Kidpeople Classroom: Easy Peasy Classroom Wreath

I sat in my kitchen the other day looking at the wreath on my backdoor and thought to myself– duh– I should make one for the classroom door!

Easy-to-make ribbon wreath

This is about as easy to make as can be– if you can tie a knot, you can make it. And you can easily get it done in a day.

1. Gather together favorite ribbons. Choose a color scheme, and mix em up– solids, stripes, dots and patterns. It's all good in the end. They have adorable printed ribbons now, so if you have a classroom theme of owls, or apples, or whatever, keep your eyes open and pick up a roll or two. I am a black and white nut, so I went through my ribbon bin and found all sorts left over from projects. It's a good way to use up smallish lengths. I used about ten different patterns in the end, though maybe about seven rolls worth total– it depends a bit on the widths you use.

2. Pick up a wreath frame– styrofoam or lightweight material. The wreath in the photo is eleven inches across. You can find both the wreath and ribbons at your favorite crafting store– be sure to clip coupons and check the sale bins.

3. Cut ribbons so that they give some nice "tails" after being knotted. Most of my tails were about four inches long, so I got a nice fluffy look. I can't tell you how long to cut your ribbon pieces because it depends on how wide your wreath shape is. Experiment a bit until you get it as you like it. Be sure to notch the cut ends of the ribbons in an inverted 'V' shape– it will stop fraying and give a more finished look.

4. Tie your pieces on, using just a simple knot. Keep the ribbon smooth in the back to cover the wreath mold. Randomly stagger where the knots line up on the front so the whole finished wreath has an overall even look.

5. I tied a thinner ribbon loop at the "top" of my wreath so I had something to hang the wreath from, then tied my final big bow on top of that, leaving the loop sticking out. Choose one special wide ribbon for the bow. A nice contrasting color works well, as you see the big red bow on my otherwise black and white wreath. This final one you tie in a bow with multiple loops, not tails like you did with the rest.

Hope you have fun with this project. Your finished classroom wreath will be cheery and beautiful. I'm off to do one for my classroom now. Happy Start of School!

Special thanks to Tara at Fourth Grade Frolics for her Monday Made It linky. Click on the button and head over for some great ideas!