Book Page Wreath

The last several weeks have been busy as usual, but I caught a small decorating bug. If you've ever done some decorating in your home you know what happens when you start one project... it snowballs. The above cabinet space in the kitchen needed to be revamped after Easter, as did the shelves in the dining area, the art above my couch has been screaming at me for months, and so has the family picture above my piano. Rearranging and repurposing items from around the house creates even more projects.

Soooo, instead of doing all those other things, I began with a craft project that I knew could be finished started and finished within a couple of hours. Those other projects would take much preparation and planning.

Here is the idea I found online. Read her blog for directions and tutorial on putting this wreath together. Here is the list of supplies needed for this project:

1 9 inch foam wreath (I used a wicker 12 inch wreath)
1 pack of mini glue sticks (and glue gun)
1 paperback book (I got a big hardcover book) 300 + pages
black, gray, gold paint (I used whatever spray paint I already had in my garage)

TOTAL COST: $2 + glue sticks

I purchased the wreath and book at the Dollar Tree. The small difference in the inches of the wreath made a HUGE difference in the end. And the size of my book was pretty big too. A paperback would have been easier for ripping out pages too.

Total time to complete this project. 2 hours (including a break for visiting with neighbors). Perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

The wreath I made turned out really really big. Much bigger than I imagined. It is nearly 2 feet across! I should have known this would happen - start with a 12 inch wreath and all that paper will double its width. Lesson learned. You want a small wreath...use a small wreath to begin with. I am happy with the results. And the enormous size has grown on me. I like it. It makes a statement.

As much as I like my new handmade decoration, I still prefer the look of the inspiration wreath. Mine is very fluffy while hers is more compact and scrunched looking.

Here's what I'd do different next time:
1. use a smaller wreath
2. use a smaller PAPERBACK book with words that stretch to the edge of the page
3. paint the edges of my paper even more
4. make my paper more scrunchy

For now, my paper pleasure will delight visitors as it greets them on my front door. (I have nowhere else to hang something this large.) And if you make one, please post pictures somewhere and leave a link so we can compare notes.