By Morgan Sprigler
Always Umbrella Wreath
Oh, hello spring readers!
Raise your hand if this is
your favorite time of year.
I love all of the seasons for
myriad reasons, but spring
just feels so special. New
beginnings, new blooms, fresh, clean air (insert
deep yoga breath).
When thinking of my DIY craft for this issue, I
knew it had to be all about flowers. Flowers are
the best part of spring, right?! But with flowers,
must come rain, and with rain must come flowers.
Either way, I am looking forward to afternoon
showers, shining sun and a blooming landscape
after the winter we have just endured.
This craft can be used as a wreath for your front
door or can be placed in a pot for a beautiful
welcome into your home!
SUPPLIES:
Artificial Flowers
Umbrella
Hot Glue Gun
Hot Glue Sticks
Clear Acrylic High Gloss Coating
Scissors
Ribbon
STEP ONE : Rain Drops
For my fellow hot-glue-gun-fanatics, you will
love this part. Using a heated glue gun, squeeze
small dots onto the heads of all of your artificial
flowers. There is no wrong or right way to place
your dots. Just go for it! Once all of your dots
have dried, pull all of the glue stings off of the
flower (this is important for Step 2). You can put
rain drops on your umbrella if you wish.
STEP TWO: Make It Rain
In order to make your flowers really look wet,
let’s spray them with some clear high gloss
lacquer. I laid my flowers on an old sheet
outside and sprayed my little heart out. The
more layers you do, the more of a wet look you’ll
achieve. You can even spray your umbrella. Let
dry (about an hour in the sun).
STEP THREE : Arrange
I found it very simple to arrange my flowers
while my umbrella was already in place (either
hanging on your door or stuck into a pot with
soil). If your umbrella has a tie around the center,
unbutton it to give you a larger “vase” to work
with. Using your scissors, clip off individual
flowers and begin to place. Try mixing up your
flowers (if you purchased several different
styles) versus keeping them grouped together.
Have fun with this! Take your time and let the
creativity flow. (By the way, I found my parasol
on Amazon, because I was able to find exactly
what I wanted. You want to choose an umbrella
with a hook and not a looped string.)
STEP FOUR: Everything is
better with a bow
Snip off a long piece of ribbon and tie neatly
around your umbrella, holding everything
into place. If your umbrella has a strap, tuck
underneath your ribbon. You can secure your
ribbon to your umbrella with hot glue if you feel
the need.
