Remember the time that I wanted to make a book page wreath….but I couldn’t bring myself to cut the pages of the book…..
…..so I made it from scrapbook paper instead.
Really.
I promise you….not a page of a book was harmed in the making of this wreath.
You see….I had the idea for the wreath and the book open to a page ready to cut the feathers out. I was cutting them out from top to bottom on the page because I thought it might be fun to read the story as it went around the wreath….
…but something stopped me.
I looked at the book….and the open pages looked right back at me.
As if to say….
….girl.….have mercy….there aren’t too many of us left.
It was a beautiful old book….you know….the kind that’s perfect for this kind of project. The pages were faded with a sort of patina and character that has stood the test of time.
And so the scissors paused in mid-air….rebelling with dramatic emphasis as if they couldn’t have the demise of a book on their hands.
I know it’s silly.
I’m kind of laughing as I’m writing it.
You are probably rolling your eyes at me right now and thinking about sending me all the books you have collecting dust that would love to be made into wreaths.
And you’re probably right…..
….as usual. 🙂
So just in case you are jumping onto the book-saving bandwagon with me….Hobby Lobby has this paper for .58 each.
Which brings your total for the project under $5.00.
Even less if the paper goes on sale.
And here’s instructions to make your own.
How to Make a Paper Feather Wreath
Supplies:
look-alike book page paper
grapevine wreath
hot glue
scissors
Step 1: Trace the outline of the size of feathers you want
Cut out feathers.
There are about 40 feathers on this wreath.
Be as random as possible with the feathers….don’t try to cut perfectly.
Double or triple or quadruple your paper to make the project go even faster.
Next….cut slanted lines along the edge of the feathers.
Step 2: Crinkle edges of the feathers
This step is what transforms your paper into feathers.
The more you crinkle and fold back the edges….the more feather-like your wreath will be.
Step 3: Hot glue the first layer of feathers to the wreath
Make sure all your feathers are going the same direction.
Space them evenly and continue until you have feathers going all the way around the wreath.
Continue to add layers of feathers until you get the feather density you desire.
Step 4: Hang it up on a garden fence in front of a lot of milk glass
This garden gate had been buried under snow.
I left it in the yard and forgot about it…..
….until the snow melted and there it was extra snow and ice character and all.
After you put it on the gate….you will want to crinkle the edges of the feathers even more.
My assistant took care of that task. 🙂
So happy the dining room has a new wreath.
So happy there’s such a thing as scrapbook typography.
So happy the sun was shining and the skies were blue and the grass was almost green.
So happy that the books survived ….
….with their tales intact. 🙂
hee hee
PS Someone mentioned the other day that they’ve never seen my husband on the blog.
Until today.
I told him to smile….
….like we had finished all the projects. 🙂
IN LOVE with this gorgeous wreath!!!!! Absolutely GORGEOUS!!!! But...what made me smile was the perfect pair at the end of the post! : ) hugs...
Haha "smile like we had finished all the projects"! Now that's a good line for me to use on my hubby! :D You two are adorable! I love the script paper better than cutting up a book! I admit I cut up a book once to make a leaf wreath that was an utter fail...maybe the book was giving me a sign!
{Gasp!!} I just about fell off my chair when you starting saying book . . .tear . . .pages. . .{Whew!} Was I ever glad you changed your mind. You might have seen me picketing in front of your house. Cruelty to books and such. The crinkling of pages would be a perfect project for little hands and your assistant looks very capable and professional. The best is the smile at the end of the post. Love it!! You two look great together :-)
You two are definitely a pair of cuties. But, we all know all projects completed never happens. Love the feather wreath. I think I would have the book cutting issue, too.
Hi Karianne, beautiful feather wreath and I love the photo with you and hubby. I've often thought the same thing and it's nice to see his smiling face make an appearance here. You took look so cute together. The shot of your daughter helping out is adorable too. Have a wonderful week, Lisa
love this wreath but I love the couple more! have an awesome week!
Kari.....I've thought the same thing....! About not seeing your hubby!! So glad to finally see his face! :) Andddd love the wreath too!!
Awww.. you and your hubby are adorable! Love the wreath too! Very pretty on the garden gate in front of a bunch of ironstone... :)
So glad you spared the book! I feel the same way. A few weeks ago I found an old Reader's Digest book and thought I'd have the courage to cut it up and, instead, found myself reading the first condensed novel. Love the feather wreath and plan to make one and pin your tutorial. Thanks!
