A Trash Bag Wreath

I know that it doesn't sound cute, but it really is.  Anyone can do it that can tie a knot.  I've had children make them when I taught public school and then recently in our homeschool co-op and they ranged from 1st grade to 5th grade.

Supplies:

wire coat hanger

about 4 white trash bags

Decorations (bows, ornament,etc...)

Instructions:

1.  Buy the thickest white trash bags that you can.  The thicker the trash bags, the fluffier your wreath will be.  It takes about 4 or 5 to make the wreath nice and full.

2.  Cut the trash bag into strips about 6 inches long by 11/2 - 2 inches wide.  Just eyeball it.  With the brand of trash bag that I bought, I just cut the bottom seam off and then sliced through all of the side seams on each side, leaving the bag all folded still.  Then I just cut the strips at the width I wanted.  *This is probably the hardest part of the whole process and it's not really hard, but a little time consuming.*

3.  Bend the body of the hanger into a circle.  Leaving the hanger part on top as-is so that it can be used to hang the wreath.  Don't worry if your hanger isn't perfectly round, the fullness makes up for all of that.

4.  Have the child begin tying the strips on the wreath one at a time.  This is a great project to do while listening to a read aloud or watching a video.  Quick and easy.  Just tie it on there with one knot and then go on to the next one. As the wreath begins to get full, just push them all to one side so that they are as tight as they'll go.  The more strips that you add, the better your wreath will look.

5.  Add the decorations. 

When I do this as a group project and am counting pennies, I just buy the little red bows at Wal-Mart - a pack of 16 for $1.97 I think.  They'll just twist on there nicely.  I also bought some little wooden slats in the craft department that my husband drilled 2 holes in so that we could tie twine on there and hang it around the hanger part.  (That's exact, huh?!)  Then I just wrote Merry Christmas and put the child's name & year on there with a red paint pen.

Years ago, when I did this with the boys to give as gifts to grandparents & neighbors, we hot glued red pointsettia's on there instead of the bows and then I bought a cute clay/ceramic type ornament and wrote the boys name & year on that to hang around the hanger part.  You can just decorate it however best suits your family. 

This is a simple project that even my boys enjoy doing.  It's inexpensive and the wreaths really do hold up well.  Since they are made out of trash bags, they can be hung outside and the weather won't hurt them.  My mom still has the one that my oldest son did probably 7 years ago. 

Have fun!  Only 10 more days till Christmas!