Burlap Oval Twig Works Wreath Tutorial: 3 Wreaths in One!

Who says wreaths have to be round? Decorate your door with an unexpected oval wreath.This fun oval wreath is the perfect shape for a door.  From the basic oval burlap wreath, we created multiple looks, creating three wreaths from one. This gives you lots of options to bring you through spring and into summer with one basic wreath. 

Our wreath form. We used a 25" oval twig works wreath form. The twig works wreaths are basic wreath forms with twine like ties already attached so you can create natural looking door decorations. The ties and form are covered in mossy texture so they blend well with natural textures. These forms can be filled with poly deco mesh, burlap, ribbon, fabric or greenery (either real or silk). Click here for the complete selection of Twig Works wreath forms.

New poly burlap mesh.The new poly burlap "mesh" was the perfect companion for the twig works form. The natural texture of the vine form works well with textured fabrics like burlap and sisal. Poly burlap looks like natural jute burlap, but it is water resistant and safe to use outdoors. Traditional burlap will disintegrate over time in the sun and water so it is not well suited for outdoor wreaths. Poly Burlap is a good alternative.

SUPPLIES:   To purchase these products from www.MardiGrasOutlet.com, click on the individual product link below or click HERE to see a complete supply list.

• 25" Twig-Works Oval Wreath Form
• 21" Poly Mesh Roll: Burlap
• Scissors

Optional accessories:

• 6" Sheer Two-Tone Organza Ribbon: Green/Blue
• 30" Peacock Eye Feathers
• Maidenhair Fern
• 3" Angel Vine Mossy Birds Nest
• 1.5" Lime Green and White Houndstooth Ribbon
• Sheet Moss on a roll.
• 4.75" Feather Butterfly Assortment
• 6" Sheer Two-Tone Organza Ribbon: Orange/Coral

COST/TIME

The cost of the basic poly burlap wreath is approximately $34. This does not include the optional accents shown below. Almost a full roll of mesh is used to fill the oval twig works wreath form.  The basic burlap wreath took under 30 minutes to make. With added accents, it should take less than one hour.

 Step 1- Gather the the Poly Burlap Mesh
Grasp the poly burlap on both sides and  gather toward the center. Make sure to gather and not bunch the mesh for fuller poofs.

Step 2- Attach the Burlap

Attach the poly burlap to the inside ring of the twig works wreath form by placing it into a wire tie and twisting.  The above animation shows how to twist the wire ties.

Move down the burlap mesh about 9".  More length will create more voluminous poofs, less length will create shorter, smaller poofs. Gather from each side again and insert this section into the next wire tie.

Step 3

Continue around the inner ring of the form- creating poofs and twist them into wire ties. Fill the entire   inner ring of the twig works wreath form.

Step 4- Transition to the outside ring

When you have attached the burlap into every wire tie and are back at the first set, move to the outside ring of the wreath form without trimming the burlap.

Step 5- Outer Ring

Repeat the same process of gathering and making poofs. Continue along the entire outside ring of the wreath form.

Step 6- Trim

When you get to the last set of wire ties, trim the burlap, leaving a few extra inches of length from the wire tie.  

The Finished Wreath!  Now its time to add accents!

Peacock Wreath 

Elegant accents layered on the rustic burlap create a pretty, peacock wreath. Add a bow made out of this sheer  Two-Tone Organza Ribbon in a turquoise-blue shade. Matching 30" Peacock Eye Feathers are layered in on the opposite side. 

  

Spring Wreath with Fern

Realistic looking lacy Maidenhair Fern adds a touch of spring time green to the natural burlap. A mossy
Angel Vine Birds Nest nestles in among the fern fronds. A bright lime green and white houndstooth printed ribbon competes the spring scene.

We love a monogram! Add your initial to your cute spring wreath creation with the new wood decorative letters and numbers that are available here. They can be personalized in tons of unique ways to coordinate with your decor or theme! Check back for our next blog post to learn how to make this fun spring moss decorative letters made with sheet moss on a roll (available here).

