Happy Home Harris Tweed Wreath - Home Decor Idea

Hi friends,

It's Elle from Empire of the Cat here with a home decor project for you. This is my first post for 2020 so Happy New Year!

For this project I am using one of the three wreath rings from this set.  In an earlier post last month I used the largest one to make a pom pom wreath, so now I am using the middle sized wreath to make this home decor project.

Firstly, give the edges a wipe down with a slightly damp cloth or paper to remove the residue left by laser cutting. I wanted to make this wreath look more like wood, so I used a woodgrain stencil and some texture paste and left it to dry.

I covered both sizes with the texture paste just in case I wanted to make two.

While this was drying I selected some fabrics from my stash.  For this wreath I wanted to use a combination of felt and Harris Tweed.

I used a couple of Sizzix dies to cut out flower and leaf shapes from the fabrics. If you don't have any dies like this, you could cut some basic flower shapes out by hand.

Some fabrics like this Harris Tweed creates lots of mess with tiny little fibers that get everywhere, so I keep one of these mini vacuums handy to clean up, especially on my die cutting plates and the dies themselves!

When you have a nice collection of flowers and leaves to use, and your texture paste is dry, it's time to move on to the next stage.

I painted the wreath shapes with a metallic brown paint and left them to dry.

These long leaf shapes are cut out of felt but they are very floppy, so because I wanted to be able to shape them as I wanted, I added some wire to them.

Using thin 24ga wire I hot glued it to one of the leaves, and then glued a second one on top to hide the wire. I repeated this twice more so I had three in total.

Next I used some thicker wire, 20ga and some pliers to create two words for my wreath, by bending them into shape.  If you have the right selection of pliers you can do this by hand or there are various jigs that make it easier for you.

I placed them over the wreath to check the size and placement and moved on to making the flowers.

For the layered flowers, make or buy some eyepins.  These are wire pins with an eye shaped loop on one the end, which will hold the bead in place.  Make the eye pin about 12cm/6inches long to allow for wrapping and securing in place, then thread on the bead, and then the layers of the poinsettia from small to large.

Keep making flowers this way until you have enough for your wreath.  I am only covering the bottom half with flowers so I made seven complete flowers, some from cream felt and the rest from Harris Tweed.

To hide all the wire and glue etc, cut out a backing piece from felt using the wreath shapes, remembering to use the smallest wreath shape to mark the centre cutout.

Start arranging the flowers and leaves on the wreath, looping the ends of the wires around and securing everything with hot glue.

I used some leftover felt pieces to tuck in around the wreath at various points - a bit like flower arranging! Then decide on the placement for your wire words and secure them in place and then adhere the felt backing piece onto the back.

Twist another piece of wire to act as a hook to hang the wreath and glue it onto the back of the wreath.  I also added a small bow at the top of the wreath just to give it more interest.  Rearrange and shape the long wired leaves into a position you like, I have one on each side of the wreath and one on the centre bottom.

Remember the smallest wreath shape?  Another option would be to use this extra shape and some of the leftover felt, to fill in the centre opening if you prefer it that way, and it might also make the wire words easier to see if you plan to hang it on a light coloured wall.

Here are both versions hanging on a white wall.

And now you have a sweet little fabric flower wreath to display all year round or it could also make a great housewarming gift.

I hope you enjoyed this home decor project and will try one for yourself.

Till next time,

Elle
Empire of the Cat


PROJECT RECIPE:
GSL Cuts - Wreath Rings WR001
Woodgrain Stencil
Paper Texture Paste
Brown Metallic Paint
Gold wire 20ga and 24ga
Red beads
From Stash: various fabric and felt scraps, ribbon, jewellery pliers, hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

January Disguises

January is a time for welcoming in the New Year with a Masquerade Party. Of course as introverts we prefer to spend the evening inside in our jammies and binge watching one of our favorite shows. For this project I borrowed a few “Glamorous Friends” adding them to a found picture frame. A funny story, my mom would leave the pictures that came with the picture frames and we’d have all these unknown but handsome and beautiful “relatives” around our house until they got replaced with actual pictures of us or our relations.

