Decorative Packaging

Invite friends and family in this season with a welcoming fun fall wreath. This is my favorite time of year when the days are cooler and humidity is down, Here is a great project to work on and be ready for those changing leaves and wonderful Fall season. This festive Fall Wreath with Mums is so simple to make that you’ll be finished in a short time. And this wreath is very easily adaptable to all fall parties and gatherings. By changing the colors and flowers, you can use this idea for any holiday or season all year.

Instructions  for Fall Wreath with chrysanthemum for a table or door.

You’ll need the following materials and tools:

-A 24″ to 36″ grapevine wreath (which you can buy or make yourself.)
Two large “plants” of mums in two fall colors, such as yellow, burnt orange, or brown.
-Wire cutters (to cut the plants apart and the wire for hanging.)
-Berries or sprays of smaller flowers or glitter to decorate the wreath
-Wire to hang the wreath, if you’re going to hang it
-Yellow Ribbon or any complimentary colors, if you’re going to hang the wreath
-Glue gun if you want to make the wreath permanent

Follow these simple steps to make the Fall Wreath with Mums:
-Cover your work table with plastic or an old sheet.
-Lay out the materials and tools.
-Cut the mum blossoms from the stems, leaving about 3″ to 4″ on the flower stem.
-Place the flowers into the grapevine wreath, alternating the colors evenly around the wreath form. If you want to make the wreath construction permanent, secure the stems with hot glue.
-Insert the berries around the wreath, spacing them evenly.
-Secure a 10″ wire loop at the top of the wreath on the back if you’re going to hang it.
~variations for decorating with this

Place a square of seasonal fabric on the middle of your table. Either leave it flat on the table or gather it up in a creative way. Place the wreath in the center and place fall-colored candles in the center of the wreath.

Place a festive fall figure in the middle of the wreath. Make raffia bows and  space around the wreath for a more country look.

Add  cranberries, or bittersweet or any fall berries on branches for a more homey, rustic look.

Add Shiny berries around the wreath to add a more formal look.

By using a smaller wreath form, you could use this basic wreath on a coffee table or even a bedside table in a guest room.

Decorate a hanging wreath with a beautiful, wired bow in colors that are complimentary to the flowers and your decor.

You can get a totally different look by using roses, poinsettia blossoms, zinnia heads, lilac clusters, and bunches of violets or ranunculus around the wreath form, instead of autumn mums.

Place large pillar candle columns in the center of the wreath on the table.
Once you get the basic design of this beautiful wreath put together, you’ll find lots of ways to change the look and lots of places to put it. And you’ll easily see that you can get any seasonal look you want.

 This craft allows new life into heirloom hankies. To make a table runner, measure the length of your table (plus overhang) to determine how many hankies you’ll  need (we used ten 12-inch squares for an 82-inch-long table). To connect the  first two, flip them pattern side down, overlapping the edges by about ⅜ inch; pin, then stitch together. Continue attaching handkerchiefs in this manner until the runner is complete. Since some hankies have scalloped edges, to keep the runner uniform in size, you could stitch a neutral or common color, double faced, satin ribbon along the entire runner, down both sides.  You could finish off with some thin ribbon fringe at the ends or stitch some thin ribbon delicate bows at each corner.  A beautiful way to display heirlooms sure to prompt a wonderful conversation. A lovely runner for a ladies tea! Idea by Amy Barickman’s latest book, Hankie Style

Colored Pencil Vase

This is a great way to transform an ordinary jar or plain vase into a work of art bursting with color.
Magnify the hues of gifts from the garden with a kaleidoscope of colored pencils hot-glued to a glass vase or jar. Fill the vase with your favorite blossoms (displayed are purple and white lilacs, anemone, and privet berry) and tie a bow (this is double-faced satin ribbon) around the bottom.

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the ribbon link in my post.  If you don’t see exactly what you are looking for, please call the phone number on that page.

Expert crafter Melissa Neufeld uses beautiful fabric ribbons to give everyday shoes a quick, colorful makeover. Using bright taffeta ribbon and a hot-glue gun, it took her  10 minutes to give a pair of suede slip-ons this stylish new look.

