The Wicker Heart tutorial
Because of the bright
colors of our wreath, I wouldn't use much embellishment, this time. I
needed to add the contrast color. So I decided to add wicker heart in
wonderful raspberry red. My favorite color for making the contrasts.
You could buy this heart in some flowers shop, DIY shops or you could
easily make it by yourself. If you would like to make it, I wrote the tutorial for making easy DIY wicker heart decoration/embellishment :-)
For this heart I
used natural wicker. Natural wicker is well known for its strength
and durability, and for the high level of beauty and comfort that an
expert craftsman can produce. Materials used can be any part of a
plant, such as the cores of cane or rattan stalks, or whole
thicknesses of plants, as with willow switches (www.wikipedia.com).
I used red colored wicker. You could buy it in some DIY shop or
flowers shop, like me. Two twigs of 1 m / 39 inched long will be
enough for one heart.
The width of my twigs is 3
mm, but it could buy thiner (placed on the wreath), wider, there are many variation of the
wicker in the shops.
Before you
will work with wicker, roll the twigs and place them into the water -
5 minutes will be enough. The twigs should be wet when you will work
with them, if you put them into the water, they will draw water into
the pores and they become very flexible. If you will not do it, they
could easily break up.
Anyway – do you see my new bowl? I love it! :-)
Ok, back to the work :-)
Note: if you will have
colored wicker as I, it could slightly discolor, but there will be
nothing on your hands, only the water could be colored a little bit.
Now cut two pieces of wicker of 30 cm /
11.8 inches lenght. Fold them in the half and join them
by some thin wire or elastic band, like me.
Then shape the heart nicely and join the ends using wire or elastic band again. Let it
dry, to the basic shape of the heart will be strong enough to you
could continue. After 20 minutes begin with rolling one wet twig around the heart. Dry the rest of the wicker again – for 5 minutes. Roll it nice, irregularly, but strong, to the shape of the heart stayed nice after dry also.
Hide the ends of the twigs inside.
Let it dry again and you beautiful wicker heart decoration is ready :-) You could make many other sizes, use any colors. I made this heart for my wreath and the size of finished heart is 7 cm/ inches 2.8 height and 5 cm / 2 inches width.
Back to our wreath. Now sew the heart easily on the wreath, using common sewing thread.
Finishing of the spring wreath:
You made all tree parts: The Star Stitch Wreath, The Ribbon's Bow and the Wicker Heart also. Only, what is missing is beads garland (you could buy it in Flowers shop od DIY shops again) and roll the beads garland around the wreath. It will add nice gently “touch”. Use thin nylon thread for hanging of the wreath.
And your spring wreath is finished :-)
I hope, you like to make this wreath as same as I.
I will look froward to seeing the pictures :-)
The Ribbon's Bow tutorial
I was always scaring of making the ribbon's bows. But, I noticed, that I was scared needlessly. I will show you the bow, which is nice and easy like a piece of cake :-)
Use 1,6 cm/ 0.6 inches width ribbon in light pink color and cut 25 pieces of 11 cm/4.3 inches lenght.
Now you will take a longer needle with tiny “eye” and pull the thread through it, use double thread and make a big, strong knot about 8 cm / 3.1 inches from the end. Then take one small piece of ribbon, fold it in the half and insert the needle through the ribbon, like you see on the picture below. Let it into the needle and continue with another ribbon pieces by same way.
When you will have all ribbons on the needle, then pull them on the thread and make a strong knot (I made 3 knots, for sure :-) ).
Tadaaaah, your ribbon's bow is finished :-)
The size of my ribbon bow is 9 cm width and it is enough for my wreath. But you could use another ribbons, different width and any number of ribbon's pieces, what you like most.
Now take your wreath, you made last time and sew the ribbon's bow in the middle of the wreath. Use common sewing thread.
Continue tommorrow with The Wicker Heart :-)
Hi my dears,
do you like the spring? I love the spring very much. My mood always jumps over 100% :-) This is my most beloved period of the year. I just finished the new free tutorial for you and hope, you will like it :-)
When I made
this wreath, I combined many different techniques. I used bright colors –
I love this combination very much and I am pretty sure, you will see
it on my other projects also :-). I used my favorite star stitch, I
added ribbon bow and wicker heart. I enjoyed making this wreath and really hope, that you will enjoy it too.
This tutorial consists of 3 parts:
The
Star
Stitch
Wreath
The
Ribbon's
Bow
The
Wicker
Heart
Let's begin with The
Star
Stitch
Wreath
Abbreviations used:
Chain (CH)
Single crochet (SC)
Half double crochet (HDC)
Yarn over hook (YO)
Material:
Yarn weight:
Sport / 5 ply (12 wpi) 100% cotton
e.g. Catania Solids by
Schachenmayr SMC
Yardage:
136
yards (124 meters)
Unit
weight: 50 grams (1.76 ounces)
Gauge: 26.0
sts = 4 inches
You
will need about
70 g of yarn/ about 191 yards for
all wreath
Hook:
3 mm
Colors:
165
light blue (if you don´t find this color you could use
also number 253 – it is a little bit darker, but in same color
line), 100 Light Yellow, 281
Orange, 256 Raspberry , 236 Pistachio green, 212 Kiwi green
Other material: as
a base of my wreath I used the polystyrene wreath size 20 mm, then I
needed common sewing thread, common sewing needle, needle with blunt
tip, beaded garland, wicker heart and ribbon bow, scissors.
