I’m not a big fan of the big, loopy florist bows.
You know the ones . . . the ones that when they’re stuck in a wreath, all you notice is them.
Those guys.
They’re show-stealers, yes, they are.
That, and we have a history, big loopy bows and me. It seems that everybody in creation – besides me – loves big loopy bows.
Brides want them on every single pew. Which meant me and white satin ribbon battled it out for quite some time until I could make a respectably wedding-y pew bow.
And then another. And then 18 more.
My fingers and wrists still aren’t talking to me.
So when Christmas season would roll around in the craft store and I’d unwittingly walk in for my afternoon shift to throngs of make-me-a-bow-now-people, my appendages screamed.
I’m not even kidding.
I’d try to talk customers out of bows, telling them how they’d steal the Wreath Show. Nope, she needed them for her stair railing.
I’d attempt to show them how they could save SO much more money if they just used snippets of ribbon, and get a beautiful effect too. Huh-uh.
No, it was never-ending, the line for custom-made bows in the craft store at Christmastime.
Now, though, it’s all different. My bow-making days are over (except for a video now and then).
I won’t say that I’ll never again make a florist bow (sshhh, don’t tell my fingers) but most of the time I don’t need them.
Like for these little dollar store wreaths. Nope, just a length of burlap ribbon and a swatch of turquoise. That’s all.
Buh-bye Show Stealers.
How To Make a Simple Dollar Store Wreath
Beef up the dollar store wreath with a little extra garland, adding strands to the outside of the wreath by twisting the wired fronds together.
Take one frond from the garland and one from the wreath and twist them together, shaping the garland to the circular wreath as you go.
You can add as much or as little additional garland as you want.
Add some fresh greenery. Anything works. I used cedar but you could add fresh pine, magnolia, boxwood or anything you have in your yard.
The organic foliage adds more color and texture to the monotone pine wreath.
At this point you could add ornaments or any other decorations you want.
Cut a snippet of ribbon, long enough to wrap around the wreath and hang it.
I added a glittered ornament and hung it with . . . yep, dollar store ribbon.
Clip the edges of ribbons together with a binder clip.
To hang the wreaths, I turned a small hook upside down, catching the binder clamp on the hook. This works well for hanging wreaths on anything with a backside, like my screens or a mirror or even a door.
Super simple and super fast.
No big floppy bows stealing the spotlight.
My fingers and wrists are most grateful.
Do you prefer simple decorations or more ornate? Or, are you like me and do a little of each?
Are you following along on the 12 Days Tour? It’s Day 2 and there are fabulous decorations to see! Get the entire Schedule here.
Colleen
This is a fabulous tutorial Colleen! I love the simplicity of it all. I would be inclined to add some twigs and berries to it as well and maybe a splash of sparkle. I’m like you, a little of both simple and fancy. I do love sparkle though. Thanks for sharing this great idea!
beautiful! And I’m not a bow person either.