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How-to: Mod Holiday Decor

November 26, 2011 Leave a Comment

There was a flash flood in my building last summer that destroyed a bunch of my husband’s and my Christmas decorations, including our fake tree, wreath, all of our lights, and even a few ornaments. Maybe it was a sign telling us to try something new with our holiday decor. We’re new Chicagoans, in a new apartment. Why not try something new? Our apartment has great high ceilings, but sometimes it’s a challenge to find stuff for the walls that doesn’t cost a zillion dollars.

The really cool thing about this relatively easy project (which costs just $10-15 to make) is that if you swap out the wrapping paper with some season-neutral paper, this wall hanging can work year-round.

Supplies 

cardboard

wrapping paper

tape (packing tape works best)

scissors

dinner plate

paper clips

x-acto knife

pencil

nail

mallet/hammer

string

Directions

Lay out your cardboard on your work surface. Trace a dinner plate onto it, creating as many circles as your wall hanging calls for. My wall hanging is 4 circles by 4 circles, so I needed a total of 16.

Cut the outline of each circle using an x-acto knife. I recommend not cutting all the way through your cardboard as it takes forEVER. Instead, cut through just half of your cardboard with the x-acto knife. Then cut the circles out completely using a regular scissors. The x-acto knife step makes cutting cardboard with a scissors a lot easier.

Repeat the x-acto knife/scissors cutting process until all of your circles are cut out. Cutting the cardboard circles is the most time-consuming step in this whole project. Cutting cardboard can get really, really messy. I keep a lint roller on hand to help clean up my work space – it’s a big time-saver.

Next, lay your circles out on the wrong side of some wrapping paper. Cut the wrapping paper into circles about an inch wider than your cardboard.

Tape the wrapping paper to the cardboard. To get the roundest result, I secured my paper in eight evenly-spaced spots around the circle, as shown.

Cut each point that you see sticking up with a scissors, being careful not to cut too far onto the front of the circle or tear the wrapping paper.

Fold the two pieces down and tape them in place.

Repeat this process to cover each circle. I covered half of mine in one type of paper, and the rest in another. I wanted the finished product to have an alternating color pattern.

Lay a scrap of cardboard on your work surface to protect it. Lay one of your circles on it and punch four evenly-spaced holes using a nail and hammer. You won’t have to hit very hard to punch through the cardboard! I also recommend punching the holes from front to back since there will be a little blow out in the direction in which the hole is punched on your circles. I often punched two circles’ worth of holes at once by layering two circles on top of one another to save time.

Once holes have been punched in each of your circles, grab a paper clip and unbend it.

Thread the paper clip through the hole of once circle and then another, connecting them like chain links.

Continue linking all of the circles with paper clips to create your wall hanging. If you’re hoping to create a pattern like I did, be careful about which circles you clip to each other. I made four one-by-four strips of circles first, before linking each strip to each other.

To make your hanging wall-mountable, add a row of paper clips to the top of the top row of circles. Then, thread some string through each of them. Mounting this is as easy as hammering two nails into a wall and hanging the string on them.

Filed Under: Christmas, How-to Tagged With: cardboard, chirstmas decor, mod, wrapping paper

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. She specializes in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macramé, and her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now!

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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

Craft book author & pattern designer ❤️💛💙
knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé
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Please email for pattern support. 🧶

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Working on a sample for some upcoming videos. It’s an overcast day with intermittent sunshine & I have a scruffy little sidecar. 🐶 Can’t complain! 
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What’s on your needles this week? 
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Yarn: @debbieblissknits Cashmerino Aran 
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#handsoccupied #knitting #knittinglife
Peg boards and craft room organization go together Peg boards and craft room organization go together like peanut butter and jelly. So, as you can see, do latch hook tools and screwdriver organizers! 🪛 
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I think this trick translates to any tool with a thick handle, so leather working tools, punch needles, print making tools, etc. should work! What other tools am I, a needlecrafter, blanking on right now? 
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#craftorganization #handsoccupied #latchhook #latchhooking
Pegboard storage is my favorite for craft supplies Pegboard storage is my favorite for craft supplies, so getting a few hung in my new studio has been a priority. Here’s my first attempt. 🔨 
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Details: This pegboard panel is for organizing my knitting needles, latch hook tools, sewing thread, etc. It doesn’t need to hold much weight, so I didn’t anchor this into a stud - just used basic drywall anchors. I’ve also got a set of two 2’x4’ panels for another spot in my studio, and those will need a stud/more than 3 drywall anchors. Wish me luck! 
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[description: video features a woman hanging a panel of pegboard using a square dowel and drill]
It’s time for the annual Hands Occupied new year It’s time for the annual Hands Occupied new year update, and for the first time in years, I feel like I have some clarity about what I’m doing next. ❤️ Head to the blog to read all about it, the 1ink is where you’d think. 
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#handsoccupied #knitting #creativeburnout
June’s face is giving, “What fresh heck is thi June’s face is giving, “What fresh heck is this?” 😆
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June’s big ears can get cold in winter, so I’m improvising a doggie ear warmer/hood for her. What are the odds she tries to shred it immediately when it’s done? 
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#knitting #knittingfordogs #handsoccupied #schneagle #wipwednesday #wip
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