I’m not huge into Valentine’s Day. I like a little decor here and there, but I don’t really invest in it. Maybe when we have kids I’ll get more into it, but for now I like the pared down, post-Christmas look. After filling the house with Christmas decor, it’s nice to see some clean lines and decluttered space. Alas, I still need to take down my Christmas wreath and garland. The front door looks very blah without a wreath, but we are well past time to de-Christmas. I made a wreath in the Fall that didn’t get much hang-time that is perfect and not Valentines-y and it’s my husband’s favorite:
Rival Team Wreath
What you will need:
– Ribbon – 4 rolls, two colors for each team
– Wire wreath form
– Floral wire or twist ties
– piece of scrap wood or small chalkboard
– chalkboard paint
– chalk
- Start by tying one ribbon in a knot at the outside edge of a junction on the wire frame. Then, tie the end of your second color for this team at the same junction but the inside edge.
- Pick a color to start with (does not matter which). Pull a loop of ribbon through the first channel in the wire frame (the channel closest to the knot of this color), but not all the way through. Twist the end of the ribbon one or two times and pull another loop through the second channel. Twist the end one or two times and pull a third loop through the third channel. Stop. Put down this color.
- Pick up your second color. Your first color should have ended near this second color’s knot. Start a second row of loops at this end, going in the opposite direction ( channel 3, 2, 1) in the same fashion as the first row: twist, loop, twist, loop, twist, loop. By now you are swearing at your ribbon a little bit and confused as to what to do with the spool that keeps falling off of your work space and pissing you off as you try to concentrate. You can stop here for a minute and unwind your ends and chase after your spool.
- Now you are going to pick up your first color and start another row where your second color just finished. Repeat this process over and over until you get to your next junction. I fit about 6 rows per section. At the juction, you are going to tie down your ribbon ends so they stay in place. This is important. Right now if someone tugs on any ribbon end, the entire wreath will come undone. So take some floral wire or a twist tie or even some leftover string and loop it around your juction and your two ribbon ends and knot.
- Keep going with your rows and junction knotting until you get halfway around your wreath. Stop here and knot, no matter where it is (junction or not).
- Start your other side back at the beginning with your two new colors (for the opposite team). Repeat the exact same process on this side.
- After finishing my main colors, I went back and added in some novelty ribbon and accent ribbon – these you can just poke loops through from the back to pop out here and there. Also, at this stage you can fluff your loops a bit – tug and pull gently so that they have a little more volume and so some colors aren’t hidden.
- Drill two holes in your scrap wood for hanging. Paint your piece of scrap wood with chalkboard paint. Let dry per the directions for your paint. Note: alternatively you can grab a cheap little chalkboard instead, which you can find at any craft store or even the Target dollar bin.
- Write a little message on your chalkboard with chalk or chalk pen. Fasten to your wreath.
- I added a little football and a D-fence (get it? ha).
- Hang that sucker up. Have a glass of wine. You earned it. This wreath is not for the faint of heart – I swore like a sailor during this one and maybe cried. But once I got the hang of it, it was smooth sailing. Once you can get through the learning curve of the loops, twist, loops, etc you will be in the clear. Do and redo if you need to until you can get it.
Have fun! And please please ask me questions in the comments section if you are stuck!
Also, I’m the Pats fan…my husband has been in a permanent football depression for a long time. I kindly agreed not to put their season records on that chalkboard out of pitty. Poor guy. Go Pats!
Crafty Bridge 