1.  Cut Apart masks and decide which ones you would like to use.

2.  Go through magazines and find pictures of people that will work best with your chosen masks.

 

3.  Map out how pictures will be placed into your picture frame.

4.  Cut pictures and patch quilt together securing with scotch tape.

5.  Measure and Cut so they all fit perfectly into picture frame.

 
 

6.  Emboss GSLC Masks of your choice with embossing powders you prefer.

 

7.  Set with heating tool.

8.  Add details with colored pencils.

9.  Now use the liquid pearls to add “gems’ to your chosen masks.

10.                Use UHU glue stick to “Glamorous Friends” you have discovered.

11.                Assemble in picture frame.

 Some Final Thoughts.

January is a time for putting back on our “masks” disguised as New Year Resolutions. So many people make promise to themselves that this will be the year that they will exercise more, drink less, eat healthy, get organized, be kinder, get that divorce, finally get married, the list goes on and on. I never make New year Resolutions as I fail at them every time. I will however try to live my best self and cling to the quote by Joey Adams, “May your Troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions.”

 

 

 

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Mask Set ATC Size, Magazine Pictures, Picture Frame, Scotch Tape, Scissors, UHU Gluestick, Embossing Powders-I Used a Selection of Metallics and Red, Wow-Embossing Pad, Heating Tool, Liquid Pearls, Colored Pencils,

I cannot wait to see your interpretation of this project. Share it on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Craft Group Page on Facebook. I would love to see what new creations you are working on!

Memories of Portugal

Happy Saturday everyone! My husband and I recently met a few friends in Portugal, somewhere we have never been before. We had a really great time eating, shopping, seeing the sights and more eating! While waiting for a food tour to start in Lisbon, we found ourselves in a section of town with lots of jewelry supply shops and I fell in love with the blue and white cabochons that are reminiscent of the gorgeous tiles that adorned so many buildings and brought some home to play with. Here is what I made as a reminder of our great time in Portugal.

This project started with a GSL Half Scale Arch Front Room Box, which very easily assembles using a bit of tacky glue.

 

I had two really pretty blue mosaic scrapbook papers in my stash and chose the larger print one for the facade of my little display. I have found the easiest way to paper around an opening in one of these pieces is to glue the paper to the chipboard then use an exacto knife to cut the opening. 

I chose the smaller blue mosaic paper for the back wall, a blue star print paper from Authentique Latest and Greatest for the ceiling and walls and a wood print from MME Necessities for the floor.

The display counter was made from a Bagatelle Box 1.5 by 4 inch which, once assembled was covered in a neutral gray paper from Tim Holtz. I glued five of the pretty Portuguese tile cabochons to the front of the box.

With the display counter in place, I glued on the front of the room box. 

To make a focal piece for the front of the display I decoupaged a blue and white rabbit image from a piece of tissue paper that was also brought back from our vacation. I chose a GSL Arliss Frame cut down to size a bit to fit this project. I traced the interior of the frame onto cardboard, cut that out, primed it with white acrylic paint then decoupaged the rabbit image onto the cardboard circle using Mod Podge.

One of the things we tasted on our food tour was a famous Portuguese egg tart known as pastel de nata. I made a few out of polymer clay, baked them off then browned the edges with pastel chalks.

I painted the custard onto the center of the tart shells then added a drop of Glossy Accents to give them a shiny finish.

There were tins of fish for sale everywhere (and I brought home my fair share)! I made a few by painting dollhouse brick edges with silver acrylic paint and gluing on printed images shrunk down to size. 

Here's the finished display. I also added some blue and white mini pottery and a porcelain bottle of port which is actually a king's cake feve.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Gypsy Soul Laser Items Used

Half Scale Arch Front Room Box

Bagatelle Box 1.5 by 4 inch

Arliss Frame

Other Items Used

Tacky glue

Mod Podge

Glossy Accents

Acrylic paint

Small and large blue mosaic scrapbook paper

Authentique Latest and Greatest scrapbook paper

MME Necessities Wood scrapbook paper

Tim Holtz gray and blue papers

Portuguese tile cabochons

Rabbit image

Polymer clay

Pastel chalk

Dollhouse bricks

Printed images

Miniature porcelain