TGIF, my friends! I hope your holiday shopping and decorating are well under way! Mine is finally getting there. This past week we picked up some wreaths as decorations. Come see how we made some simple and FREE DIY wreath hangers!
This week my husband and I decided to tackle a few outdoor decorations. We wanted to decorate the light fixtures out front with something simple and festive. While we were at BJ’s Warehouse, they had fresh evergreen wreaths for $11.99 each. They are approximately 24″ in diameter and smell divine! Each wreath came with a large red bow. We have 6 exterior lights out front so we got one for each fixture.
As it turns out, the bows that came on the wreaths were not much to write home about. They were big and flat. Naturally, I wanted to spiff them up a bit. I bought 6 red bows from the local nursery and they were much prettier. And fluffier. Once I switched out the bows, they were ready to hang. At first I was going to use floral wire, but it was not very sturdy. I wanted something stiff that would easily hook over the back of each light fixture and simultaneously hook to the wire form on the wreaths. Here is how each wreath looks with the new bow:
In one of those Ah-Ha moments, I decided to make my own wreath hangers using clothes hangers. Not only are they free, but easy to bend into shape using pliers.
I chose 6 wire hangers with the cardboard bottom. (Preferably ones that are a little wonky anyway.) The cardboard piece slips off easily. I threw those in the recycle bin.
Then, using pliers I bent the hanger into the desired shape. My husband tweaked my design and made the hook smaller at the top so the hanger was longer and flatter. The new smaller top hook allows it to slip easily over the support bar of the fixture. The two small hooks at the bottom slip under the metal wreath form in the back. We whipped up a total of 6 hangers and hung each wreath before dark!
The entire wreath hanging project took about half an hour. The hangers allow the wreaths to hang the perfect distance from the light fixtures. Instant color and Christmas cheer! And the wire is stiff, so the wreaths don’t blow around.
Trust me when I say these bows are MUCH better than the originals. Once Christmas is over and the wreaths are spent, we will pull off the bows and hooks and save them for next year!
While we were at it, we hung two mixed green wreaths on the double front doors. We added some fresh red berries from our bushes to add a splash of color. I used black metal wreath hangers we already had to hang the wreaths from the doors. This allows the wreaths to hang securely and not mar the finish on the doors.
Aren’t these berries beautiful? You can’t match Mother Nature when it comes to color and beauty!
Well, I’m signing off for the day. I hope you have a lovely weekend! Thank you for stopping by today and always!
Before I go, I want to give a shout-out to my Dad, who turns 80 years old today! He was just 3 years old the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. We are so lucky to have such a loving and devoted Father! He has worn many hats over the course of 80 years. Husband, Marine, Police Captain, and many other hats in between and since. The most important one to us has been as our Father. His steady guidance, love and example all these years have made us into the people we are today. Because of my parents, our family is 28 strong. (#ONELESS) He also showed by example how to be a great husband and how to love and treat your wife. So, our hats off to you, Dad! We love you so much and are thankful we got to spend the afternoon with you to celebrate. Here’s to 80 more! May God continue to bless you and Mom. xo Dell
P.S. Just a bit of personal trivia. I am named “Dell” after my Dad. His middle name is Odell, so they named me after him. It is a source of great pride and honor to be named after such a wonderful human being. Thank you, Daddy! I love you a sight! <3
