Did you know that February is National Cherry month? Probably not, but here at Lars we make it a point to know all the holidays, major and obscure. We’ll take any reason to celebrate! So as soon as we found out it’s cherry month, we jumped on the opportunity! Have you noticed how under appreciated cherries are? Cherry blossoms always manage to steal the show. Not this time! We decided to let cherries have their moment in the sun and made a crepe paper cherry wreath to hang on your door. This delicate wreath is perfect for Valentines Day, but is also appropriate for the coming spring months. Also, wouldn’t this make the most adorable cherry crown if you downsized it? These cherries are so fun and easy to make, you’ll want to cover your house top to bottom with them! See the full how-to after the jump!
Crepe Paper Cherry Wreath
Materials:
- Red party streamers, found here
- Crepe paper in red, hot pink, light pink, and green
- Acrylic paints in pink and red (to add texture to the crepe paper, optional)
- Red cardstock
- Hot glue gun
- Green 22 Gauge floral wire stems, found here
- Scissors
Instructions:
To make the cherries:
- Cut 1/4″ width strips of crepe paper using the red, pink, and green crepe papers. Cut the strip so it runs perpendicular to the grain. We used a rotary cutter and mat to facilitate the process. Set aside.
- Take the end of the paper streamer and bunch it up and wrap it until in resembles a ball shape about the size of a walnut
- Take a strip of pink or red crepe paper and stretch it out. Then glue one end of the strip to the streamer ball and begin wrapping the strip around the ball until it is completely covered. Secure with hot glue.
- We made 12 cherries total, making 6 cherry bunches.
- Take the green floral wire and cut 3 inch long pieces. You’ll need 12 pieces for 6 cherry bunches.
- With the green crepe paper strips, stretch them, and wrap them around the wire pieces, securing with hot glue.
- Glue one stem to each cherry by placing a dot of glue on top of the cherry and sticking the wire piece into in. Hold until dry.
- Take two cherries and secure the top of the stems by wrapping a small piece of crepe paper the tops and gluing in place. Add one to two leaves.
To make and assemble the wreath:
- Take 3 lengths of the floral wire and wrap with green crepe paper strips, adding leaves every 1 1/2″.
- Create a 12″ wire frame, and wrap the floral wire branches around the frame.
- Place the the cherries around the frame and glue in place.
- Cut hearts out of the red cardstock (we used a punch) and score them down the middle. Glue onto the ends of some wire pieces of varying lengths.
- Wrap a few pieces of wire around a paintbrush to create small curly q’s.
- Add the heart adorned wires and the curly wires to the wreath frame.
- Tie a red ribbon around the frame and hang.