 Fluttering Butterflies Wreath

Bright butterflies alight on our natural burlap wreath for welcome pop of color. These Feather Butterflies come in an assortment of summer colors that match the sheer Organza Ribbon in a coral color that is woven through out the wreath.

Which burlap wreath is your favorite? 

Send a photo of your burlap wreath creations to ideas@MardiGrasOutlet.com. We would love to share it with our Pinterest or Facebook followers. 

Paper Fan Crawfish Boil Centerpiece: Tutorial

This easy and inexpensive DIY centerpiece is a great way to add some Cajun flair to your next crawfish boil, crab or lobster bake seafood party! We show you how to make several different centerpiece bases in this easy tutorial filled with decorating tips and ideas. See our previous tutorial (HERE) on making paper fans to create a variety of decorative rosettes for each base.

Materials:

• 1 roll red foil paper
• scissors
• clear tape
• stapler
• 1-2 packs of crawfish print newspaper to make fans as well as to cover your table
• hot glue or skillet glue
• 4-6 balloon sticks-  large (you can cut down to various lengths)
  OR small assorted lengths of wooden dowels, wooden skewer sticks, or similar
• a couple of yards of metallic red deco flex tubing
• 1 package Spanish moss + a tall, clear vase
  OR a dry Floral Foam brick and small weight (bag of sand)  + 1 pack red mylar tissue
• 1 package 5-inch plastic crawfish

All of these materials are available at MardiGrasOutlet.com.  Each centerpiece only costs about $10 each to make, and you can make 5 or 6 centerpieces with the materials listed above. To learn how to create the crawfish and red foil paper fans used in this tutorial, please see our DIY Crawfish Fans post.  You will need materials 1-5 for making the fans.

Step 1: Mounting the Paper Fans

Glue a plastic stick or wooden dowel against the back of each paper fan between the folds by dipping the stick into some skillet glue and placing the stick as close to the center as possible so that it will fully support the weight of the fan.  You could also use a hot glue gun to attach the sticks.

After you have attached sticks to all of your fans, lay them out on a table and arrange them at various heights to determine how you would like the final arrangement to look. You can trim off any excess length from the sticks or just push some fans farther into your centerpiece to maintain variety.

Step 2: Creating a Base

Below we demonstrate two different bases you can choose from for your centerpiece. To create a red crinkle base, cut off a small square of a dry floral foam brick. Cut 1 sheet of Red Mylar Tissue in half, and lay them at an angle to one another with the foam brick on top (see diagram below.) Insert a small bag of sand or other weight beneath the foam brick to protect the arrangement from tipping over easily.
Lift up the mylar tissue sheeting and bunch it over the top of the floral foam. Cut a short piece of metallic red deco flex tubing and tie it around the tissue to secure. This is the centerpiece base.

Make a bow with deco flex tubing (see diagram above). First, form a loop and hold it in one hand. Form a second loop, and keep going back and forth until there are 10 loops total. While still holding the loops in one hand, use the ribbon that holds the tissue sheeting together to secure the bow to the centerpiece base. Pull out and fluff the loops.

Alternative Step 2:

To add variety to your decorating scheme, you can also use a tall, clear glass vase along with some Spanish moss and metallic red deco flex tubing to create a base for your centerpiece. The vase shown is 7" x 4".

Just pack the vase with the Spanish moss and tie a deco flex bow as described above.  You could also insert some plastic crawfish into the vase for added color.

Attach the bow to the vase using another piece of the deco flex tubing, knotting it at the back.  If your centerpiece will be viewed from multiple angles, feel free to create a bow for each side!

 

Step 3: Arranging the Fans

Once you have created the base of your choice, begin placing your fans on sticks down into the base. Vary the height of your fans by pushing them father into the base or by trimming the sticks to different heights.

Continue to arrange to your heart's content! Depending on how you choose to display your centerpiece, you may want to have all of the fans facing one direction, or you may want to consider the arrangement from multiple angles.

 

Step 4: Crawfish Table Covering

You can create a decorative resting mat for your centerpiece using crawfish print newspaper, Spanish moss and 5-inch plastic crawfish.  You may even want to cover your entire table with this decorative crawfish paper to add style while protecting the surface from those succulent mud bugs!