STEP 1: Cut two equal-size pieces of decorative ribbon; trim ends with pinking shears. Center larger ribbon on top of thin tying ribbon; larger ribbon should be on its side, forming a backward S-shape. Make sure loops are symmetrical

STEP 2: Pinch ribbon together and tie a knot. Adjust to create bow. Snip tying ribbon, tuck underneath, secure with hot glue. Put a dime-size dollop of hot glue on either side of the back of the bow. Press onto shoe for 15 seconds. Or if you don’t want to be stuck with one look, you could also stitch bows onto soft shoes with a tapestry needle. When you want to replace the bow, snip the thread and start anew.

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the ribbon link in my post.  If you don’t see exactly what you are looking for, please call the phone number on that page.

Making a Floral Bow

A floral bow is one that has a variety of loop sizes. The larger loops are around the outside of the bow and the sizes gradually get smaller towards the center. They may have as few as four to eight loops or as many as twenty to thirty loops. The loops are spread apart to make the shape oval or round and tails are generally hanging below.

1. Pinch the decorative ribbon and make a loop leaving the tail the desired length.

2. Continue making loops gradually increasing the size of the loops until the bow is full and you have enough ribbon left to make the other tail.

3. Secure the center of the bow with wire. Don’t try to do this with thick wire. You need thin wire like bow tying wire. Bow tying wire is 26 gauge.

4. Fan out the loops.

5. Cut the tails at an angle or in points to finish off the bow. Use the wire to attach the bow to your floral arrangement.

 Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the ribbon link in my post.  If you don’t see exactly what you are looking for, please call the phone number on that page. 

This wreath is sooo Gorgeous!!!  This creation begins with on an 18″ grapevine wreath base. If you like Old fashioned, traditional look, you can use the deeper red, dusty blue, off white and cream colors. More of an Americana look. Sitting center stage is a proud majestic Bald Eagle (the National emblem of the United States). He measures 7.5″ tall x 8″ wide. The flowers that  surround him are dark red roses, off white roses with baby’s breath, dusty blue peonies and ranunculus roses, cream, red and dusty blue mini roses and lots of cream, blue and red astilbe to frame out the design and give it a dramatic look.  You can also add berries in blue and cream. In the center of the design is large trio of metal stars with gold stars shooting off to the side. Throughout the wreath you will find a metal heart, flag, and star all old fashioned looking. Each have been outlined with gold glitter to make them more dramatic. To finish off the design, a beautiful a double bow with high quality wired ribbons. There is a 2.5″ gold heavy satin ribbon combined with a 2.5″ gold patriotic star ribbon, both finished with a wired gold edge. The finished wreath measures 23″ wide x 27″ long.

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the ribbon link in my post.  

Ribbons, sashes, and bows aren’t just for little girls and beauty queens. Designers are using these feminine flourishes in fresh, exciting ways to create modern, sophisticated wedding ensembles. The effect can be dramatic — a vivid satin bow — or subtly seductive, as in a delicate ribbon edging a neckline. A look can be inspired by a gown in a Fragonard painting or a sash on a vintage wedding dress.

Many of the items you may need to create your own version of this idea can be found on our website by clicking on the ribbon link in my post.  

Will you be decorating cemetery monuments this Memorial Day? If so, children (or others) may be curious about the exact meaning behind Memorial Day. Specifically, how does Memorial Day differ from Veterans Day? And how is decorating cemetery monuments for Veterans Day different from doing so for Memorial Day? For those who haven’t fully examined the history behind the two holidays, they may appear to be carbon copies of each other. But there is a difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day (beyond, i.e., the date of celebration). Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor U.S. military personnel who have died in the service of their country. Veterans Day, meanwhile, is the holiday on which America honors all U.S. military personnel (all who have served honorably, that is). There are many ways to decorate for Memorial day, Some use flags, flowers, wreaths, small bouquets or huge sprays.  The images above are just a few examples of very dramatic displays.  Ribbon contributes to the patriotic theme.

Whether you want red ribbon, blue ribbon, printed ribbon, or red, white and blue ribbon, you can find it all by clicking the ribbon link in my post.

In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem: “We cherish too, the Poppy red, That grows on the fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies, That blood of heroes never dies.”  She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans’ organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their “Buddy” Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. 

The patriotic wreath above is wonderfully accented with a huge ribbon bow.  To find custom bows  or patriotic ribbon similar to this one, click the ribbon link in the post and let them help you create your own bow for your occasion.