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Most of my finished projects end up in my Etsy shop, so if DIY projects aren’t for you, grab this one before it’s gone!

For those of you up for the DIY challenge, let’s get started… I tend to go into projects with sort of a “half plan”.  I usually have an idea of what I want, but things don’t tend to come together until I’m partially into the project.  This was especially true with my Rustic Burlap Flower Wreath.  The wreath came about during a brainstorming session for a blog challenge I was participating in where the theme “Flower Power” was chosen.  I’m really not a “flowery” kind of person when it comes to crafts.  I prefer a simple, natural bouquet in a mason jar on my counter, but that’s about the full extent of flowers in my home.  Since I’m still working on completing my “She Shed” in the backyard and my theme for decor is ‘urban farmhouse’,  I thought I could get away with mixing in a  few flowers using some burlap.

The type of wreath frame I selected wasn’t ideal for this project.  I probably should have selected something more like this one.  If I’d done that, the wreath would have looked nice on the back side since I was planning on hanging it on a glass door.  (Keep that in mind if you’re going to make one yourself.) Once I got going, the wreath was super easy to make.  The finished wreath measures about 20″ to the outside of the roses, not including the leafy pieces sticking out around the edges.  You can make yours any size you want.  Mine took 12 rosettes to complete plus I needed extra for the leaves.  It took about 1 1/2 yards total to make it.  Here’s what I used: Glue gun and glue sticks, 18″ wreath frame, burlap fabric – light green, white and brown

• (4) 3″ x 46″ strips of each color – 12 total
• (4) 4″ squares of each color – used to glue the rosettes onto – 12 total
• (16) more 4″ squares to make the leaves – cut into triangles to make 32 leaves – give or take a few 😉
• 1 strip of burlap for the ribbon – you can use real ribbon of any kind.  I used this burlap ribbon for mine.
• a stapler – yep, I stapled my leaves together and it worked great!
• scissors
• If you care what the back looks like, you’ll need extra burlap to pre-wrap the wreath before beginning.  I also recommend securing the ribbon prior to gluing the rosettes on.  Now that I think about it, I could have wrapped the wreath I used in burlap first…..  Oops 😉

Before starting, please read the entire tutorial and watch the instructional video.  It will make your life a lot easier!

First, you need to make your leaves.  Do this by taking one of your triangle pieces and accordion folding the long side together using about 1″ folds so the point is sticking out.  Staple the folds together.  (You can sew them or glue them but the stapler worked fine for me.). Have the leaves handy because you’ll need them right next to you when you’re done making each rosette.

To make the rosettes, first get your glue gun hot and have one of the 4″ squares ready to go on a surface that you don’t care about.  I used the back of a ceramic plate.  The glue will leak through so be careful.  Fold one of the long strips in half so it’s 1 1/2″  wide by 46 ” long.  With the fold side on your left, roll it towards you for just a couple of rolls to start the center and hold that together in your left hand.  Now take your right hand and start twisting the burlap towards your left hand and begin wrapping the burlap up and around the rolled part.  Keep doing that until you reach the end and then tuck the end under the back.  You’ll have to hold all of this secure in one hand while you grab two leaves and tuck them behind the rosette where you want them to go.  Grab your glue gun and begin covering the 4 ” square with glue in a round circle pattern leaving the corners without any glue.  The idea is that the rosette will need to be entirely glued down onto the square and have all of the rosette stick.  Almost the entire square, with the exception of the outer corners, will be covered with glue.  Lay the rosette and leaves onto the square so that the square is on the back.  Be careful, the glue is HOT!  Using the four corners of the square, pull up on the corners that don’t have glue to make the glue stick to the rosette.  You can pick the entire thing up in your hand now and begin pressing the back on the plate or whatever surface you use to get the rosette firmly stuck to the square.

Use scissors to cut the excess points from the square off.  Use the point of your glue gun and stick it into random places inside the folds of the rose to further hold things in place.  Make 12 rosettes with leaves. Take the rosettes and lay them in a circular pattern to get them the way you want and then begin gluing them onto your wreath frame.  I like the texture that the loose pieces give.  I did trim a few away that were a little wild.

After all of your roses are made, you’ll have leftover leaves (if you use 2 per rosette like I did). Find spots on your wreath that need filler and tuck them into those spots and secure them using your glue gun.

I hope you enjoy making your Rustic Burlap Flower Wreath.  This may sound hard, but after I made my first rosette, the rest all came together taking only about 2 – 3 minutes each.  It’s honestly a super easy project.  I hope you enjoy making your Rustic Burlap Flower Wreath.

xoxo, Denise