Sew Cute: Valentine Wreath
I’ve always thought it was funny that wreaths are mostly considered Christmas things. A circle of branches seems pretty all-year, all-holiday friendly to me. And in the post-New Year’s winter slump, it’d be nice to have some other decorations to brighten up the gloom. So, I’d like to submit my idea to the committee in charge of all official holiday stuff: let’s make rose-covered wreaths for Valentine’s Day (or Galentine’s Day, if you prefer)!
This craft uses a store-bought wreath as its base, decorated with a dozen handmade ribbon roses and cheery green leaves. With its sweet little rosettes and heart shape, this wreath does feel very Valentine’s-appropriate—but the end result is so pretty, I wouldn’t blame you if you keep it up all year!
Materials:
- Heart-shaped wicker wreath (available in most craft stores)
- 7/8-inch wide red satin ribbon
- Green felt or cotton
- Red thread
- Green thread
- Basic sewing needle
- Scissors
- Straight pins
- Measuring tape
Craft away:
- Cut twelve 15-inch lengths of ribbon.
- Roll each length of ribbon into a rose. To do this, start by folding one end of the ribbon in at a 90-degree angle, then roll that fold in.
- Hold the ribbon an inch or so away from the fold you just made, with your forefinger in front of the ribbon and your thumb in back of the ribbon.
- Fold the ribbon away from you, then roll that fold in.
- Continue the process until you have a complete rose. Pro tip: don’t roll the rose quite as tightly once you get towards the end of the ribbon—that way, the petals will look fuller. Stick a pin through the finished rose to hold it in place. You’ll have a little tail of ribbon on each rose; ignore it for now.
- After you have finished your twelve roses, cut a couple of feet of red thread and fold it in half, then thread the needle and tie a knot.
- Carefully stitch each rose together. I found that the easiest way to do this was to make long, looping stitches that caught as many layers of the rose at once as possible. Don’t worry about making your stitches too pretty—they’ll be hidden in the finished project. You can trim the extra tail of ribbon off after you’ve stitched each rose.
- Cut twelve leaf shapes out of the green felt. They don’t have to be perfect—in fact, I think it looks nicer if they’re all different—so cut them however you’d like.
- One at a time, stitch each rose to the wreath with the red thread, using the same looping stitches.
- Sew a leaf next to each rose on the wreath using the green thread.
- Ta da! Proudly display your romantic new wreath on the wall or door.
