check out this wreath!

my friend corey designed and created some wreaths out of vintage straw trivets. i had to ask her more about them when i saw the photos… 

what inspired you to make these?

You, Ana, inspired me to make these when you posted about the trivets you found at a thrift store and used to make a mat for your kitchen. {ana: sorry to interrupt…seriously, i did not ask this so i could bask in the glory of being mentioned. but i’ll bask and bask, thanks corey! :) here’s that trivet project if you missed it. alright, carry on…} I decided that those trivets would go on my mental list of things to look for when I’m out and about. Months later, in a single day of yard sales, I found a stack of them for $1 and a package of 3 new stick wreaths also for $1. I knew immediately what they would become.

where did you find the different pieces for the wreaths?

I like to be thrifty so I find stuff in a number of places like: thrift stores (the birds), yard sales (wreath blanks, trivets, ribbon, twine, hot glue sticks, yarn, fall foliage, glass bauble ornaments) – you know sometimes you pay $1 for a whole box of junk and you find that one piece of treasure in the bramble, end of season sales (pumpkins were 90% off, the angels were 50% off), by taking apart old things (the button that centers the second trivet on the fall wreath) and, as in the case of the pine cones, picking things up off the ground. The corn came from my own garden. The red berries I got at a discount at my local variety store. Some of the berries had been damaged so I used the little bit left from each length to replace the wonky ones.

any tips for making these yourself? or is that top secret?

Ha, ha, no secret. Twine, glue and lots of fun things to choose from to use in the making. I make sure I have a de-cluttered workspace to start so I can spread everything out, make it all visible, and then I pick and choose, rearrange and rearrange some more until it comes together. I never have a solid plan, though. It comes together as it is created. I leave room for artistic license because it is after all art as well as crafts.

anything else?

If you are making this for your own home be aware of the jamb depth between screen/storm doors and the main door to make sure both doors will close with the wreath in between. Don’t ask how I know this but let’s just say those pumkins are kinda plump. My sister solves this problem by hanging her wreaths on the inside of her doors. If I had a vestibule because that’s where I would hang mine.

what the trivet is a vestibule?

Vestibule = Mudroom. ;)

oh i want one of those.

thanks so much corey! when i posted my original trivet project, i had a lot of inquiries about where i found the trivets. i have found them in the local thrift stores, but i recently searched for some online and was surprised at how much some of them go for! if you’d like your own vintage straw trivets but haven’t been able to find them locally, i am giving away a set of two to one lucky person. just leave a comment if you’d like them, and i’ll randomly choose and announce a winner next week. 

merry merry!

update december 20th: this contest is now closed. winner to be announced.