How To Make A Patriotic Deco Mesh And Ribbon Wreath With Wire Frame

This deco mesh and ribbon wreath adds a bright pop of patriotic color to your front door. I’m sure if your are reading this tutorial, you love these wreaths as much as I do. There are so many ribbon colors and patterns available, that the design ideas are endless. I think learning the art of pairing colors and patterns makes a big difference in the final result with wreath making.

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I’ve tried many different types of wreaths on my front door. I’m usually a natural color girl (burlap, creams and taupe’s). However, when it comes to wreaths, I like to add color that can be seen from the street. Mesh and ribbon wreaths are full, but they still fit nicely behind a screen door. There are a few different ways to make these wreaths, let me show you the process I used.

SUPPLIES

• DECO POLY MESH RIBBON METALLIC NAVY (10 INCH BY 30 FEET)
• SOLID RED 2.5 INCH WIRED EDGE CANVAS RIBBON (10 YARDS)
• WHITE GLITTER 2.5 INCH WIRED EDGE RIBBON (10 YARDS)
• STARS & STRIPES 2.5 INCH WIRED EDGE RIBBON (10 YARDS)
• FOAM STARS (1.8 INCH)
• GLITTER (FOR STARS)
• MOD PODGE MATTE (FOR STARS)
• CHENILLE STEMS
• FLORAL WIRE (20 GAUGE)
• 14″ WIRE WREATH FRAME (PURCHASED AT DOLLAR TREE)
• WHITE VINYL (MATTE)
• 1/2″ MDF BOARD (CUT TO 7″ x 7″)
• CHALKBOARD PAINT
• KRYLON CLEAR COAT

TOOLS

• NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS
• SELF-HEALING MAT
• ROTARY CUTTER
• FABRIC SCISSORS
• SILHOUETTE CAMEO (TO CUT VINYL FOR SIGN)
• TRANSFER PAPER
• WEEDING TOOLS (FOR VINYL)

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HOW MANY YARDS OF RIBBON DO YOU NEED FOR A DECO MESH AND RIBBON WREATH?

These calculations are based on using a 14 inch wire frame, using the method described in this tutorial. The ribbon I ordered came in 10 yard rolls with the exception of the Deco Mesh. I calculated the exact amount of ribbon I used by subtracting the amount left on each roll. Here is the breakdown.

• The entire roll of Deco Mesh Ribbon (10 yards or 30 feet)
• Stars & Stripes Ribbon (6.7 yards)
• Red Ribbon (5.3 yards)
• White Ribbon (5.3 yards)

If I had known this information before I made the wreath, I would have cut back just a little on the red and white ribbon. Then I could have made two wreaths with those colors.

I used more of the stars and stripes ribbon because I added three bows to the wreath from this patterned ribbon.

HOW TO MAKE A WORK WREATH

I purchased the 14″ wire wreath from the dollar store. It’s very simple to turn this frame into a work wreath. You just add your chenille stems 4″ apart.

Start by wrapping one of your Chenille stems around the inside two bars at a cross bar. Then twist it twice to hold it into place. Use a ruler to measure over four inches on the same two bars and add another chenille stem. Work your way around the inside until you have 8 stems in place. You may need to split the distance between the first and seventh stem to place your last (8th stem). This will keep things evenly spaced. It’s O.K. if the last stem doesn’t measure exactly 4 inches.

Now repeat the process on the outer two bars. Start at a cross bar and then work your way around the outer two bars, placing a stem every 4 inches.

When done, your wreath frame (work wreath) should look like the image above. You should have 8 stems in the middle and 11 stems on the outside. This process sounds complicated, but I promise it goes really quick.

CUT AND ADD YOUR DECO MESH RIBBON

To start this step, you’ll need to cut your deco mesh into 20 inch long pieces. Roll your mesh out on a self-healing cutting mat. Then use a rotary cutter to cut the mesh. You will need 19 pieces of 20 inch long mesh. This used up the entire 30 foot roll of deco mesh. My last piece was just a little short, but it worked out fine. The wreath is full and you won’t notice if one ruffle is a little small.

For each ruffle, you want to pinch the edge of the mesh between your thumb and forefinger and then walk your fingers along the mesh to form a ruffled bow. See the image below.

Then add the bow to one of your Chenille stems on the outer row of your frame. Twist the stem closed around it. Work your way around the stems in the outer row until it’s complete.

