The EasiestCheapestFastest Wreath You Will Ever Make

Hello Friends!

It's been a while since I gave you some DIY projects to work on.  Admittedly, life sucks in the winter. I can't find motivation to do much when I leave for work in the dark and come home in the dark.  But Spring has sprung and I have returned to my cheap recreating ways!

Today I am showing you how to make this tulip wreath that was so fast and so easy, there's really only going to be a couple steps.  To give you an idea of how quickly this came together, I put eggs on the stove to boil, got the supplies out to make this and before the eggs were done, this wreath was hanging on my door!  If you can find a project easier than that, let me know! (I know you won't because there isn't one. )

 STEP 1:
Okay, to make this wreath you need exactly two things: a grape vine wreath and flowers.

 I got my wreath from Jo-Ann's with a coupon for about $2.00.  It's the smaller sized one that is $3.99 regular price.  It looks too small but once you get all the flowers on it, it appears much bigger.  Unless you live in Downton Abbey (see below), the small one should be sufficient.  (Picture my wreath on the door. PBS: feel free to follow this blog for more tips on improving Downton's decor on a dime.) Also, if you live in Downton Abbey, can I come visit?  Cousin Violet is my spirit animal.

 I got the tulips from Dollar Tree for...well, $1.00 a bunch.  For this project, I bought 6 bunches of tulips.  I wanted to get more than one color but my door happens to be dark red and even though Dollar Tree had the prettiest pink tulips, I was too afraid that spring pink and dark red would be a vomitous mix.   Note to self: Consider painting door this summer.  ANYWAY, 6 bunches of dollar store tulips will give you a really full wreath.  I've seen several examples of less full wreaths that are gorgeous.  Up to you how many you want to include.  If I were you, and I had a normal colored door, I would do a pretty combination like this one my mom and I made this weekend for her door:

  The dollar store tulips do look cheap up close, but don't worry about that.  Once you cram them in so closely together, it hides their imperfections and trust me, the UPS man are not going to inspect them.

On that note, if you are fancy like my mom, you can get your tulips from the craft store.  They will run you a couple dollars more a bunch but they do appear to be of a higher quality.  The stems are A LOT thicker than the dollar ones which makes it harder to do the next step, but not impossible.  My mom spent about $20 total on the wreath above.  Mine was about $8.00.  I like them both in different ways.  You decide what you want to do!

STEP 2:

Now, using wire cutters (really, walk out to the garage and get them.  This lazy person doesn't advise walking extra steps all that often so it really is necessary) to clip each stem apart from the bunch.  You can use kitchen shears in a pinch, but it's a lot harder and I noticed it was making little indents in my shears.  No good.  Use the wire cutters.  Your husband has some.

STEP 3:

Once you have your flowers cut apart, just begin shoving them into the wreath:

 Nope, no glue, no florist wire, just cram them in.  Try not to be a perfectionist here.  You want it to look natural, not uniform and lined up.  Stick the tulips in a single-file-ish line around the whole wreath and then go around it again to fill it in as opposed to trying to make it full as you go.  Does that make any sense?  I went around the whole wreath twice, then filled in the thinner spots with the remaining tulips.

If you're using more than one color, I suggest either throwing all the colors in a pile so that you're choosing them randomly or doing all one color first, then go around the wreath with the second color and then the third.  This will give you a more random look.  What you want to avoid is trying to alternate every other color or go in a predictable pattern.  In my humble opinion, this wreath looks better the more natural it is.  As if you picked up an armful of wildly growing tulips and wove them into a wreath (like you're in a fabric softener commercial).

And that's it!  The whole process should take you about 15-30 minutes.  If it's taking longer than that, you're trying too hard!

When you're ready, hang it on the door and take a step back.  There really isn't a "top" or a "bottom" but some parts may look fuller than others.  Turn it until you're happy and then you might have to make a few half-time adjustments by pulling some flowers from fuller parts and sticking them in a sparse area.  Again, the key here is not to stress.

DONE!

And now, please enjoy some witty comments from Cousin Violet of Downton Abbey and feel your life improve:

"Nothing succeeds quite like excess"

"Don't be so defeatist.  It's very middle class."

"What is a weekend?"

Cousin Isabel: "Can you ever just admit that you're wrong?"

Lady Grantham: "I can't say I'm familiar with the sensation."

Lady Grantham: "You are quite wonderful the way you see room for improvement wherever you look. I never knew such reforming zeal."
Mrs. Crawley: "I take that as a compliment."
Lady Grantham: "I must've said it wrong." 

Fin.