Doily Wreath

This is a fun summer project to get you prepped for the holidays or to simply use as an accent for the perfect decor!  I can envision this with red, white and blue accents for the July fouth celebration as well. They emulate a firework display with the lights!  A beautiful  white paper doily wreath highlighted with holiday lights.  It has the holiday appeal of snowflakes, fireworks or soft elegance!



What you will need:
24-inch wreath form
30-inch wreath form
24-gauge wire
Scissors
White spray paint
20-foot strand of white holiday lights in a white theme strand
Paper bouquet holders (try ten 8.8-inch ones, twenty 6.4-inch ones, twenty 4.8-inch ones, and fifty 3.2-inch ones

Directions:

Step 1
Working on a covered surface, lay a 24-inch wreath form inside a 30-inch one. Attach them with 24-gauge wire at 6 to 8 evenly spaced points.

Step 2
In a ventilated area, coat combined wreath form with white spray paint. Let dry.

Step 3
Wrap wreath in zig zag form with a 20-foot strand of white holiday lights (test lights beforehand), leaving the plug end unwrapped (as much as is needed to plug in).

Step 4
With scissors, widen the center-hole slits slightly in paper bouquet holders (we used 10 8.8-inch ones, 20 6.4-inch ones, 20 4.8-inch ones, and 50 3.2-inch ones). Poke a finger through center hole of each bouquet holder (from front to back) to create openings large enough to accommodate a light bulb.

Step 5

Beginning with largest ones, place bouquet holders evenly around wreath, slipping a light through each hole so that bulb bases, not bulbs, rest against paper. (From time to time, hang wreath, and step back to ensure that the arrangement is balanced and attractive.)

Step 6
Add remaining bouquet holders in descending size order. Use smallest bouquet holders to cover centers of larger ones and to fill in any gaps. Hang near an outlet. Unplug when unattended.