"Braided" Wreath DIY

I've been thinking a lot recently about how this Christmas is different, and how I can use that to create something special. One of the methods I would like to try is really embracing the theme of HOME, in all of it's cozy, cuddly glory. 

There was one specific piece of decor that embedded this idea for me, and that was this gorgeous wreath from Etsy shop King and Eye Crochet. I wanted my own simpler and smaller version for inside my home. So I made this cozy little wreath out of a surprising supply that I bet you already have in your home: cotton balls!

Supplies:

Cotton Balls

Cardboard

Ribbon

White Paint

Exacto knife

Scissors

Clear Tape

 

Step one: Cut out your wreath.

On a piece of corrugated cardboard, draw a bigger outer circle and a smaller inner circle. I traced a dinner plate for my outer circle and a small bowl for my inner circle. Cut it out with an Exacto knife. In the end, the edges will be hidden, so don't stress too much about keeping your cuts smooth.

Step two: Paint your cardboard.

I knew that the cotton balls wouldn't cover the cardboard perfectly, so I gave the front of my cardboard a quick coat of white paint. I almost wish I had gone a shade darker, though, because it was hard to see the details when there was nothing to contrast with in the background. I would like to see how it looks with a beige!

Step three: Pull apart your cotton balls.

I had a little helper for this step! I thought that cotton balls were squished bits of stuffing, but it turns out they're more like a roll of fluffy cotton (at least the ones that I had were.) When I unrolled them, they were about 6 inches long, so I cut them in half so they were about 3 inches. To completely cover my wreath I used about a third of the bag.

Step four: Create your "braid."

This "braid" was created by layering the strips on top of each other at an angle, then taping down both ends. I  would lay one strip down at an angle, tape the end, then wrap it around and tape it to the back. Then I would lay another stip perpendicular to the first, covering up the tape from the first strip, and tape it down. Repeat the process until you've covered the whole wreath.

Step five: Perfect and add your ribbon.

Before I put away all of my supplies I went through and covered any tape you could see or added cotton where I thought it was looking a bit flat. Then I just wrapped the ribbon through the hole and hung it. So simple.

In the mood for something more complicated? Check out my "Hogwarts Letter" wreath!