OMG KariAnne,it was me who mentioned the picture of your hubby...I was so excited to see the picture because I thought that you are so busy and would probably forget,what a great surprise!!!!!It is great to be able to put a face on the man who you have shared such wonderful stories,thank you so much!!!!LOVE this picture KariAnne,you and your hubby are a very beautiful looking couple,love the smiles!!!!(p.s.)love the wreath too!
Deborah, You were so right! It was waaaaaaay overdue. :) Happy day friend.
Awwwwwwwe............Mister Freshy and Karianne! xox
Love it all. Great pic of the two of you!!!!
Very few projects leave me with a "I've GOT to make that!" feeling, but this was definitely one of them. I love the color combo of the white ironstone, the gray of the gate, and the purple. The wreath ties it all together beautifully. And might I add, what an attractive, happy couple! :-)
Totally cute, love the wreath!!! and what a wonderful couple....you guys look great:-)
Cuties - you, your girl, your guy and of course your wreath.
Great project. Great couple!
I feel the same way about books:) I'm making this wreath- thank you!! Wonderful photo of you and adorable hubby- Mr. Sparkly eyes:)! He obviously adores you!
I am with you all the way. I can still hear my 3rd grade teacher (who also happened to be my aunt, saying to a little boy with crayons in his hands and a guilty look "Books are our friends and we treat them with respect." I love the wreath and will be at Hobby Lobby with my 40% coupon before the week is out. You surely do make a lovely couple.
I love the wreath and your solution to not cutting up a book. I seriously thought there was/is something wrong with me. I tried to make myself use a book to line my bookcase and I just could not do it. I have a perfectly good set of Encyclopedia's that I wanted to donate and I have been told they are not wanted........ seriously!!! Makes me angry that all kids want today are headphones and listening to music on their phones instead of the FREE radio and reading a real book.
I enjoy your posts & agree about the books! Great picture too!
Beautiful wreath and a beautiful couple!!!
Lovely, Karianne, like everything you do! Love, love, love the pic of you and Mr. Thistle! True love just shines in that picture, and I'm certain in your life as well. Next pic of Mr. Thistle, how about a shot of those famous twinkling eyes...just sayin'....'cuz we Southern girls are pushovers for twinkling eyes, right?
You're the cutest. That is all :)
Oh... I about had a heart attack when you mentioned cutting and book!!!! I'm SO glad you didn't do it!!! I'm also very happy to see so many of your readers feel the same way!! Once my MIL was coming to visit and she sent ahead a box of crafts for us to work on during her visit. I was so excited to see the contents... Only to open it and see classic old Ragedy Ann & Andy books. Her idea was to make altered books. I told my husband I couldn't do it... And ran and hid the books... No joke!!! I had to call my MIL and tell her I couldn't ruin those books....and the lived happily ever after on my bookcase.... Just like you and your hubby.... It's definitely a happy ever after... You can see it in the photo!!!! Blessings, Shannon M.
Miz karianne, if I ever thought you were adorable and lived a a fairy tale romance....I am absolutely positive of it now! My word....the sparks absolutely FLY between you two! So cute. So inspiring to your children. You guys are proof that, "you can never have too much happy". Oh, and like most everything you do...I love the wreath. And I'm so glad you respect books.
Great idea. Glad you saved the Book. Great looking couple.
So happy you saved the book! And what a great alternative too! Now that's a stunning wreath! Cute pic of you and your hubby too...you make a darling couple! ;)
Great picture..Love the wreath..
Wreath - amazing! Iron gate and sweetie assistant - awesome! Pic of you and hubby - so adorable! Just look at his twinkling eyes - no wonder you call him 'Cutie'... P.S. From all the amazing books out there - thank you, thank you, thank you!
You see!!! there are more book lovers in this high tech world than we know.
LOVE this idea! So simple.....my kind of craft! Have a wonderful week!!!~~Angela
The wreath is beautiful. And I can't bring myself to cut up books, either! lol
Your wreath is lovely!
Every time I read your blog I smile. Your wit and charm are fabulous! It's amazing all of that is wrapped into such a creative mind as well. Thank you for the daily dose of cheer!
