At The Picket Fence

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

Corn Husk Wreath and Flower Napkin Ring

I never thought that I would have such a love affair with corn husks. It started out so simply…wandering the aisles of the grocery store…searching…

And then, there they were….in the Hispanic Food aisle.

So simple and unassuming in their plastic package.  And yet, even then, I could tell there was potential. The man at the register asked me if I would be making tamales for dinner.

“I said, “NO! These corn husks are destined for greater things. Like being turned into wreaths and napkin rings!”
He looked at me…paused… and then said, “That’ll be $3.50 please”.

My corn husks and I walked proudly out of that store knowing the truth…that Corn Husks aren’t just for tamales!

Even though I first shared this wreath here last year, it is still hard for me to believe that this was the very first (and frankly ONLY) wreath I’ve ever made.

I think I’m scared that it was just a fluke that it actually looks OK and any future attempts will be colossal failures!

Here’s how to make a Corn Husk Wreath:

1. Soak Corn Husks in a large bowl of water until they are soft and pliable.

2. Tear off a narrow strip, fold in half and secure to the wreath (towards the inside) using greening pin

3. Continue doing this, overlapping each piece slightly and working your way towards the outside of the wreath.

4. Once completed, hang on your front door, back door, mirrors, around your neck or anywhere you think this beautiful wreath will get the most attention!

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Next I’m going to show you how to make this Corn Husk Flower Napkin Ring     

Here are the supplies you will need:

 1. Take a narrow strip of corn husk and fold/wrap over and over until it looks like this (it will be the inside of your flower)

 2. Cut corn husk pieces into the shape of petals.

 3. Using your hot glue gun, attach the petals to the center of the flower.

 5. Using a thin curling iron, curl the petals back to open up the flower.

 6. Ignore the strange looks your family gives you when they see you using a curling iron on corn husks.

7. Soak a piece of corn husk in water to make pliable then make a loop and secure the ends with hot glue.

(This will be your napkin “ring”)

 8. Using hot glue, attach the flower to the napkin ring then wrap a small piece of corn husk around to disguise where they join together.

Insert a napkin

and place on your Thanksgiving table.

Would you like to see a “live” version of how I made these along with some other awesome Thanksgiving ideas from Heather and our fabulous friend Karianne of Thistlewood Farm?

Check out this video for Decorating on a Dime at Thanksgiving!

 

 Be sure to come back here in a few hours to join us for our Inspiration Friday Party!

See you in a bit!

 

Christmas Garland turned Valentine’s Wreath

Now, let’s just get one thing out in the open.
There are Crafters and then there are People Who Attempt Crafts.
I definitely fall in the latter category!
Nothing I do will ever be super involved or complex but what I can do is try to figure out how to stretch a dollar and get multiple uses out of an item.

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So, when I was packing away my Christmas decorations and carefully wrapping up this berry garland I used on my banister, I thought about perfectly it would work with Valentine’s Decor.
But….hmmmm…what do you do with garland?

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Well, why not bend them into the shape of a heart?

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Stack them together so they are a little bit fuller and then use floral wire to hold them in place.

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And, how about instead of just one heart…

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…you turn them into 3?

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And create a Tear Drop Heart Wreath?!

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That’s about as complex as I get folks!
It ain’t rocket science but I think my Christmas Garland turned Tear Drop Wreath is pretty cute.
And the best part of all, it was free! I love me some free!

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Now, while we are on the subject of Tear Drops and Valentine’s Day, we wanted to make sure you knew about this amazing project:


We are so thrilled to be partnering with Susan of My Place to Yours and her wonderful ministry
 Hope Unlimited for Children in the desire to bring smiles to the faces of young girls in Brazil through an amazing Valentine’s Day Project.

And our friend Vicki at Curly Willow Collections has generously provide the most BEAUTIFUL card created just for this project that you can print for Free!!

Visit Vicki at her blog Vicki Designer Joyful Expressions to download a PDF file of this card!

So there is no excuse not to participate! You can print off this card and include your own personal note for a lovely young lady, hungry to see God’s love THROUGH you!

We can only imagine their joy as they open their cards and feel the love coming through!
Please go HERE to read more about how you can be involved in this project.
Thank you so much for joining me today at the Fence,

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Dollar Tree Valentine’s Day Ring of Roses Wreath

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Yes, yes it’s another  wreath, I know I just featured my Feather Boa Heart Wreath on Monday…BUT you didn’t think we’d let Valentine’s Day go by without another Dollar Tree Wreath?! 

