Make Wreath #2 : Grapevine Old Book Wreath
A stock pot and some old books … Book soup?
Maybe another time! Today we are making a grape vine wreath from old books, with the aid of a large stock pot.
Just like our recent Dollar Store hack on how to make wreath with a laundry basket, in this tutorial, the stock pot frees us from having to use wreath forms!
Well, normally I don’t publish on Sundays, or at 6:pm. But today, I am doing a fun big blog party with a bunch of friends to celebrate fall! You will see all the projects at the end!
Materials:
- some old books
- Elmer’s glue: we will use about a cup!
- natural jute twine for hanging, and if you want to add some embellishments
- faucet handles: optional embellishments, rusty can be charming
Step 1:
Cut some book pages and glue 2-3 on end so we get a longer piece. Make about 20 to 30 piece.
Crumble each piece and dip in glue diluted with equal amount of water.
Squeeze out the glue while rotating to make a paper “vine”.
Drape a piece of plastic over the pot, and let the paper vines dry in a curved form over the side of the pot.
Step 2:
After the paper vines are dried, take 3 pieces and glue them together to form a circle. Use clamps to hold them till the glue dries.
Then add 3 more and glue to mid point of the first 3 pieces. This will give us a base to start with, and provide lots of openings to weave the rest of the paper vines!
Once the base is dry and sturdy, weave all the rest of the paper vines around and through the base in a circular way. If some pieces feel too loose, use a dab of glue to make them more secure.
Step 3:
It’s so easy to make paper flowers from book pages.
Just cut 2 connected petals, crumble in the center, and glue a few pairs together!
My LOVE faucet handles is reflected in this faucet handle coat rack we made!
Here the flowers are attached to the faucet handles with natural jute twine tied through and around.
Step 4:
If you have fringe scissors, make some flowers of different textures, like this one!
There are more ideas on paper flowers in this post–
To hang the wreath, just tie some twine or clear fishing line , that’s it!
Helpful tips:
- if the book pages are thin, double up the paper for the “vines” will produce a more sturdy wreath
- if the wreath feels flimsy, add more paper vines, and make sure the glue isn’t too diluted
- the flowers and embellishments are tied to the wreath instead of glued on, this allows us to style the wreath differently when seasons change
Can’t get enough creative wreath ideas? Check out these 15 stunning re-puposed wreaths!
Happy Creating!
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Although I love your book vines, my yard is infested with grapeless wild grapevines–every fall I pull some up and make my own wreathes and tiny ones for ornaments! Gonna use what I have! I, too, love faucet handles! I use your laundry basket wreathe hack frequently and used a round container when I last made oregano wreathes. That laundry basket is one of my favorite tips of all time!
Hi Kathy! thank you! 🙂 that laundry basket idea came to me so randomly lol! i need more ideas to show up like that! i have been behind on comments since october due to healthy issues of a dear family member. great to hear from you and happy 2024!
Oh, my gosh! I was looking for a new project for the huge stack of old books I have!!! This is great.
How did you keep the paper from tearing when it was wet? And how did you keep the paper vines flexible enough to wrap around?
hi emily, i didn’t have problems with paper tearing, i guess the “ropes” were thick enough, and they dried to a flexible state
How in the world did you come up with this idea? I love how creative this is! Such a great way to re-use old books… love it! So glad to “meet you” through our little home for fall blog hop! Pinning for future reference!
Amanda,
I love your wreath is beautiful and how easy too. I have to try this one for sure. Love touring with you from Home for Fall tour.
This is SO awesome! I love finding new book page projects. And I love the rusty faucet handles you used for the flower centers – such a fun and creative touch 😀
I adore this wreath. Everything about is glorious. So creative!!! Book pages are one of my favorite things 🙂 total fan here. kim
So awesome and creative. Thank you for sharing.
This is AWESOME! LOVE it!
What a pretty wreath using unique materials! Your paper cutting skills and technique to make the gorgeous flowers are wonderful. Great tutorial. it is a lovely work of art!
Your wreaths are ALWAYS absolutely stunning!! This one is so stinky cute I can’t get over it. Seriously, those paper flowers are amazing!! 🙂
I love book page projects and have made many but this has got to be one of the cutest ones I have seen. Love how you used so many bits and pieces to decorate it. Pinning. Cathy
This is adorable!
I love this. I love everything you used for this wreath! So pretty!
Oh..wow. That wreath is amazing! Brilliant idea. Thank you for this inspiring post.
Amanda this is pure brilliance. I have a ton of books sitting around, not being read. The valves at the end are icing on the cake. Really very original and frugal! My kind of craft.
Oh Ananda… you always achieve this level that my little wee brain can’t even find the front door to! I love your twist on a wreath, complete with all its junky bits! So fun!!!
Thanks for joining the blog hop! You rocked it!