How To Make a Valentine's Day Wreath, A Tutorial

Love is in the air! And I can't get enough of Valentine's Day Decor!! So today I bring you a fun and easy 
Valentine's Day, fabric wreath. I made another wreath similar to today's project out of old, denim jeans if you want to see that project you can click here: Diminishing the Denim Pile, Wreath

I love the challenge of trying to make something using what you already have lying around or buying minimal supplies. So today's project challenge was to see if I could re-create a wreath like the denim one I made, but using only 1 yard of fabric. Because good quality, designer quilting fabric costs around $10/yd retail, I wanted you to be able to make one using just one yard of fabric! And I was able to do it!! Below is how I did it.

To make one of these you will need:
Fabric of your choice, 1 yard at least 42" wide (you can look on the bolt to see if it's wide enough, most fabrics are around 45" wide)
Foam Wreath (I got one at Walmart in the floral dept.)
Ribbon
Mosaic Mirror Tiles
Glue Gun
Card stock Paper
Sewing Machine or Serger
Thread
Scissors/Pins
Measuring Device (I used a measuring tape)

Directions:
When I made the Jean Wreath, I made it out of 2 pant legs so I measured them together and got a length of 93". So that's about how long I wanted this fabric tube to make the wreath to end up. I measured the width of the Jean Wreath, that tube was 9" wide. But, my fabric would not allow me to do that wide without using more than 1 yd. So I improvised! (You could certainly make a wider, more full wreath if you widened the strips, but you would use more fabric.) My fabric measured 21" wide (folded) and 36" long. I wanted to get 3 pieces or stripes out of it (to make it the length I wanted) I divided 21 (my fabric width) by 3 (number of strips I wanted) and I got 7, so I made each strip 7" wide. (Again, each strip is 36" long) So I cut the fabric ( while folded) into 3 strips that were 7" wide by 36" long. One of the strips has the fabric fold and the other two (which are doubled) do not.

Here are the 3 strips cut. (These are doubled, so there is one on the back of what you see)

So next you will need to sew the strips without the fold, together the long way. So take one cutting of strips (2 identical pieces of fabric) lay them on top of each other (right sides together) and sew them together along one of the long sides. I used my serger. Then repeat this on the other strip pieces.

Here I am laying the strips (without the fold) on top of each other right sides together before they are sewn. I pinned them in place also.

Here is one of the two strips without fold sewn together, using serger.

So now you have 3 strips of fabric. Open up the strip with fold. Lay one of the just sewn together strips on top of the folded strip, right sides together and sew them together (short ends) so they are end to end, creating one long strip. And repeat this step using the other strip you sewed together at first so all 3 are now one long strip.

Here I have laid the strips I have just sewn together onto the strip with the fold, right sides together ,and pinned the ends together. I will now sew a seam with serger to join the strips end to end.

 Now you should have them all sewn together in one long strip! I used my serger to finish the raw edges on both ends (short ends.)

Here is that long strip I was talking about. It is all 3 strips sewn together, end to end.

Here shows the serged edges of the ends. This way they won't fray with time.

And now fold your long strip in half the long way, right sides together. And sew along the entire long edge. This makes the strip into a tube. Then turn the tube right sides out, trim the threads and you are ready to put the fabric tube onto the foam wreath!

To thread the fabric tube onto the foam wreath you must cut through the foam. I used a knife and made one cut all the way through the wreath. Then gently pull it apart to thread the fabric onto it. Pull one part of the wreath forward and one part back, not putting pressure on the ring or it will break apart. (If it does snap, you can tape it back together and no worries!) To thread, I felt it was easier to have the foam facing up and fabric coming on from bottom. Gently work the fabric onto the foam and slide it all the way around the circle until it's covered. Then even out the gathering to please your eye.

Here I am just starting to put the fabric onto the foam. I am gently pulling the bottom part of the foam towards me while threading the fabric onto the foam from the back. 

Here the fabric is all on the foam. 

Here I have folded one of the serged edges to the inside and then I will stick the other (not folded over edge) inside the folded edge.

Here is what the edges look like one inside the other.

The finished fabric wreath, not to embellish!

To embellish:
To make the wreath more of a Valentine's Theme, I made a heart out of the Mosaic Mirror Tiles. To do this I used a piece of card stock paper for my base. I pieced a heart shape together out of the tiles and then glued them into place on the card stock, using hot glue.

I love these Mosaic Mirror Tiles, I have a thing for shiny!!

Here I have my card stock and my planned out heart, not glued on yet. If you look you can see how shiny and reflective these little tiles are! (See my iphone?!)

Once I had the heart how I wanted, I glued the tiles in place with my hot glue gun. One tile by one.

Then I cut off the excess card stock paper that was around the mirror heart. And I traced the heart to make another heart out of card stock paper for the back.

Cutting off the excess card stock around the tile heart.

Traced the heart, cut it out. 

Here is the shiny, finished heart! Isn't she purdy?!

And now you need the ribbon, make a loop around the wreath and then put the ends together at the bottom. (The length of ribbon is up to you, I just made it so the heart hung in the middle of the wreath) 

This is the ribbon from which the tile heart hangs. You just want to adjust the ribbon length so it hangs in the middle of your wreath.

Glued the ends together.

Then you will glue the ribbon ends to the back heart. Then glue the mirror heart on top. So that the ribbon ends are sandwiched in between the mirror and card stock (back heart.) Now I used another ribbon to loop through the heart ribbon and then wrap around the top of the wreath, to hang it and made a bow. So now the heart ribbon is hanging from the bow ribbon.

Glued the ribbon to the card stock heart we traced for the back. Then put hot glue all over this heart/ribbon area and placed the tiled heart on top.

Here she is all finished and hanging! 

This was a fun, one yard of fabric project! Hope you enjoyed it!! Have a "Fancy Day!"