Pinterest Challenge #3

Well folks, it's that time again! 

Yep, direct from the minds of Katie Bower and Sherry Petersik comes another issue of the Pinterest Challenge!  This time they've teamed up with Erin from The Great Indoors and Cassie from Hi Sugarplum for the Winter Edition.   Hi ya'll!  Can't wait to show you what I've been working on!! 

 And here it is........

I know I'm a little early for the 4th of July holiday but I really wanted to make one of these when I found it on Pinterest here.  From reading Sky's blog at Capital B I certainly can see why this wreath has been pinned over 5,000 times!!!!  Sky gives a great tutorial that I followed with a few changes of my own.  So let's get started with the details, shall we?

After purchasing my materials I was able to finish this project in about 4 hours.  Here's the materials you'll need:

I was not able to find a wreath form so I went with the next best thing....foam pipe covers.  If the stores would have had pool noodles out yet I could have used those also.  Because I was now using the pipe covers I needed duck tape to connect the ends.  Since I was out at home, I bought a new roll.  

The pipe covers came in a package of four and using just one didn't make a form as big as I wanted so I cut one piece down and used it as my connector to create the size I wanted.  Now there is a little trick to making a round form using the pipe covers.  You need to do a little tucking.  I also found this helpful bit of information on Pinterest here and you can find her great tutorial here.  

Ignore the yellow.  These pipe covers had pre-glued sides and that kept them from sticking together.

At this step I decided to use the floral wire to add a hanger.  Using two wires for a little more support I wrapped the ends around the pipe form creating a hanger.

 

Next, let the cutting begin!  The original tutorial called for 2"x2" pieces of felt but it also said they didn't need to be exact.  After cutting a sheet of felt I found the nerd in me was not comfortable just eyeballing it so I devised an imperfectly exact way to get my squares. I began by folding the sheet of felt longways and cutting that in half.  Then I folded each of those halves in half and cut those.  This left me with four long strips.  To get the squares I then folded each strip end to end, then end to end again.  At this point I was able to cut on the folds to create four squares from each strip.  

Fold, cut, repeat until all the felt has been cut.  Which leaves these great piles of material!  Oooohhh, how pretty!

Here's where a different type of pinning starts.  Take one of the cut pieces of felt and fold with opposite corners touching and fold once again with opposite corners touching.  Because of the imperfectly exact cutting method I used these pieces will not be square so when folding corner to corner the edges will be uneven.  So don't panic.  

After the second fold insert a straight pin in the point area and position on the wreath form.  The first four get positioned point to point.  The rest will fill in around these. 

 

Here are the starting four "fluffed."

I used a Sharpie to mark each section so I could keep them even.  There was no exact science to this...I determined how big I wanted my blue area then using my hand marked the other sections.  I lucked out when everything came out nice and even. 

Fold, fold, pin, fluff, repeat.  Continue this around the wreath form alternating red and white.  When changing colors I started the new section using the same step as above (pinning four points end to end) and then filling in the rest of the area.  

Once all three colors are completely pinned and fluffed add the stars.  I just used Word to create a star shape, printed it on white cardstock, and cut out.  They are attached with hot glue to white floral wire that was wrapped around a Sharpie pen to create the curly-q.  The floral wire was inserted into the foam exactly like the straight pins.  

And since we all love a cost break down:

Felt - 16 sheets - $.20@ Walmart - $3.20

Foam Pipe Cover - $1 for pkg of 4 on clearance at Walmart - $.50 (used 2)

Duck Tape - $1.27 but only used a small portion

Floral Wire - $1/pkg (used 9 and still have some left)

Straight pins - $2.00 (still have quite a few pins left)

Cardstock - on hand

Total Costs:   $7.97

So, for less than $10 I have a great wreath!  And here it is all done and ready for July!

Now to link up over at the hostess' sites and see what everyone else has created.  Can't wait!!!  Happy Pinning!!!

Pssst:  You can check out my other Pinterest Challenge projects here, here, and here!

Featured at:
 

Linking up at:

Young House Love

Bower Power

The Great Indoors 

Hi Sugarplum 
I Heart Naptime's Sundae Scoop 

Nifty Thrifty Things' Nifty Thrifty Sunday

Serendipity and Spice's Manic Mondays 
So Very Creative's So Creative Party Time 
Your Talking Too Much's Meet Me Monday Party
DIY Home Sweet Home's More the Merrier Monday 

Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday
Not Just a Housewife's Show Me What Ya Got
Tatertot's and Jello's Weekend Wrap Up Party
Simply Designing's Simply Link Party 
The Grant Life's Financial Friday Party