Monday, June 27, 2011

Coffee Filter Grapevine

I hope you had a nice weekend! Today, the high in Detroit was just around 81 degrees. I really, really love this weather. I have never had a summer this breezy, this cool. I know winter is going to make me sing for my supper, but until then, Mr. "I don't get-over-85 degrees" summer and I are going to live like there is no tomorrow.



I just had to give you a good picture to show you what my 2.5 year old son has been maneuvering up and down every day (20 times a day) as he climbs up and down the stairs. These stairs are plentiful and steep. David has to walk down facing the banister in order for his feet to fit. They are short, narrow, and sloped. Thankfully, the previous owners left a fabulous security gate at the top on the landing, so we don't have to worry about Harbor waking up at night and trying to escape downstairs. The landing is pretty spacious {we have room for a small area rug and a bench} and I routinely lock us in to fold laundry or get ready in the mornings and Harbor is content to play in his room. Being a 1920's house, all of the bedrooms are on the 3rd floor, upstairs.



And, here I am, taking a blurry self portrait, looking into the mirrored coat closet, to show you the view from the bottom. As you can tell, my little sized seven feet don't have any problems fitting, but it is close.


I picked up several grapevine wreaths at the thrift store and have had fun "dressing" them for different areas of the house. Using coffee filters on wreath forms has been around for a while, but I thought they would look cute on grapevine, too. I had two wreaths of the same size, so I made two matching wreaths to be used together.



Coffee filters at Meijers only cost me around 90 cents, so this project is super cheap if you are looking for an easy fix for a few old and tired wreaths. And if you already drink coffee, lucky you! I am not a coffee drinker, but if you see any cute crafts that use Coke Zero bottles, let me know! Ha, ha!


I started by opening the filter up flat, and then folding it into quarters. Once folded, I twisted the end into a point. Most tutorials will have you snip the end off, but since I am using grapevine, the point is an excellent way to secure your filter. Give the point a little hot glue, and work it into an opening in the grapevine.



I decided to only do about 1/2 of the wreath and let the grapevine show through on the other side. The beauty, I think, of grapevine, is the natural look of the wood. Once you get about five or six glued down, it starts to really take a pretty shape- soft and full.


I hung the first finished one in our butler's pantry {love that we have that extra storage in this house} while I worked on the second wreath.


To add a bit of texture, I took some raffia I already had...


and pinched it in the middle, added some hot glue, and tucked it behind the last filter on the bottom.


With both wreaths done, I added a strip of basic linen and hung them in the dining room on far plantation shutters to mirror one another.



I like to call these wreaths the calm, cool, and sensible friend. The voice of reason....


to their cousin, Chevron, who walks a bit on the wild side! We all need a voice of reason- light, bright, and white when life is colorful, don't we?  : )


{Sorry this post is such a teaser... just a bit of touch up to do and I'll show you more!}

10 comments:

  1. Love the wreaths! I wish the weather in Texas was like the weather there in the summer!

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  2. I was just thinking the other day that I really wished you were here becuase I bought some curtains on clearance for SIX BUCKS! but when I got home, 2 of the panels weren't long enough. Luckily, my mother-in-law found another one on clearance for 1 dollar and bought it. Now, I have to somehow create a valance for the one that's too short... aaaahhh

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  3. Good morning Miss Jessica & Harbor William, I loved that first picture of Harbor with all his white teeth just glowing!!! And speaking of white, cute white flowers on those grapevine wreaths. I don't think I've ever seen how they were made just the final product. I know you are plotting & planing your next craft project, look forward to it, love & miss you all, Gigi

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  4. I LOVE the wreath!! I am going to have steal that idea!! Thanks for sharing!

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  5. I could totally get used to you posting your craftiness on a daily basis! And one day when I win the lottery I'm totally flying you back to NWA to decorate my entire house for me! haha!

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  6. Those wreaths are so cool! You are amazing!

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  7. cuuutee....and you look SO FREAKING SKINNY in that picture!!!

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  8. I'm ok as long as I keep my cover-up on! No way in heck I'm taking it off.

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  9. Oh my goodness, that wreath is so adorable. Coffee filters? It looks like an expensive coupling of florals. This is amazing. I will be trying this for sure.

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