From Christmas Beads To Valentine Wreath

I first saw the idea of using bead garland to make a Valentine wreath over at Restyled Junk.   

  Like Cyndee, I also had picked up a whole box of wooden bead garland at a garage sale a few years ago.  More than enough to decorate a tree.  I remembered I also had in my stash a wire heart form.  I have had this for a very long time.  I was originally going to make a dried apple wreath.  That never happened.  I know I always say things come from my stash, but seriously, they do.  I have a really BIG stash.  I decided to go a step further and frame it to hang on our front door.  Let's get started.

Red bead garland and wire heart form.

Cut that string and remove the beads.

Using a pair of needle nose pliers I straightened the looped ends of the form so that I could get the beads on.  I just slide the beads on.  Some of mine didn't fit.  The holes were too small, but it worked out fine.  I had enough that did fit.  Once all the beads were on I bent the ends again to make loops since this is need to hook the ends together so the beads won't fall off.

Like I said I had to take it a step further so I took an old frame, which isn't really a frame.  It was an old cupboard door.  I had picked up two of these at a garage sale.  They've been hanging out waiting to be used.  Except for washing them I left them as I found them.

I need a backing so I cut a piece of cardboard to fit, then mod podged some torn book pages on both sides.  I did both sides because it will be hanging on our front door that has a large window.  Even though I have sheers hanging I didn't want to be looking at ugly cardboard from the back.

 

I glued the cardboard onto the frame.

A pretty gingham ribbon was added. I glued the heart to the inside of the frame and called it a day.  Oops, almost forgot.  In order to hang it I used two screw in eyelets and added some wire so it would hang on my over the door wreath hanger.

 

I'm sharing here: