Hardware Store Wreath {Tutorial}

I made this wreath entirely of hardware store materials, I love how it turned out! It's whimsical and fun, and the mix of white and silver make it perfect for the winter months.

Check to see if you have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in your community.  They have surplus building materials and often lots of hardware at great prices. 

Procedes fund your local Habitat!

 

4 - six inch chimney pipe elbows
copper wire
7 various wire wheels 
2 glass coffee percolators
3 screws
3 springs
a large nut
clear plastic mirror flowers
a small light bulb to fit into one of the wire wheels
Primer
Heirloom White spray paint
canvas drop cloth
E6000

You will also need a hot glue gun, wire cutters and a drill

I fitted together 4-six inch elbows of shiny metal chimney pipe. 
When you fit them together, make two halves then put the two halves together. 

 Attach a hanger on the back by marking the center, then marking 1" on either side.  The holes were drilled with an electric drill. {wear safety glasses, the bits of metal fly everywhere!} Feed a piece of bent wire through one hole and bring it up through the other.  This you will need patience for! { I have none, so I had my husband do it for me. Shhhhh!}


Then I hung it up to prime it from a rafter in the basement. Let it dry for about an hour.

Then I laid everything out that I wanted to place on my wreath.  I knew I wanted some canvas flowers, so just to get an idea for space I cut some paper circles. 

 I marked where I wanted holes drilled for the "flowers" and wire.

My husband drilled the holes.  He's actually taking credit for the entire project.
He's such a great assistant.  


After the holes are drilled, hang it back up and give it a coat of spray paint.  I used an off white called Heirloom White -  I didn't want it to be bright white but I didn't want it to be cream either. 
I really liked this color. 

Lay everything out, and lets start putting it together!

Make the drop cloth canvas flowers by cutting some flower shapes, nothing fancy.  Take a needle and thread, gather up the centers tightly.  Use hot glue to attach a glass coffee percolator. 

I cut the copper wire in 10" pieces, then twisted one end around a pencil so it looks like a spring. Sort of twist it around and around into the hole in the wreath, put on some hot glue to hold it in place.  I attached the clear plastic mirror flowers by bending the copper wire around and gluing them in place.

For the wire wheel flowers, I put some E6000 around the part that is sticking out the back and put them their holes. In one of the flowers, I hot glued in a large nut and springs,in another a light bulb.  One has a small light bulb.  You might want to wear gloves when handling the wire wheels, they are very sharp!

I hot glued on the canvas flowers over the copper wire swirls and flowers so that they hid the holes and the glue.

Just keep layering and arranging, bending and twisting the wires until you like it.

If you make one, I'd love to see it!

 This tutorial is for personal use only.  You may not sell this tutorial, or wreaths made from this tutorial.  Please do not copy this tutorial to your own site, or distribute in anyway. If you'd like to mention this tutorial on your own site, please do! But please link back to this post. Thank you very much! Questions? You many email me at Besserina at msn dot com ©besserina 2012