The gauge of the
stitch: 16 rows and 33 stitch in 10 cm square
Note: Please remember,
that if you will have another size of the wreath then I, you should
adjust the number of stitches and rows according to your wreath and
your own style of crocheting. Always it is better to
make the sampler. Make first 4 rows and try it, if it is enough for
your wreath, if yes continue :-)
Instruction
I used star stitch. I like
this stitch very much. You could make this stitch by different ways
and this is the way, I like most.
Beginning: make 43
CH
Row 1: Pick
up a loop in second stitch from the hook and in each of next 4 CH
(you will have 6 loops on the hook), YO and through all
loops on the hook, then make 1 CH.
[Pick up a loop in the middle of the star (under the CH you made), then in the next stitch and in each of next 3 stitches, 1 CH ] as you see on the picture below.
Repeat to
the end of the row. You will have 13 stars – enough for the wreath,
ending with 1 HDC in last CH (same CH as last loop of last star),
turn.
Row 2: 2 CH (count as first stitch), insert a hook in last HDC from previous row and make 1 HDC, 1 HDC in very first star from previous row, then make 3 HDC in the middle of each star across, ending with 1 HDC in the top of turning CH, turn.
Row 3: Change the color.
You will have blue stitch on the hook, cut the thread. Change
the color in your hand, take yellow thread and make 2 CH with yellow
thread. Then pick up the loop in second stitch from the hook (yellow
stitch), and in each of next 4 stitches from previous row. You will
have 6 loops on the hook, then YO and through all loops on the hook,
make 1 CH. [Then insert a
hook in the middle of the star and pick up the loop. Then pick up the
loop in each of 4 stitches from previous row. You will have 6 loops
on the hook, then YO and through all loops on the hook, make 1 CH ]
- repeat the group in brackets across, ending with 1 HDC in last
stitch ( same stitch like last loop of last star), turn.
Row 4: 2 CH (count as first stitch), insert a hook in HDC from previous row and make 1 HDC, 1 HDC in very first star from previous row, then make 3 DC in the middle of each star across, ending with 1 HDC in top of turning CH, turn.
Try the sampler on the
wreath, if it suits good.
Repeat row 3 – 4 until
row 84, then end the work.
Color scheme:
Light blue: Rows 1, 2, 13,
14, 25, 26, 37, 38, 49, 50, 61, 62, 73, 74
Light Yellow: 3, 4, 15,
16, 27, 28, 39, 40, 51, 52, 63, 64, 75, 76
Orange: 5, 6, 17, 18, 29,
30, 41, 42, 53, 54, 65, 66, 77, 78
Hot pink: 7, 8, 19, 20,
31, 32, 43, 44, 55, 56, 67, 68, 79, 80
Hot green: 9, 10, 21, 22,
33, 34, 45, 46, 57, 58, 69, 70, 81, 82,
Dark Green: 11, 12, 23,
24, 35, 36, 47, 48, 59, 60, 71, 72, 83, 84
Neaten free threads. Place the crocheted part on the wreath, make some nice pins work to you could sew it together. Use needle with blunt tip and yellow thread. Make nice
stitches, from inner edges to the second inner edge across, as you
see on the picture below.
Please, be sure, that you have nice straight stripes :-)
Then sew last edges. Neaten free threads.
And main part of your wreath is finished :-)
Continue tomorrow with The Ribbon's Bow tutorial :-)
Hi my dears,
As I said before, I have a little time for my hooks again and I have something for you :-)
As I am seeing at my blog I am shocked - more then one moth and any tiny words from me. I am sorry, my dears... The care about my ill husband and all family last months needed all my time and forces. My hubby is slowly getting better - it will need some time yet, but it is better. Thank you very much for you prayers and messages full of your support ... ♥
I have a little time for my hooks, for my candy shop (this blog) and you again :-) I missed YOU very much. Look what I found ? :
First snowdrops - the spring is coming.
I know, this picture isn't perfect (it was taken by my phone), but I would like make a picture of the messenger of Spring for you :-). I don't understand, how someone could make so nice pictures only with the phones. When I am taking the pictures with my phone, my hand is shaking and all looks so smudgy... and if I have this model - like my Sunny, the pictures looks like this most of all:
OK, here is one picture of my Sunny in all her beauty :-)
Sneak peak is here and for the rest you have to wait until tommorow :-)
