Let's Make a Halloweeny Starburst Wreath

Halloween is less than 3 weeks away and my house is not looking Halloweeny enough! I thought I'd start to remedy that by making a nice big wreath for my front door. But when I finished it I liked it too much to stick on the door, so it's living in my studio now. I made it for free, using recycled materials and stuff I had already. I thought you might want to make one too.

You'll need: scissors, cardboard, paper bags, craft paint, and hot glue.

Step 1) Cut a circle out of a big cardboard box. Then cut another smaller circle out of the middle. It doesn't have to be perfect. I just eyeballed it, and stuck some little reinforcing bits on with hot glue over where the box bends.

Step 2) Paint it black.

Step 3) Cut out a whole bunch of strips of your paper-bag paper. You want them to be at least 4 inches wide, and long enough to cover your wreath circle. Again, they don't have to be perfect. This is crafty fun time, not math.

Step 4) Paint all your paper bits with craft paint in whatever colors you like. I needed about 60 paper bits for mine. Let them dry.

Step 5) Roll your paper bits into tubes. I used a roll of contact paper, but anything the right circumference will do; like a fat marker, or a dowel, or some rolled up magazine pages that have been taped shut. Roll halfway, add your hot glue, then finish rolling. Be careful not to get hot glue on your rolling thingy, it makes for all sorts of messiness.

Step 6) Repeat step five. A lot.

Step 7)  Using hot glue, glue your tubes directly across from each other on your wreath.

And again, across from each other. . .

. . .and again. . .

. . .and again. . .

. . .until you have it all filled up.

Then just glue a bit of yarn on the back to hang it up, and ta-dah!

This technique would work for any occasion, or just to add a burst of color to a boring wall.
I hope if you make one, you'll let me know.

thanks

To all of you who wrapped your cyber arms around me when I was sad, thank you! Thank you for your condolences, understanding, and sweetness. It helped. I'm feeling better now, and have crawled out from under my sadness only to discover that time has dressed the world in fiery Autumnal loveliness. So thank you too, glorious Autumn, for mending my dented heart.

Goodbye

Goodbye my sweet furry friend. My constant companion. My comfort. My steadfast, trustworthy, fuzz-faced, cookie-loving, second-hand, truest treasure in all the world. You were almost always a gentleman. Thank you for choosing me. I'm honored to have been your person.