Hi KariAnne - To think I almost skipped reading this post because I thought, "I don't have time to make that feather wreath, no matter how cute..." but then something lured me in... and I am so glad because not only does the wreath look amazingly do-able but if I hadn't read your post, I would have missed that spectacular picture of you and your husband at the end. That picture is just golden! Thank you so much for sharing it with us. I found myself saying, "Awwwwwwwww!" out loud to my empty house and tearing up at the love shining through!!!
Such a pretty wreath, and I love how you and your assistant styled it with the milk glass and pretty purple flowers. Also, I love the sweet picture of you and your hubby, it is so nice to see a couple still so in love after years together!
I love the wreath, but gotta say, the pic at the end steals the show. You guys are adorable.
I can not tell you how happy it makes me that I am NOT the only person in the whole world who still loves the look and feel of a real book, I could never, never ,never cut up the pages of a book, I have had a love affair with books all my life ( Thank You Mama ♥) But I do love a lot of the projects made with "pages" and I found a really good solution....I take an old book, open it up and put it on the copy machine...I use the sepia tone setting and they print out looking like an old time worn book page, and it they don't look old enough for me, I take some of my sweet tea :) actually just the tea bag and I use it to stain the copied pages..... I can't wait to do your feathered pages wreath!!!! I have a small grapevine wreath in my "collection" waiting to do something for my Easter table...this will be it with an LED candle in the middle and a few birds sitting around the wreath......Thanks karianne you are always an inspiration.....from one book lover to another...BTW you and the hubby are such a cute couple.....I will be celebrating 30 year anniversary with the love of my life on April 7th....Life is so good....
Wow Amy, congrats on attaining 30yrs! that's amazing
I adore this!!! I'm definitely giving it a try. I even have a feather template on my Silhouette Cameo to make it a bit easier. ~Cheryl https://snaps-of-ginger.blogspot.com/
I love the wreath. The script paper looks so much better than a book page. The first thing that came to my and when I saw them was love letters.. and speaking of love, I'm guilty of looking all over your posts for your hubby, I love your stories of you two. You make a lovely couple.
As sweet as the wreath is, the couple grinning at the end of the post is even sweeter! You should frame that one! :) Sunny days, chasing the . . clouds away . . .!!! But not necessarily on Sesame Street! ;)
Better late than never...just read this post and I just have to say I understand how things have feelings. Anyone who doesn't think they do has never had a doll or teddy bear. So, that said, I'm glad you listened to the book. It's also like listening to that little voice that says "grab the umbrella" as you're heading out the door and you are already late and the sun is shining and you hear it again "GRAB the UMbrellA!", but you don't. And since you did not listen to that voice and you didn't grab that umbrella I am here to tell you it is going to be pouring buckets later and you'll wonder why (once AGAIN) you did not heed that little 'voice' ( I think it's my angel or our angels). Who knows why that book said what it did? Maybe, just maybe it was because some day it will be the only book you need that will do for whatever you are doing and if you had cut it up...see what I mean? (Angel voices - book voices - same thing.) Now... the other neat stuff. My heart swelled up with sentiment as I saw your helper "fluff" the feathers. The years we have these helpers in our lives, under our roof, day in, day out, fluffing things or not, are the BEST years of our lives and we come to know that way too fast. Next...same goes for your other half. I got choked up a bit looking at that photo. :0) And I LOVE what you said for him to think of to make him smile! You know what? We really do have some really good stuff in this life we have! It may be hidden under the pile of laundry or the lost book that was talking to us or an endless pile of analogies I'll spare you, but I love that you know it's there, and you share it with all of us, once again helping us stop and remember it is a wonderful life! Thank you, KariAnne. God Bless you!
You two are adorable! The wreath is fab and I love your assistant... but... the best part of this post for me was seeing mister wonderful smiling at you in the sunlight... ADORABLE!! BTW... " tales intact " Bravo!! :)
Love the wreath! Books everywhere are cheering when you enlightened us to the great scrapbook paper! I embarrassed to say I had to look at your post numerous times to find your daughter. I just thought you were kind of short and the furniture was large. Oops! Love the picture of you and your husband. His big smile says to me that he loves your creative mind and he knows your creativity is boundless! Happy Monday!
