the season is over. The options are endless! We just got a Silhouette Cameo and are learning the ins and outs, but so far it's awesome.

I just picked a free font I liked (Janda Safe and Sound), typed in the"Be Merry" phrase and printed it out. The cutting is done for you, so all you have to do is peel the letters off the backing and adhere them to your door. Easy peasy!

If you don't have a Silhouette, no worries! Check out these other fun vinyl phrases I found on Etsy:

Willow Creek Signs

Mulberry Creek Well there it is, my second, successful Anti-Wreath! Do tell, are you a wreath lover or a hater like me?

Good morning! Monica and I spent some time at the Channel 69 News station this morning sharing some easy ideas to dress up your front door for the holidays (click here to see our Thanksgiving tablescape ideas from last year). We'll pop the video of the segment up on facebook sometime today or tomorrow, but for now, let's take a look at a super cute and fun way to welcome in the Christmas season! 

Ok, folks, this is one the kids will love. At least, my kids do! This adorable wreath is simple to put together, requires only a few materials, and makes such a big impact.  

Cute, right?! Most of you have probably seen something similar all over Pinterest, but I thought I'd break it down for you. First, I bought three cheap wreaths at Walmart in varying sizes. These are not high-quality wreaths, but they do the trick and cost a little under $20 total, which you just can't beat.

Before I assembled the snowman, I hit the wreaths with some white spraypaint which did two things: 1. It"winterizes" the wreaths, making it more snowman-like. 2. Hides the really fake looking greenery of the wreaths. (SCORE!)

Then, we collected some branches for the arms of the snowman. Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, we had loads to choose from, and my little guy was able to help. I love it when I can include the kids in my projects!

I assembled the materials I needed, which included the wreaths, scarves, two branches, a hat and some floral wire.

Cut about six inches of floral wire with your scissors. (See? Not rocket science, that's for sure.)

Wrap the wire around the bottom of the smallest wreath and the top of the the medium-sized wreath. (To make it nice and secure I wrapped the wire around twice.) Bring the ends together and twist them together and wrap once more around the wreaths. Do the same thing to largest wreath.

I had quite the audience. Oh, the pressure!

Wrap the scarf around the"neck" of the snowman and tie. Attach the arms to the wreath frame using the floral wire.

Hang your wreath on a door hanger and attach the hat to it with floral wire. My hat had a fabric tab that I was able to wrap the wire around. Stand back and take a look at all that cuteness!

Such a fun, whimsical look for your front door. 

These fake presents have made their rounds…they were used originally in our Christmas episode for The Nate Show and now make their debut on my front porch!

Oh hey there, Mr. Snowman. Come on in.

So, that's idea #1! We still have a few more to share this week, so stay tuned. Also, don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway we have going on!
What do you do to your front door to welcome the holidays?

Yesterday I showed you my summer porch makeover that included this cute rope wreath. I love wreaths of all kinds (even anti-wreaths). It's the first thing your guests will see when then enter your home, so it's the perfect opportunity to make an impression! You don't have to pay big bucks for a gorgeous wreath, either. I made this one for right around $10!

Isn't that super cute? Perfect for summer!

Here's what you'll need to make your own: -Wreath form, rubber hose or pool noodle -Multi-color braided rope -Natural-colored rope -Hot glue gun -Masking or painters tape -ribbon for hanging

Step 1: Cut your hose or pool noodle to size, if using. We are big fans of using what we have. Not only does this keep the cost down, but it's environmentally friendly, too! I found this hose laying in my basement and decided it would be perfect as a wreath. Don't be afraid to scout out your house to see if there is something you could use before going to buy a traditional wreath form.

Step 2: Attach the ends together to make a circle shape using tape.

Step 3: Place hot glue on the back of your wreath and begin wrapping with the first color rope. This project uses a lot of hot glue, so take extra caution not to burn yourself. You'd be surprised at how hot that glue can get!

Step 4. Wrap, wrap, glue, wrap, wrap. Repeat. In order to keep my rope secure with no gaps, I used hot glue every time the rope wrapped around two or three times. I actually counted how many wraps I did with each rope to keep a uniformed look. I wanted to make sure that both color ropes were used evenly.

That's it! I love the simplicity of this wreath and the way it gives a nod to nautical style without being over the top. It gives a pretty good glimpse at what my house is going to be like inside- simple, a little bit nautical and laid-back.

We love non-traditional wreaths and have made several others that match our style and were easy on our budgets!

Wood Slice Wreath

Outdoor Instagram Wreath
Dressing up your front door is so much fun, so go on and get crazy with your creative, wreath-loving self!