My Yarn Wreath Tutorial From Somerset Home, Volume 5

SO many people have asked me to share a tutorial I though I would share the one I was asked to create last fall for Stampington and Company's magazine, Somerset Home.  So without further ado, here you go and since the images are a hard to read, I will share the original text as well:

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I am lucky enough to live in a place where hospitality and charm abound.  Welcoming friends and visitors alike with a  kindly greeting is second nature to Southerners and something that I believe everyone can appreciate.  It was from this simple concept that I first started creating yarn-wrapped wreaths.  My love of color and design background fed the fire and my hobby has become a full-time job.  I love integrating pattern, textures and natural elements into my work and find a great deal of inspiration in the outdoors.  I often go outside to photograph color combination that I find appealing and am always taking notes and sketching ideas down in a little notebook.  Being open to inspiration wherever it may find you is so important to creating truly unique work from the heart.

Displaying a wreath doesn't have to be limited to the front door.  Wreaths are making a bit of a comeback as a well positioned element in interior design and the softness of a yarn wreath makes it even more versatile when it comes to placement.  It can be displayed on a nursery wall, hung by a bright ribbon in front of a large mirror, shelved above a bedside table, or organized into a group like an art collage wall.  If you live in a harsher climate, placing them on your door in back of a storm door is a nice option as well.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

.Batting, masking tape, or a large weave fabric
.Decorative accessories: ribbon, vintage jewelry or textile flowers
.Hot glue gun with a small tip and glue sticks
.Measuring tape
.Scissors
.Sewing pins
.Spoon, small
.Wreath form, straw base
.Yarn: several colors, medium thickness

TECHNIQUE:

Wrapping a wreath in yarn is a simple and relaxing pastime.  To begin, take a straw wreath base form and wrap it snugly with either batting, masking tape or an open-weave fabric like linen.  This evens out the natural textures and bumps found in the straw wreath base and allows for a more even wrapping surface.  After you have prepared the base, take out your measuring tape and pins.  Using the pins as markers, section off the wreath into even sections.  These sections will act as guides to create an even stripe pattern on the wreath.  To begin wrapping, tie the yarn to the wrath base with a knot and snip the remaining tail off the bow.  Using your glue gun, secure the tail to the base of the wreath using a small strip of hot glue and press down evenly and quickly with the spoon.  Be sure to move swiftly to prevent sticking and burning.  As you wrap, keep the yarn taut and make sure that each strand sits carefully next to the others.  You may have to double wrap sections to prevent the base from showing.

As you reach the end of each color section and change to the next color, snip the yarn and leave enough to tie on to the next color.  Add on the second color to the tail and glue it down and begin wrapping again.  Keep the color changes, ties and gluing on the back side of the wreath.  Once the wreath has been wrapping in bands of alternating colors, go back over with a third color and wrap smaller sections where the other colors meet each other.  You may further embellish it with vintage jewelry, ribbons, or any leftover baubles and bits found around your house or yarn.  If you choose to insert a branches into the wreath, use the tip of the scissors to puncture a hole in the straw wreath and then insert the branch into the hole with a dab of glue.  Just be careful when you inserting the scissors not to snip the strands of yarn wrapped around the wreath.  Hang the wreath using either a ribbon or an over the door wreath hanger found in the floral department of your local craft store.

TIPS:

.I prefer to use a straw wreath base because it is more environmentally friendly, has a natural bulk and interest that I think ads to the wreath.  If you would prefer to use a Styrofoam base, I recommend that you use extra batting to create some depth to your wreath.
.If you are having trouble keeping the yarn taut at the same time as wrapping, using the edge of the table and passing the skein of yarn through the middle can be helpful to prevent your yarn from going slack.  If you would like to create an extra large wreath, using a much larger textured yarn will cut down some of the hours that it takes to create such a large piece and keep the proportions visually correct.

So there you have it folks!!  Finally a tutorial.  I hope to create a step by step visual aid to this one and post it here soon, so stay tuned for that.  If you have created a wreath and were inspired by little old me, I would love to see it!!!
xoxo Agnes