KariAnne, How are you girlie?? I hope well. I still read your blog daily and this was such a great project and who would have thought to make feathers out of paper. You continue to amaze and inspire us. Most of all it was great to see not only your daughter (aka asst) but YOU and your Hubs!! How cute are you two??? Adorable!!! Love seeing any pictures of you!! I joined the Pinterest Party last night and that was so much fun and thanks for the Pinterest Twitter Love too!!! Hope all is well xo Lisa
Can I just be amazed for a few minutes by your cleverness? I love it, KariAnne...you've got the best ideas!
I love the wreath, but I love the picture of you and your husband even more, so sweet!
KariAnne: I love the wreath...so clever! P.S. You two make a great looking couple! R
:) Did you see my instagram comment? hehe
GREAT craftie - love it, looks awesome. ADORABLE helper (even from behind!) The handsome brilliant white smile your husband is giving you? Priceless!
I love the wreath, I think I could manage something like this! Love the last picture, you two are so cute. I think it may have been me who asked, I'm nosy like that! XO, Jane
CUTE couple.....thanks for sharing! Love the wreath too! : )
Cute wreath and cuter couple!
Ok...I might be tarred and feathered but I have to tell you that my 81 year old father and I cut book letters from 40 Readers Digest Condensed Books today for repurposing and reselling. I felt one say to me....I really want to be a "G" and another wanted to be an ampersand and sit on someone's shelf. And, I also have to say that I am a retired teacher and it felt a little rebellious (in a fun way) to be cutting the books. (Really! Why would anyone want to read a condensed version! That is like reading Cliff Notes!) Finally, I loved your wreath and photo....and your creativity and style!
Love the wreath and LOVED seeing your hubby. x
Cute pic, and wreath of course. But I really, really wanted to see the brown eyes that twinkle. :)
I'm going to stand on the side of No Books Harmed Here. I also love the look of the wreaths, lining and decopage projects using book pages but just cannot see using actual books to do it. Copies of a favorite book? Oh yeah... that's my style! I'm even willing to tea stain to get a patina, but not harm an actual book. I guess I've just spent to many hours curled up with great ones to harm even a bad one. Now how about that pair of cutie patooties! Was that a pair of suspenders I spied on him? I was kinda distracted by yall's gorgeous smiles to really take note.... Thanks for sharing and pass along our thanks to the Mister. If he's anything like Darren it wasn't easy getting him to pose!
So glad you saved the book, and what a cutie patootie your hubby is!!! Love the wreath!!!!
Love the wreath but love seeing the picture of your spouse even more! hee hee
I too have stopped -- when using a book for a project. Then I got wise and had to make sure books I had picked up were appropriate!!! And then the older, more worn the book, it was just like the time I tried to eat a frog leg--it just got stuck there--I JUST COULD NOT do it. And so it went with all my ideas for vintage this page project and that. My instant coffee aged my bleached white copies to an aged perfection. I know I was ruining a tree to do my project but these trees are grown to cut back pollution and are grown to be cut down for paper and many little children get shoes and food and clothes right here in America because their parents are part of our paper industry so...in the big scheme of things, my copy of my old book pages of books I won't be reading still makes sense to my brain. So when does the next taxi leave for Hobby Lobby? I've got my red lipstick and my coupon on my phone!!! Fake paper writing fake feather wreath on a REAL wooden wreath, here I come!!!
I LOVE the pic of you and your husband! LOVE LOVE LOVE !!! xxx
I'm so glad you didn't "Take Out" the book! Being a Tree-Hugger I can't imagine even getting that far! But I love the wreath! I'm going to try it with scrapbook paper! And your photo is just beautiful ........ you can see that your both Soul-mates...... stay Happy-always! L.L.
Beautiful post and an even more beautiful couple! May God always be the third person in your beautiful marriage xoxo
BEAUTIFUL
Ok, my favorite blogger, I have to share this paper feather thing with you. When my son was in first grade he wanted to be Michael, the arch angel, for the school All Saints Day pageant (Catholic School). Well, in my opinion Michael could not have sissy wings like all the little angels in the Christmas play. NO! Michael is a warrior. He single handedly defeated the devil and drove him down to hell. He can't have soft little feathers floating around. So I made feathers in the same fashion as yours and attached them to cardboard wings with elastic for arms then I spray painted them all black in the crevices for depth and then I painted them deep gold. These were manly wings on my little guy! The rest of the costume came from his Halloween knight costume from a previous year.