Vintage Spool Wreath

tutorial: vintage spool wreath

Posted by amyistheparty

About

Last week I woke with just a flutter of an image in my head. I suspect it was due to all of the lovely Autumn wreaths I've been noticing lately. It took me a week to figure out how to make it and now here it is!

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You Will Need (5 things)

  • Wire Hanger
  • Wire Cutters / pliers
  • approx. 1 yard of: Fabric (1 1/2-2" in width to make a thick ribbon) or 1 1/2-2" thick ribbon or wire ribbon
  • 15 -20 spools of Thread in various sizes (vintage spools can be found at flea markets, garage sales, and on Ebay)
  • if you aren't using wire ribbon, you'll need a Fabric Stiffener (I'm using Aleen's Stiffen Quik)

Steps (9 steps, 60 minutes)

  1. 1

    Using your wire cutters, cut the top off of the hanger (see photo below). Use your hands to bend the hanger into a circle shape. It doesn't need to be perfect. Start sliding the spools of thread onto the hanger. Depending on how many spools you have and their sizes, you might want to cut the wire hanger to be a bit smaller. Make sure there is still a couple inches of wire on either side of the spools.

  2. 2

    Use pliers to bend the end of the coat hanger into a hook shape (see photo below).

  3. 3

    Bend the other end of the hanger as well, so that you can hook the two together, forming a wreath. You'll find that the whole thing is easier to shape into a circle at this point.

  4. 4

    If using fabric, cut about 2 feet or enough to form a bow. If using wire ribbon, you can skip the fabric stiffener step.

  5. 5

    I couldn't find any wire ribbon I liked but my fabric ribbon was sagging and not holding it's shape. Solution? Fabric Stiffener! I like Aleen's Stiffen Quik because you just spray it on. Follow the directions on the bottle. If using another brand, you may need to brush the liquid on with a paint brush.

  6. 6

    Shape the bow and let it dry according to the directions on the bottle of fabric stiffener.

  7. 7

    Use the remaining foot of fabric or ribbon to tie the bow onto the place where you joined the wreath, to cover the exposed wire. A regular knot is fine.

  8. 8

    Tie the ends of this ribbon together in a double knot to make a loop for hanging.

  9. 9

    Find a place to hang your new wreath and enjoy!