Coffee Filter Wreaths

I love materials that are unusual or unexpected.

A very versatile and affordable craft material is coffee filters.

They are fabulous and fun.

I love them for wreaths...

The finished product is very lightweight which makes them great for hanging.

Today I just wanted to share a few of my coffee filter wreaths. 

Many of them I use RIT dye to color.

You can see my RIT Studio here.

This sweet pink oval wreath is a great accent.

You can find the complete instructions here.

                                    

Those basic directions can be used to create a variety of wreaths and projects.

This heart wreath uses the same directions but I cut the base shape from a large cardboard box.

 I used 14 flowers and really pushed them together to get a very dense look.

These make a great Valentine's day accent.

They would also be perfect for a wedding...

When I cut the base shape from cardboard, I wrapped it with scrap fabric strips that I also dyed.

If I hang it on a door or window, the back looks almost as nice as the front...

The great thing about the coffee filters is the variety of colors you can achieve with the RIT dye.

The next wreath color was achieved with a weaker Fuchsia dye bath that I added coffee to.

LOVE IT!!!

The following wreaths were done by coffee dyeing the filters.

You could also just use the unbleached filters.

It would be less work but I like the look of the dyed one.

This round wreath uses the flower method again.

This heart wreath does not.

I took each filter and folded into fourths and then twisted the point like I described here in my Rose Banner Tutorial.

I usually do a huge stack of them while watching tv.

I just toss them into a pop-up laundry basket that I can take to the garage/studio when I am ready.

The base for this wreath was cut from a piece of newspaper and then traced on a cardboard box.

You could use foam core too.

I just started at the top in one corner and glued them on, adding as I went. 

The little twisted point of the coffee filter gets stuck in the glue so your fingers don't get burned.

The wreath below is a favorite. 

I like the rectangular shape.

I donated this one to a local cause for a fundraiser.

I will have to make another one to keep.

Last, but not least, are a couple book pages wreaths that I used the coffee filter flowers for the center.

These are all over Pinterest...with good reason.

They are fabulous.

I am careful what kinds of books I use for the petals...

Only damaged and discarded books.

Very often, Reader's Digest books. 

Seems like no one wants those and they end up thrown away.

I can't let that happen!

So I rescue them from the trash and "to be recycled" bins...

They are simple to make.

Remove book pages.

Twist each into a cone and secure with clear tape.

Then staple about 1 inch from the tip.

I also do this while watching tv.

I fill that collapsible laundry hamper and then I go out and make as many wreaths as that many pages will complete.

At first I used a round shape for the base but I learned to just use a piece of rectangular foam core.

For the large size, I use a quarter sheet.

I sketch rounded corners on the foam core and use that for the base as I am gluing them on.

MUCH easier than measuring, cutting, etc...

This smaller one uses a 1/8th sheet of foam core.

And then I just finish it off with a coffee filter flower.

What common material do you use in unusual ways?

Thanks for stopping by...

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