My Dollar Tree Holiday Crafts Series has become a fun challenge for me here At The Picket Fence.
It started with my Dollar Tree Pumpkins! We came up with a Monogramed Pumpkin, A Faux Nail Head Pumpkin, A Ribbon Pumpkin and the most popular one my Book Page Pumpkin.
For Christmas I came up with three fun Dollar Tree wreaths! The Snowflake Wreath and Candy Cane Wreath were your favorites!
So, when on a roll…keep on rolling! Here’s a fun Dollar Tree Valentine’s Wreath you can create using items found RIGHT NOW in your Dollar Tree!
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Dollar Tree Ring of Roses Wreath Tutorial

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Supplies:
1 Dollar Tree wicker wreath form
5 bunches Dollar Tree Roses (hot pink and red for nice contrast)
Floral wire cutters
Hot glue and glue sticks
Wide Ribbon for hanging
Directions:
1.  Using wire cutters cut the blooms off of the bunches, leaving about an 1 1/2 stem.
2.  Placing a dab of hot glue around base of bloom and down stem, work stems into the spaces in your wreath form.
3.  Work your way around the top of the wreath evenly placing your flowers to form a base of roses.
4.  Begin to fill in roses around your base of flowers, creating a full wreath.  Alternate between hot pink and red for a nice contrasting effect. 
5.  After you have filled in your entire wreath, turn wreath over and using your wire clippers remove any of the ends of the stem sticking out.
6.  Wrap with a wide ribbon, hang and enjoy!
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Isn’t it sweet and pretty?  I just love the pop of red on my door.  It’s so simple and easy to make.  Too easy? Maybe, but that’s the whole point! 
It doesn’t take much time or money to add some fun holiday touches to your home!  Let me know if you decide to make my “Ring of Roses” Dollar Tree Wreath!
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Valentine’s Day around here! Stay tuned for even more fabulous Valentine’s Day ideas, crafts and recipes here At The Picket Fence.  And be sure to join us for the 14 Days of Love Series

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that we’re participating in with Ashley of Cherished Bliss!  Lots of your favorite bloggers will be sharing their fun and fabulous Valentine’s Day projects!
Thanks for joining me for another fun Dollar Tree Wreath Tutorial…At The Picket Fence!

Feathered Boa Heart Wreath

Let the Valentine’s Day projects begin At The Picket Fence!

Looking back over the past year, it’s hard to believe that it’s already been a year since we featured our first Valentine’s Day projects here at the fence.

I love the creative Valentine’s projects we’re starting to get glimpses of in Blogland, and we wanted to add some of our own!  This fun little Feather Boa Valentine’s Day Wreath could not be easier to make, and I LOVE how it turned out.

Since you’ll never catch me actually WEARING a feather boa (sorry Bama Boy, I know that disappoints you..and sorry to our readers for the visual….grin) I thought I’d share how to put one on a wreath.

I almost feel a little silly putting a tutorial together, it was that easy-peasy.

Feathered Boa Heart Wreath
Supplies:

1 6 ft feather boa (I purchased mine from Hobby Lobby)
Heart shaped Styrofoam wreath form (Hobby Lobby)
hot glue gun and  low temp foam safe glue sticks
scissors
ribbon in color of choices for hanging

OPTIONAL FOR BANNER

wide red ribbon
stencil of X and O
craft paint in blue (or color of choice)
small sponge applicator for stenciling

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Directions:

1. Run bead of hot glue down center of point on wreath.
2. Attach end of feather boa right where the feathers start being sure not to include string on end.
3.  Run bead of glue around top of heart being sure to go down into the point between curves.  Quickly attach boa along glue, ending back at bottom point.  Cut excess.
4.  Repeat step three on the other side of wreath.  Feathers should cover most of wreath form. 
5.  With the remaining small piece, run a bead of glue along curved top of wreath between the two pieces of boa already attached, down into point.  Attach small remaining piece along this glue to “beef up” the curves of the heart.
6. Trim off string from ends of boa.
7. (Optional) Stencil XOXO in the middle of a wide piece of red ribbon.  When dry knot ends and attach with hot glue to feathers in center of wreath, or if you don’t want it permanently attached, nestle it center of wreath.
8.  Hang with wide coordinating ribbon.
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I have had so much fun hanging different wreaths on my DIY framed chalkboard in the dining room.

It greets our guests when they enter the front door, and there’s never any doubt what season it is in our house, when they get a glimpse of my wreaths!

It’s looking a little bare on my buffet though.  I think that calls for a few more fun Valentine’s projects, so stay tuned!

