DIY: Make this star-spangled wreath for the Fourth of July
Let freedom ring on Independence Day with quick and easy red, white and blue wreaths designed to show off spirit and style.
Hang the star-spangled wreaths on doors or windows, or pair them with hurricane candles and parade them as centerpieces down a table or buffet.
When the party’s over, tuck the wreaths into boxes with tissue paper and save for next year. Here’s how to do it:
Fourth of July flag wreath
Supplies
12-inch Styrofoam ring ($6.99 at Michaels)
American flag picks ($2.99 per pack at Party City. We used seven packs.)
Directions
The most challenging part of this wreath was figuring out the best way to angle the picks so that, when finished, you couldn’t see the ring underneath. Some experimentation may be needed for your particular ring size. Here’s how we did it:
Start along the inside edge of the ring, inserting picks about a quarter of an inch, so each flag is facing the same direction. Continue to layer the flags in overlapping rows by poking them in at a slight angle, with flags leaning toward the center.
Eventually, your rows will begin to stand upright and then lean outward to cover the edge and side.
You can expect the project to take a couple of hours depending on how quickly you work and how meticulous you want your rows to be. Although it’s easy work, it may test the patience and dexterity of young kids — or those looking for more immediate gratification.
In those cases, we’ve got:
Fourth of July umbrella wreath
Supplies
12-inch Styrofoam ring ($6.99 at Michaels)
Patriotic American flag umbrella picks ($3.99 per pack at Party City. We used two packs of 24.)
Tape
Heavy-duty scissors or garden pruners
Directions
We wanted this wreath to have a 3-D effect, so we varied the height of the picks, as well as how widely we unfurled the paper umbrellas. Here’s how we did it:
Take the first pack of umbrella picks and cut the shafts in half. These will be your short umbrellas. Set aside the second package for later — do not cut.
Gently open the short picks and wrap a piece of tape around the base of the umbrella canopy to hold it in place. We varied the fullness so that some umbrellas were fully open and others less so.
For the wreath shown, we used partially closed umbrellas closer to the center of the ring, and more open umbrellas toward the outside edges. However, there really is no wrong way.
Once the ring is largely covered, use the umbrellas with uncut sticks to create a 3-D effect — and fill in any white space. Open the tall umbrellas to the desired fullness, tape in place, and stick them around the covered wreath for added visual interest.
With supervision and a little help (cutting and taping), this could be a fun craft for kids and done within 30 minutes.
Hang wreaths on a door or window using tape or hooks — just make sure you’re not leaving any lasting marks. Wreaths can also be used as table decorations or as candle holders, as long as you keep them protected from open flames. (We used a glass pillar candle holder and never left it unsupervised.)
After the festivities, wreaths can be gently tucked into a clean garbage bag and stored for next year.
Bonnie McCarthy contributes to the Los Angeles Times as a home and lifestyle design writer. She enjoys scouting for directional trends and reporting on what’s new and next. Follow her on Twitter @ThsAmericanHome
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