Make a Bead Wreath with Quilled Berries Christmas Card

Here's an idea for a unique Christmas card that the recipient just might decide to frame as a holiday decoration. That sounds like a fine idea to me as then it can be enjoyed for years to come. The triangular corners are reminiscent of a retro photo album. A batch can be made in stages, assembly line-style, and perhaps you have quite a few of the supplies already on hand.

 

Supplies:

Card stock - matte white, glossy white, red shimmer

Paper trimmer with cutting and scoring blades (can use a bone folder instead of a score blade)

Double-sided tape or glue stick - to adhere card layers

Polystyrene bead string - 3mm gold metallic fused; 20 inches
Can also be found at craft stores in the wedding notions aisle; silver/crystal are available, if you prefer

Ornament cord - gold, silver

Quilling paper - 1/8 inch standard width; red

Quilling tool - slotted

Scissors - detail

Tweezers - fine-tip

Ruler

Paper piercing tool or cocktail stick - to apply glue to quilled coils

Glue - I prefer a gel adhesive; Scotch Glue is a good one

Ball-head pin

Plastic lid or waxed paper - to use as a glue palette

Damp cloth - to keep fingers free of glue

Additional quilling and paper craft products I recommend can be found in my Amazon shop.

 

Instructions:

1. Cut a 10 x 5-inch piece of matte white card stock. Score at midpoint to make a top or side fold card. If you are a lefty like me, you'll find it is easiest to write a message inside a top fold card as your hand won't be pressing against the wreath.

2. Cut a 3.5 x 3.5-inch piece of red card stock. Cut a second square the same size and trim off each corner to obtain four triangles with a 5/8 inch depth and a widest side that measures 1.25-inch.

3. Cut a 2.75 x 2.75-inch piece of white glossy card stock.

4. Use double-sided tape or a glue stick to adhere the red square to the center of the card front, then adhere the glossy white square to the center of the red square. Adhere a triangle to each corner of the white square as shown.

5. Shape a 20-inch gold bead string into a triple overlapping circle that measures about 2.25 inches in diameter. Apply a small amount of craft gel to the bead string ends with a paper piercing tool or cocktail stick, hiding the ends underneath. Apply dots of craft gel to several more places around the circle so the wreath holds its shape. Set aside to dry.

6. Glue together 9-inch lengths of silver and gold ornament cords by applying a coating of craft gel with fingers. Tape one end of the glued cord to the edge of your work table so it hangs freely while drying. When the cord is completely dry, tie it into a small bow and trim the ends. Apply craft gel to the underside of the bow knot and glue it to the top of the wreath.

7. Make eleven holly berries (domed tight coils in quill-speak).

To make each berry:

a. Cut a two-inch strip of red quilling paper in half lengthwise.

Tip: A torn strip end blends more smoothly when glued than a bluntly cut end.

b. Slide one end of the strip into the quilling tool slot and rotate the tool to fully roll the strip.

c. Apply a tiny amount of craft gel to the strip end and slide the coil off the tool

d. Hold the coil with tweezers and press against one flat side with a ball-head pin to create a dome.

e. Apply a tiny amount of craft gel inside the dome with the tip of a paper piercing tool or cocktail stick to preserve the dome.

8. Spread a shallow puddle of craft gel on a plastic lid. Use tweezers to touch the flat side of a berry to the glue puddle, then place it on a wreath bead. Repeat with each berry, spacing them evenly around the circle.

9. When the glue has dried, glue the wreath to the card.

Mail your card in a shallow box or place a layer or two of bubble wrap over the wreath and slide the card into a sturdy envelope. The extra thickness and square shape will require additional postage if mailed in the U.S.

One last thing: If you're new to quilling and/or have been wanting to try your hand at making quilled jewelry, an article I wrote for the Cloth Paper Scissors blog titled A Beginner's Guide to Quilling Paper Jewelry will help. It goes hand-in-hand with my gilded Circle "Round the Sun Pendant tutorial that is in the November/December issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine.

Image: Cloth Paper Scissors

It's a completely new project, not one of the twenty earring and necklace designs included in my new book, The Art of Quilling Paper Jewelry.

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