Crate DIY Holiday :: Easy-to-Make Clothespin Wreath

CP Gal, Jill Sprott, offers a unique perspective on the everyday holiday wreath using readily available clothespins and Crate Paper's many colorful patterned papers.
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While some people seem to have “DIY” encoded in their DNA, there have been many crafty mishaps to suggest that the gene skipped me. Case in point: December 1985, when my fifth grade teacher made me redo my sad-looking overstuffed woven yarn ornament three times before finally throwing up her hands in exasperation.

Flash forward to December 2014: I have finally found a holiday DIY project that I can embrace without having to hand it off to the dog as a chew toy! I’ve discovered how to create a festive holiday clothespin wreath that comes together easily through a simple step-by-step process.

Step 1. Measure the dimensions of a single clothespin and trim strips of patterned paper (like the ones from the Open Book collection, below) to fit those dimensions.
I selected variants of the traditional red, green, and yellow holiday color scheme, working in some pink, mint, and white.

Step 2. Gather together a bunch of wooden clothespins and clip them to the top of a box. Place the box atop newsprint or magazine pages, and then spray the clips with white spray paint. This process is a real time-saver, as you don’t have to wait for one side to dry before painting the other.
Step 3. While waiting for the clips to dry, locate a thick and sturdy piece of cardboard (or two less sturdy pieces, to adhere together later), and using a craft knife, cut out a 7.5” circle from the center. Discard the cut circle. Then trace another circle about 1” wider, and trim it to create the wreath form. If using two thinner cardboard pieces, repeat this process for the second piece of cardboard, and then adhere the two pieces together.

Step 4. After the clips have dried a few hours later (depending on the climate in the area), clip them to the cardboard circle form, staggering their placement so that some are further inward than others. I was able to fit 51 clips around the cardboard form.
Step 5. Apply craft glue over each clips, working in groups of about ten at a time, and adhere the patterned strips to the clips. I tried to create a pattern, alternating a white-green-yellow-red-other order of strips.

Step 6. Add a bow or other holiday-related accent to the wreath, hang it on the wall, and stare at it in awe, for you have successfully created a holiday DIY project and lived to tell the tale.
If I can do this, anyone can! Consider other variations, like using tiny clips and a small cardboard form to create ornaments. Enjoy the process!