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Hands Occupied

Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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Carved Styrofoam Holly Wreath

December 16, 2013 2 Comments

Carved Styrofoam Holly Wreath DIY at Hands Occupied

I’m so excited to be teaming up with a most excellent group of creative women from all over the world today to bring you EIGHT different wreath ideas for your Christmas home decor. We all got together and decided it would be fun to pick a theme and see what 8 different people crafting on a similar theme came up with. The results are super awesome.

My little wreath was really fun to bring to life and really pushed me creatively. Instead of thinking about how to construct a wreath working from a styrofoam ring base outwards, I decided to turn it upside down and work from the styrofoam ring base inwards. My first couple attempts at this concept were a total fail (one notable iteration of this project ended up looking like a ring of crab meat carved into a weird serving tray – picture a wreath form with a red outside and white insides, just like crab meat). Then, I started realizing that a subtler concept was not only going to work, but I think it turned out kind of elegant. I hope you do too! An as an added bonus, this can be whipped up pretty easily, which is great since Christmas is in nine days. Ack!

Want to see seven other amazing wreath DIYs from some of my favorite bloggers? Check out my friends at the Quarterly Collab!

Quarterly Collab: DIY is better together

Supplies

styrofoam wreath form
red & white straight pins
green acrylic paint
paint brush
styrofoam carving tool
twine (optional, for hanging)

Directions

Begin by painting your wreath form green with styrofoam-safe paint. Let dry completely.

Then, heat up your styrofoam carving tool and use the tip to cut holly leaf designs all over the front of your painted styrofoam wreath. The carving tool cuts (melts really) away the painted outside of the wreath, revealing the white styrofoam inside the wreath.

Carved Styrofoam Holly Wreath DIY at Hands Occupied

For tips on using the styrofoam cutting tool, which was provided to me by FloraCraft, you can check out this post.

Next, poke clusters of straight pins into your wreath where the leaf designs meet up. I used a combo of red and white pins, even though I’m not sure holly comes with white berries, for some variety.

Carved Styrofoam Holly Wreath DIY at Hands Occupied

To hang my wreath, I used a magnetic hook and some twine. You can hang wreaths more subtly than this, but I liked incorporating the natural look of the twine with the obviously not natural painted styrofoam.

Carved Styrofoam Holly Wreath DIY at Hands Occupied

This wreath is super fun & easy and adds a nice, bright pop of color to my super beige apartment hallway. You could definitely do more to add to this wreath idea too. I’m thinking about making a couple of needle felted woodland critters to perch on mine. What would you add to make this your own?

Carved Styrofoam Holly Wreath DIY at Hands Occupied

Don’t forget – 7 of my DIY blogger friends have some more gorgeous and creative wreath ideas for you today! Check them out at the Quarterly Collab!

Filed Under: Christmas, How-to Tagged With: carved, christmas, crafts, diy, holiday, holly wreath, quarterly collab, styrofoam, wreath, wreath diy

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Rachel | 52 Weeks Project

    December 16, 2013 at 2:01 am

    This is beautiful Heidi! Part of me is still very interested in the crab meat wreath…

    Reply
    • Heidi

      December 16, 2013 at 8:11 am

      Here’s the photographic evidence, LOL: https://handsoccupied.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/crabwreath.jpg

      Maybe if it were another color or I painted the inside? I might have to play with my crabtastic serving tray, I mean “wreath”, to make it look better. :)

      Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
This audio was me last summer while secretly desig This audio was me last summer while secretly designing the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern behind the scenes. 😆 I very often design with primary colors, so trying to explain suddenly working with black, white and grey was awkward/kinda funny. 🩶
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In case you missed it, this is my design from the new book ‘Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town,’ available now from @insighteditions & @tanisknits. We’re doing a knit along starting very soon, and we’ll be knitting this pattern! I’ve got weekly video tutorials planned for this educationally-focused knit along. This KAL is especially for you if you’re eager to work on your intarsia. 🧶
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Full KAL details, yarn quantities & pattern information are available on my bl0g, the 🔗 is where you’d think. 
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Yarn: @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted
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#nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook #handsoccupied #spiralhillsweatervest #knitting #halloweenknitting #knitalong #kal #knitting_inspiration #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #learntoknit
Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the S Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest. Thank you. 🙏🏻❤️ If you love this pattern & didn’t know already, we are going to be doing a knit along (KAL) from October 1-29 featuring this spooky sweater vest & lots of tutorials, especially for the intarsia part. 
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Later today my newsletter will be coming out with additional Knit Along details, so if you’re not already signed up, now is a great time - the 🔗 is in my b1o. 
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Pictured: My Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern from the new Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book by @tanisknits. Model is wearing size 1 with 2” of positive ease, knit in @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted. Vest images via @insighteditions 
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#spiralhillsweatervest #handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook
At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, my contribution to the new book Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town, out now! 🎃💀 
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I’m hosting a knit along (KAL) October 1-29 for anyone who’d like to knit this vest along with a group & learn a little about intarsia while we’re at it. I’ve got weekly tutorials planned to help you knit this worsted weight sweater vest, and there’s a prize package giveaway at the end for KAL participants too. Details are on my site - you know where to find the 🔗 I think. 😉
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Book by @tanisknits 
Publisher @insighteditions 
Yarn @brooklyntweed Imbue 
Find it wherever fine books are sold. 
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#handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmas #intarsia #sweatervest #knittingpattern #knittingbook #spiralhill #knitting_inspiration #knitting
Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs closet after this weekend’s quick tutorial, here are few. ✂️ The tutorial is one post back in my feed as a video.
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As you can see, I didn’t worry about the wire hangers all being perfectly uniform, but it doesn’t matter to me. Also, this closet holds a lot! Despite that, it is already at capacity. Since the hanging bags don’t appear to be recyclable, I want to reuse them as long as possible. Who knows, maybe this will be a way to limit my WIPs? 😅
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P.s. In the third photo you can see how I use this system to store the original swatches, scraps, yarn ball bands, & notes from a design project all together. 
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#handsoccupied #wips #craftstorage #yarnstorage #yarncrafts #knitting_inspiration #craftstudio #craftroom #craftcloset
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
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When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
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