UPDATE: Read our expanded tutorial how to make vintage ornament wreaths here.
Last year I proclaimed my love and admiration for Georgia Peachez’ crafty Christmas wreaths made out of vintage tinsel-garland and ornaments. What a fantastic way to use ornaments hunted and scrounged at estate sales all year long — something to hunt for an actually use! Suzy, the genius Peach, is at it again this year — that’s her “That 70s Wreath,” above. Morevoer — we asked for her how-to instructions — and she graciously responded right away! Read on to learn how to make a Christmas wreath out of vintage ornaments of your very own. –>.
Suzy writes:
- Start with extruded foam wreath base and wrap in tinsel-tone garland securing with hot glue.
- Important to add a wire loop here before preceding.
- Glue larger ornaments around the outer rim of wreath form.
- Lay flat and then fill in with smaller ornies.
- I like to mix up ornies with kitschy little things.
- Important to use HIGH TEMP hot glue.
That’s it in a nutshell!
Suzy
Ooooh! “Kitschy little things.” I have plenty of those. I ask: Are the ornies attached to anything? or do you just glue them straight on … that is, no hooks? She responds:
- Just glue them right on. The tinsel gives a good surface to bond to.
One of the things that I think is particularly clever about Suzy’s method, is that by starting with the wrapped tinsel — the back side of the wreath is actually very pretty, too. Here is a photo from a wreath available in her etsy shop that shows what I mean:
If you don’t have time to get crafty, I think that Suzy’s wreaths are very well-priced at $50-$75. And, she says that she has never had an issue with shipping. Here are all the vital links:
- See Suzy’s Georgia Peachez etsy shop for wreaths and other holiday goodness.
- Do-it-yourselfers, be sure to see her Wreath Blog. And you know me, Precautionary Pam warns: Be careful with those glue guns and sharp edges, peoples.
- And, there’s even more creativity over on Suzy’s main Georgia Peachez blog.
Did I read something about “a little obsession” over in your headers, Suzy? I sure do emphathize. In a good way because, girl, you are good! xoxo
brian says
Beautiful!!!
Some of those ornaments remind me of ones my Granny owned…
MaryE says
So GORGEOUS!! I think I could totally do that! Thank you for sharing your MAD SKILLS, Georgia P!
vintage_vantage says
I love the look of these wreaths. I wanted to put something on my front door that looked nearly period, but at the same time a little whimsical. Here’s my twist:
At a local hardware store they were selling wreaths (fake and real) on the cheap. I bought a fake one to keep year after year, but you would be able to reuse the ornaments the way I created mine if you put it together on a real wreath.
I took white ribbon and laced roughly 30 ornaments onto the wreath in groups of threes. Instead of ruining vintage ornaments in the weather, I found great vintage-esque ornaments at Hobby Lobby. They are plastic so they wont break and will make them easier to store come spring. I did notice that any glitter that you have on the ornaments will be gone if you leave them in the rain/snow. Thankfully I found that out on a test ornament before ruining the whole wreath. Anyway, I think everyone should have one! It looks great against my giant, vintage garland on my front porch!
Merry Early Christmas ya’ll! … and to all a vintage “festivus”!
denised says
Hey Pam, I think great minds are thinking alike here…I just posted about Suzy’s wreaths on Thursday night! LOL
I love her wreaths!
pam kueber says
Hey, Denise, I was just looking at your blog and saw! (Did you get the idea from the newsletter that I sent out Sunday?)
denised says
no, I’ll have to revisit the newsletter to see it! LOL
I’ve followed her for some time and loved them last year…then loved them again this year —so I thought I would spread the word on how wonderful they are, especially if one likes vintage ornaments…which, of course, I do. I’m glad Suzy can do it, but I don’t know if I’d be able to as I can be a little ‘don’t-do-anything-with-it-keep-it-the-same-cuz-it’s-vintage’ …a phobia I’m working on!
Christina Halas says
Being born in 1951, I too, am “mid-century” retro. I remember my mom and aunts making Christmas decorations in the fifties and sixties. To be truly authentic, what you need is to make a wreath out of old IBM punched cards, and then spray it gold. Another great idea from that time was to take a Reader’s Digest, fold each page half down, going all the way through; then you spray paint that “tree” gold or red or green, and glue little tiny ornaments all over it.
joyces jane says
My dad worked in one of the few manufacturing plants to use punch cards in the 60s. I remember him bringing them home and saying that people were making wreaths out of them and my mom and i trying to figure out what he meant! Then she saw a picture in a magazine and we went to work making a wreath, which she declared “the craziest thing she ever saw”, and resorted to making a giant pine wreath out of a hula hoop (another 60s holiday fad). So glad I got to experience that!
Jan says
Back in the mid-1960s, when I was about 10 or 12, my grandmother and I made dry cleaner bag wreaths every Christmas. Everyone had stuff cleaned then, so we had plenty of bags and lots of wire hangers, too. It was made by forming a wire hanger into a circle, cutting the bags into strips, then tying strip after strip onto the hanger. They sound funny, but they were actually very pretty, and with hundreds of strips, they were sparkly in the light, too.
Lyn says
We made wreaths out of plastic trash bags in the 70’s
kate mckinnon says
So cool!
If you want a wreath that will last forever, and be just as easy to make, get a wire wreath form- any craft store has them too. Then use inexpensive (but eternal) florist’s wire to wrap the ornaments onto the wire form. It’s easy as could be, and you won’t have to worry about them coming loose.
Each ornament has a hanging point already; just use that as your wrap attachment point.
A side benefit of this is that if you ever get tired of the wreath, or want to take it apart and share, the ornaments are still useful.
pam kueber says
i would be worried about the ornaments falling out of their wire holder thingies. that always happens when we’re decorating the tree…
Karen C says
Use a drop of hot glue on the end caps of the ornaments to keep them from falling off before stringing on thewire. It works quite well.
Jan says
I have a wreath that is crammed with vintage Christmas stuff, including a few old ornaments. I attached them initially to the wreath using the hanger on the ornament. But then I also wrapped a little thin wire around a couple times to form like a cage that cradles the ornament. I’ve had this wreath for about 20 years – nothing’s fallen off except a couple of the items that are just glued on, and I just re-glue them. And the wire is really not very noticable.
MCM is Grand says
Oh, I recognize some of my childhood ornaments on those wreaths! This brings back happy memories. OK, now I have a project for next year. Thanks, Suzy for sharing your how-to tips.
PS – it would be fun to light up the wreaths, however, as I recall, those MCM bulbs get really hot.
Wendy says
Wow. I never enjoy holiday crafts; but I’m making one of these!
Nancy Burton says
Those are beautiful!!! My favorite things all together- I love the old ornaments w/ bits of paint chipping! You are very talented!!! Wish I had one for every door in my house!
susan says
Love, love,love these! I bought a cheezy $5 wreath at a discount store. It already has the tinsel on it. Hope mom didnT throw away all of those yummy old ornaments.