Christmas Ornament Wreath Tutorial

So, I decided to start with this one since I took pictures as I was making it. Sadly, our external hard drive (where all the pictures are stored) is having some technical difficulties, so all I could find were the ones I had saved in a different location.
Before I continue, I have to give credit where it is due. I did not come up with this idea! My good friend Chelsea told me about this project she was planning to do based on a wreath she had seen some Christmas past at Joann's. Thanks, Chelsea!


I've looked at a couple tutorials available online, and found some interesting ones. Here's a great one by Hazleruthe. And one with some neat embellishments by Elle's New England Kitchen. And yet another cool variation by Sharyn Carlson at Living Artfully. So, I'm just adding my own little twist! The biggest benefit I can see to the way I've done mine is that the ornaments are all the way around, so the front and back are both pretty. Since my front door has a window right smack in the middle, this was a plus for me since I mostly see the back of mine!

By Hazleruthe

Elle's New England Kitchen

Living Arfully

Here's what you need for this project:
1 wire hanger
1 or 2 strands of tinsel garland
About 50-60 medium sized "unbreakable" Christmas ornaments (I bought my "unbreakable" ornaments at our local department store, but I love the idea of recycling old balls from the thrift store)
Pliers
Hot glue gun and glue sticks

The first thing you'll want to do no matter what kind of ornaments you have is to hot glue the tops on so they won't pop off.

Once your ornaments are ready, you'll need to take apart your wire hanger and shape it into a circle. Use the pliers so you don't hurt your fingers! Also (this isn't in the picture) you'll want to bend the hook into a loop so its less visible and for easier hanging. Remember to leave the "twist" open, because you'll be twisting the hanger back together to close your wreath.




Next, string the balls onto the wire hanger in the order you want them. This can be tricky, so have some patience, and don't worry if you have to take them off and try again!


Once you get the balls on the way you want, you'll have to close the hanger back up. I went through this a couple times because I closed it and it needed another ball or 3, so I opened it back up and added some. No worries, just remember to use your pliers!

Now that your wreath closed up, you'll probably notice there are still some gaps. No problem! Take your tinsel garland, and start winding it around and between the balls "popping" it in the gaps so it stays. There's no right or wrong way, just put it where it looks best to you. You might go around the wreath more than once, and that's fine too.




You're all done! Wasn't that simple? Enjoy!
And, as usual, let me know if I missed something or if anything needs clarifying. I love feedback!