Holiday Card Wreath {Tutorial}

Every December, I curse the fact that we don't have a mantle.  I'd love to display so many things on it, from photos and items from nature to Christmas cards.  I've spent the last few years trying to figure out some place to display holiday cards, and was just plain worn out of them scattered all over the fridge.

While flipping through the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, I saw a cute card holder wreath made of clothespins and an embroidery hoop--2 things which I always have on hand.  I decided to fancy-up their version and make a cute and functional wreath for the many cards that fill our mailbox this holiday.

This wreath costs under 10 bucks, depending on what you have on hand.  Here's what you'll need:

• Holiday paper (scrapbooking or gift wrap)
• 12-16 clothespins
• 14" embroidery hoop (or larger)
• scissors 
• glue stick
• hot glue gun
• wide ribbon for hanging.

STEP ONE
Cut the paper to fit on top of the clothes pins, then put glue it to the clothes pin.

I used a 4 different colors, including blue. I tend to like bright colors rather than just the traditional green and red.

 The fastest gluer in the world hard at work

STEP TWO 

Once you've glued the paper onto the pins, arrange them how you'd like in a circle around your hoop.

You want to alternate them so that half of them have the pinching part (for lack of a better term) toward the center, and half are on the outside.  This will give you more space for your cards, so they're not all crowded together.

You may want to add your ribbon at this point, before gluing.  I snuck mine between the hoops and then tightened it back up.

 

I also used it to hide the metal tightener of the hoop.

 

STEP THREE
Hot glue the clothespins to the hoop.

You just need a little bit, otherwise you'll have glue dripping all over.

That's it!  Now just hang it and wait for all those cards to fill up your mailbox.  

 Cute, huh?  And it took less than an hour to make.

 

I added a few little felt ornaments I picked up at the craft store for $1.  You could certainly dress this up more, like adding a candy can ribbon effect by twisting a red ribbon around the hoop before hot gluing.  However, I like the simplicity of this wreath without too much stuff on it.

  

I'm awfully tempted to make 2 more and hang them in a vertical row.  We'll see how many cards we get this year--we just might need the extra room!