Then repeat the process on the inside row until you’re out of stems and the wreath looks like the image below.

HOW TO CUT A DOVETAIL END ON RIBBON

Start by folding the end of your ribbon in half, like in the image below. Then cut the end of the ribbon on a 45 degree angle. Start your cut at the fold working your way towards the wired edge and the end of the ribbon. When you open your ribbon end, you’ll have a dovetail.

MAKE THREE BOWS FOR ADDED INTEREST

I added three bows to my wreath. Each of the bows were made from 27 inch pieces of stars and stripes ribbon. To do this, cut three strips of ribbon to 27 inches and dovetail the ends.

Then cut (3) 11 inch pieces of white and red ribbon. Cut dovetails on both ends of the 6 ribbons. Bunch one red ribbon in the middle and cross it with a white ribbon, like in the image below. Then add them to one of your chenille stems on your wreath. Add these in three places, evenly spread out on your wreath.

Take one of your 27 inch long stars and stripes ribbon and pinch it about 4 inches from the dovetail. Then make a loop to form one half of your bow and pinch it. Then form the other loop and pinch it, leaving another 4 inch tail. Once the bow is gathered in your hand, adjust it so the pattern is facing forward and it is evenly sized. Be sure your bow is arranged so the chenille stem holds it together. Stem on left, loop on right, loop on left, and stem on right.

Then add the bow to the top of the red and white ribbon you placed earlier. Twist your chenille stems to hold it into place.

Pull the leftover ends of the chenille stems through the wreath to the back side of the wire frame. Then twist them, so they stay hidden. You will use this step on all of the bows, moving forward.

CUT THE REMAINING RIBBON AND ADD TO THE WREATH

With the three bows completed, we can cut the rest of our ribbon.

• Stars & Stripes Ribbon – Cut (16) 11″ Pieces
• Red Ribbon – Cut (16) 11″ Pieces
• White Ribbon – Cut (16) 11″ Pieces

Then dovetail all of the ends, like in the image above.

Layer your ribbon pieces on top of each other. Then pinch them in the center and add them to the chenille stems on the wreath. Be sure to twist the stems closed and feed them through the back of the wreath. Then twist them again to secure them to the wreath. Repeat this step until all of your stems have ribbon.

Since your are flipping your wreath over, wait to fluff it until the very end.

PREPARE YOUR ACCESSORIES

I created the sign and added the glitter to the stars for my wreath. But, I’ve often seen accessories that are easy to modify at the dollar store.

I purchased the foam stars from Amazon. They have a nice 3D effect to them, but I felt like they needed a little bling.

To add glitter to your stars, add some Mod Podge to one side of the star. A cheap craft brush works well for this. I always work on paper plates, for easy clean up. Then sprinkle your glitter over the Mod Podge. Let the stars dry and add another layer of Mod Podge over the glitter to seal it into place.

To attach the stars to the wreath, I ran a 20 gauge piece of floral wire through the back of the foam star. Pull the wire through until the star is in the center of the wire. Then bend the wires and feed them through the wreath. Twist the wire closed and secure the extra wire to the back of the frame.

If you are making your own accessories, make them before working on the wreath. Then the paint/glue has time to dry while you cut and assemble your ribbon.

MAKE YOUR SIGN FOR THE CENTER OF THE WREATH

To make the sign, cut a 1/2″ piece of MDF to 7″ X 7″. You can also use a pine board. Be sure to sand any rough surfaces and wipe the board down. Then paint the board black. You can use any black latex or acrylic paint you have on hand. It took two coats for full coverage.

The next step is important. You need to seal the paint/board with a clear sealer. I applied three light coats of Krylon Crystal Clear spray paint. This step will protect your board from the elements and prevent your vinyl from peeling or bubbling up.

Let the board dry over night. Then cut your vinyl on a Silhouette or Cricut cutting machine, weed the vinyl and transfer your image to the board. For a detailed tutorial on this process, you can visit this post and scroll down to the Cut Your Vinyl heading.

To secure the sign to the wreath, I added wood screws to the back four corners of the sign. Then I wrapped a piece of floral wire around each screw, fed it through the wreath frame and attached it to the back of the frame.

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These deco mesh and ribbon wreaths are so colorful and fun. Hopefully this tutorial will help you create one of your own.

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