Hope you LOVED our first Valentine’s Day project here…At The Picket Fence!

Fun and Easy Tinsel Wreath and a few more decorations

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Before I show you this fun and easy wreath I created and some few remaining Christmas decorations, I’d like to thank you all again for your sweet, kind comments regarding the loss of our grandmother! We were overwhelmed by all of your care and concern.  It mean more to us than you could know! We are looking forward to all being together in a few days, to celebrate her life.
I first showed a glimpse of this fun wreath when I revealed my dining room decorated for Christmas.  I wish my photography could do this wreath justice because it really turned out great!  Every year I place lighted wreaths in our front windows, but this year I wanted white ones in the dining room, and I didn’t want to spend a lot.
While shopping at Michael’s I came across this fun white and silver snowflake tinsel, which was very inexpensive at 50% off.  I didn’t want to purchase wreath forms, so I dug up some old worn out pool noodles and cut one in half to use as the two wreath forms.  Here’s a tutorial collage to see how really simple it is to put these wreaths together.
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And here they are hanging in my dining room windows…during the day
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and at night…
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I mentioned in my Christmas in the Kitchen post that I had found these great silver pedestal trays at The Goodwill.  I used the smaller one under my kitchen Christmas tree.
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The second larger one I used for my coffee table centerpiece
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I filled it with pillar candles of varying heights and layered in ornaments and beads
Here you can see the beautiful details of the tray
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I added a DIY Dollar Tree hurricane and a footed glass bowl that I picked up at the Goodwill for a dollar. 
 I placed my cherished crystal Precious Moments nativity on a small ceiling medallion painted gold and fitted with a round mirror and placed atop a gold candle base from the Dollar Tree. Our dad gave both Vanessa and I these nativities one Christmas, and they are a special part of both of our Christmas decorating.
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A sweet friend brought me the gorgeous pink and cream Poinsettia that I placed in clearance flower pot.  I love how my coffee table turned out and find the color palette soothing and fresh! 
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One other fun project I created for my living room is my Christmas Card Tree.  I added some painted branches to a plastic urn I painted silver and filled the base with ornaments.
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I placed tiny clothes pins in a piece of vintage stemware and as the cards come in I can pin them to the tree.
I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing some of my additional Christmas projects.
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We’d also love it if you’d take a moment and pop over to visit us at Houzz where we have our latest Ideabook posted: 
 
Jewel Poinsettia Napkin Rings, Peacock eclectic napkin rings
Blue is such a popular color this season, and we invite you to see our favorite product picks to have a “Blue Christmas”!
Praying your week is one full of family, friends and most importantly FAITH! Thank you for joining me today…At The Picket Fence
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Three Dollar Tree Wreaths

Candy Cane Dollar Tree Wreath from At The Picket Fence
Hi! Hi! Hi! We are going strong here At The Picket Fence! We’re working our way through several fun holiday crafts and projects as well as showing off our homes all decked out for Christmas!
Today we are so excited to BOTH be sharing a fun and festive Christmas craft with Lisa at the Twelve Crafty Days of Christmas Series over at Before Meets After.
Crafty Christmas
My Tale of Three (Dollar Tree) Pumpkins Project was so popular this fall, I thought I’d do a Three Dollar Tree Wreaths series as well.
Candy Cane Dollar Tree Wreath from At The Picket Fence
Because of the timeframe….can you BELIEVE Christmas is less than two weeks away?!…I decided to throw caution to the wind and feature all three wreaths in one post! I’m going to share two of them here…and then you’ll have to visit us over at Before Meets After to see the third wreath in the series!
UP FIRST! The one you’ve all been asking about..
THE DOLLAR TREE CANDY CANE WREATH
Many of you saw this one when I revealed my kitchen remodel for the Christmas in the Kitchen party…which by the way is still open for links! This was the first wreath I envisioned creating when I visited the Dollar Tree way back in November to check out their holiday items.
Candy Cane Dollar Tree Wreath from At The Picket Fence
Candy Cane Wreath

Supplies:
one white Styrofoam wreath form
9-10 packs of Dollar Tree acrylic candy canes (depending on size of wreath form)
white or iridescent glitter (optional)
white craft glue
hot glue gun and low temp glue sticks (appropriate for using on Styrofoam)
Ribbon for hanging
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Tutorial:

This wreath couldn’t have been easier! Begin by hot gluing your candy canes one at a time around your wreath.  Make sure that the ends are tight together, and ends of candy canes are right up against the opening of the wreath.  The tops of the candy canes will be farther apart then the bottom, and the first candy cane will rest on top of the next as seen in the picture below.
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When you have all of the candy canes attached, if desired apply craft glue to outer edge and inner edge of wreath and sprinkle with glitter for a pretty finish!
Candy Cane Dollar Tree Wreath from At The Picket Fence
and hang in a fun place to show off your awesome new wreath!
Candy Cane Dollar Tree Wreath from At The Picket Fence
Second, we have a wreath that is similar to one I saw floating around from Better Homes and Gardens but couldn’t find instructions on anywhere.  So I decided to create my own…and from Dollar Tree items of course!
SNOWFLAKE WREATH
Dollar Tree Snowflake Wreath from At The Picket Fence
Supplies:

Two packs of large Dollar Tree Snowflakes
Two-Three  packs of medium Dollar Tree Snowflakes
Hot Glue Gun
Ribbon for hanging
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Tutorial:

1.  Begin by laying out your largest snowflakes to create a rough circle the size you would like for your wreath.  Hot glue the points of the wreaths together, with the largest points out.
2.  Once the glue has dried, begin layering your smaller snowflakes on top of the large ones in a pattern that is pleasing to you.  Once you have them where you like them, hot glue them to the bottom snowflakes and to each other until they are firmly attached.
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Add an additional layer until you like your overall design.
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Once the glue has dried wrap wreath with a wide ribbon in the color of your choice and hang!
Dollar Tree Snowflake Wreath from At The Picket Fence
I hung this wreath over my Framed Chalkboard in my dining room…Let It Snow!!
and last but certainly not least…
The Jingle Bell Wreath
Dollar Tree Jingle Bell Wreath from At The Picket Fence
So do you wanna see how I made this one?  Well you’ll have to head over to Before Meets After to see the tutorial.
Vanessa will also be sharing these gorgeous knock off stacked candlesticks!
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So meet us over there, and learn how to make these two fabulous holiday projects!  We’re looking forward to sharing our fun Christmas crafts with you!
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Corn Husks…they’re not just for Tamales!

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love tamales!
And when you go to the grocery store and ask to be pointed in the direction of the corn husks, that is exactly what the clerks assume you will be making with them.
(Don’t go to 4 different craft stores looking for them!
Learn from my wasted time and “duh” moment!) 
“Oh, are you making tamales?”
“Nope. I’m making a wreath!”
Silence….blank stare…more silence…
“That will be $3 please.”
I will happily put up with those blank stares though, because I am here to show you:
3 ways to use $3 worth of Corn Husks!
1. Make a Corn Husk Wreath
On Saturday, we showed you two of our Harvest projects and I shared with you that I, after years of saying that I would NEVER make a wreath,
finally caved to the crafting pressure and tackled this Martha Stewart creation.
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Other than the fact that I thought it was so beautiful in its simplicity, I’m pretty sure I was also drawn to it when I saw that the instructions were about as basic as they come.
You may recall that I am a bit Craft Challenged!

Here is all you need to get started:
1 bag of Corn Husks (look in either Mexican food aisle or produce section of grocery store)
1 Straw Wreath (I used the smaller size)
2 packages Greening Pins

Soak your corn husks in a large bowl of water for 10 minutes so that they will become pliable.

Tear them into 2 inch strips. Fold them in half and starting on the inside of the wreath and working your way towards the outside, pin them in rows of 4 or 5 across, covering the pins with the next row of husks.

Choose your ribbon and that is all there is to it.
If I can do this, believe me, YOU can do this!

I still had quite a few Corn Husks left and I knew I wanted to carry the
Harvest theme throughout the house.
2. Place in an urn for a simple, yet elegant arrangement.
By tucking some of the remaining husks into this urn, it became the perfect finishing touch for my mantel!

Here is a peek, just a peek mind you, at how it is all coming together.
Would you believe that I still had some corn husks left over after that?
3. Use the Husks in the layering of a Centerpiece.
I’ve had this little clustered arrangement of faux wheat for awhile and knew I wanted to do something different with it this year. My last space to tackle was my dining room table.
I plunked this down inside one of my favorite pots.

Then, using the leftover husks, I layered them around the perimeter.
I followed that up by tucking in pinecones and faux pumpkins, gourds, acorns, etc.

I think it adds just the right Harvest touch to my Dining Room table.
That $3 bag of Corn Husks went a long way!
Maybe next year I’ll actually make some Tamales with them!

Thanks for joining me at the Fence today,

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