"Shades of Autumn" Wreath

by Rit Guest Crafter Added 0 year ago

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by Barbara Warholic
Bring the colors of fall into your home with this beautiful hand-made wreath. Barbara Warholic dyed wheat stems, snowball bush stems and strips of fabric to create a colorful wreath for Thanksgiving Day! Wherever it’s hung, it’s sure to round up feelings of good cheer as it welcomes family and friends into your home.

Step 1:

- Cover work surface with a plastic table cover.

- Prewash fabric to remove any finishes that may interfere with dye absorption. Dry fabric and iron it to remove wrinkles.

- Using pinking shears, cut the fabric into six 6” x 54” wide strips by cutting across the width of the fabric.

- Note: 5 of the 6 fabric strips will be dyed and used in this project.

- Wearing rubber gloves, measure and mix 3 Tablespoons Golden Yellow liquid dye with 3 cups very hot water (at least 140˚ F). Pour into a large 1- gallon dye container; stir well. Note: If water is not hot enough, heat some water in a tea kettle or in the microwave.

- Immerse 1 strip of fabric into the dye bath. Allow the strip to soak for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

- Remove the fabric strip from dye bath and rinse in cool water until the water runs clear. Hang the fabric strip to dry.

- Repeat Steps 1 – 3 for the next 2 fabric strips, dyeing one strip Sunshine Orange dye and the other Apple Green.

- For the fourth fabric strip, measure and mix 1 Tablespoon Sunshine Orange and 1 Tablespoon Scarlet with 3 cups of very hot water. Pour into 1-gallon dye container; stir well. Repeat steps 2 & 3 above.

- For the fifth fabric strip, measure and mix 2 Tablespoons Sunshine Orange, 1 Tablespoon Scarlet, and ½ teaspoon Denim Blue with 3 cups very hot water. Pour into 1-gallon dye container; stir well. Repeat steps 2 & 3 above.

Step 2:

- Choose 2 colors of dye (Barb used Apple Green & Scarlet). In the large 1-gallon dye container, prepare one batch of dye as directed above. Place about 6 wheat stems in the dye bath and allow the stems to soak for 10 minutes. Repeat this for the second color. Remove the stems from the dye bath and allow them to air dry on newspaper.

Step 3:

- In a small 3- cup plastic container, measure and mix 1 Tablespoon Scarlet dye with 1 cup very hot water (at least 140˚ F); stir well. Dip several dried Snowball Bush stems into the dye bath. Allow them to soak for 10 minutes. Remove from the dye and allow them to air dry on newspaper.

Step 4:

- Straw wreaths usually come covered in plastic wrap. Leave this plastic wrap on the wreath! It makes the wreath less messy to handle.

- Using the pinking shears, cut each strip of fabric into 3”x 6” rectangles. (Pinking shears help to keep the edges of the fabric from fraying.) Stack them up.

- Take a fabric rectangle and fold it in half. Bunch up the raw edges.

Step 5:

- Using a floral pick, secure the bunched-up, fabric rectangle to the straw wreath.

- Choose another color of fabric. Fold a rectangle in half, bunch it up and secure it to the wreath near, but not in line with, the first rectangle using a floral pick. Secure a third rectangle of another color to the wreath.

- Continue in this manner, securing the next rectangle by covering the raw edge of the previous rectangle. Repeat this process of covering the raw edges of the previous rectangles until the wreath is covered, except for the last 6 inches (Snowball bush stems will be placed here). Only cover the front side of the wreath. Don’t worry about covering the back side.

Step 6:

- Using the floral picks, secure several wheat stems to the wreath. Arrange them in a way that is pleasing to the eye.

Step 7:

- Using the floral picks, arrange the fall leaves over the ends of the wheat stems. Then arrange several fall leaves here-and-there among the bunched-up fabric rectangles. Secure with floral picks.

- Using floral picks, secure 5 to 6 Snowball stems to the center of the wreath. Secure several small apple stems on each side of the Snowball Bush stems in a way that is pleasing to the eye.

- If you have other items you’d like to add, just secure them with floral picks!

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Details

Category:Home Decor Seasonal and Holiday

Origin:The Rit Team

Difficulty:Easy

Techniques:Sink or Bucket

Inspirations
Soft Pottery

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Materials Used

Rit Liquid Dye
1 yd. White Cotton Broadcloth, 54” wide
16” Straw Wreath
Dried Wheat Stems
Dried Snowball Bush Stems
Purchased Small Apple Stems
Purchased Fall Leaves by Darice
Large 1-Gallon Plastic Container for dyeing
Small 3-Cup Plastic Container for dyeing
Measuring Cup & Measuring Spoons
Disposable Spoon for stirring dye
Pinking Shears
100 Floral U-Shaped Picks (available in craft stores)
Rubber Gloves
Plastic Table Cover
Newspaper

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"Shades of Autumn" Wreath