I get crafty: Halloween wreath tutorial

Halloween is probably my favorite holiday to decorate for. (Shh, don't tell Christmas.) I just love the dramatic hues of black, purple and orange. I love the whimsy of it all. It's just good old-fashioned fun!

A few years ago, I saw a picture of a black tulle wreath online. It looked just like a little tutu and I couldn't resist bookmarking it. I decided I was definitely going to make one. But I was pregnant and sick and it never got done. Last year, I didn't have a good excuse; I was just plain lazy, I guess. But THIS YEAR! This year was going to be different. I was actually going to make the tulle wreath, even if it killed me. And I did! And it didn't even kill me.

The good news is this wreath is super-easy, super-cute and will probably only take you 30 minutes and about $5 to make. The bad news is -- well, there is none. Unless you like really challenging crafts that involve sewing, gluing and stuff like that. Then you will probably hate this craft.

Here's what you need:

Wooden cross-stitch hoop (about $1 at Hobby Lobby)
A few spools of tulle in whatever colors you want for your wreath
A yard of ribbon (for hanging)
Scissors

Ok, let's get started!

Take your tulle and cut it into 12-inch strips. If you bought a spool of tulle, that width will be perfect. If you bought tulle by the yard off a bolt (you know, wrapped around a piece of cardboard), you'll probably want your strips about 4 inches wide. That means you'll have a little extra cutting to do (Hey now, don't get all huffy with me. I told you to buy the spools). Anyway, I can't tell you how many strips to cut because I just cut them as I went along. So you should probably do the same.

Now, take one strip and fold it in half, like so:

Yep, I do crafts on the floor of my bedroom. Sad? Definitely.

Then, lay the folded-in-half strip under the hoop, like this:

Now, thread the two ends of the tulle through the loop on the other side of the hoop to form a knot. Pull it tight! You might want to orient it the other way so the ends point outward from the hoop after you make the knot. Yes, I was an idiot so you don't have to be! But it's OK if you do it incorrectly, too -- just twist it around before you pull the knot.

Repeat about a billion times. Keep smashing the tulle tufts close together on the hoop so you get a really full-looking wreath.


They're best friends!

When you're done, slap a ribbon on it and hang it up!

SOOOO CUTE, amiright?

Helpful hints and observations:

While glittery tulle is darling, it is also evil. If you choose to use glittery tulle as I did, be prepared to find purple glitter all over your entire house for the next decade.

Use good scissors. Crappy scissors don't cut through tulle easily. You might cry if you choose to use dull scissors to complete this project. Don't say I didn't warn you!

If you don't know how to tie a pretty bow, just ask Martha. She's a pro at these things.

Now, get crackin'!