Book Wreath - Shabby Nest Version

from The Shabby Nest:

When I saw this page in the Pottery Barn catalog, my heart skipped a beat. Yes, the bedding is lovely, and the windows are pretty, but it was those wreaths that I fell in love with. Amazing!! So, of course, I decided I had to make me one of those "bookish" wreaths.



They were so easy to make too...
I started by getting me a piece of heavy cardstock (in retrospect, I would actually recommend using heavy CARDBOARD for this project) and drew my wreath base using a plate and a glass for the pattern.


Then I simply cut it out.

I pulled out my trusty glue gun "Old Blue" and went to work.



After dismantling a book that I never read (and never intended to read) I rolled the pages into tight cones, and secured each one with a dot of hot glue, then I started gluing them to the base in a starburst pattern.

From there I kept gluing until the wreath was nice and full. I loved the shape, but the pages were too new looking. So I watered down some Raw Umber acrylic paint (when I say watered it down...I mean it was mostly water with a little paint in there) and brushed it over all the pages to create an aged look.


Then I added some pretty ribbon and hung it in my dining room window. I thought it looked beautiful...


...until I saw the sun shine through it. Oh. my goodness. It's stunning! And free! (Well, except for the ribbon, but I was buying that for Christmas gifts anyway, and it was 50% off at Michael's so that's almost as good as free, right? RIGHT?)

Want to see another PB knock-off book wreath? Brenda at Dragonflys and Stars shared her version during the last Frugal Friday Linky Party here at the Shabby Nest!