While eagerly awaiting the 2021 Halloween collection to be released from the Pokémon Center, I created my own spooky wreath featuring the original scary Pocket Monsters.
Keep reading below to see my step-by-step process. I worked on this wreath casually over two weeks. The most time consuming part is attaching the ribbon, so don't try to force yourself to power through it. Take breaks, crafting is supposed to be fun!
Materials needed:
Wreath frame
Ribbon (I purchased three different colors, but the amount needed really depends on how full you want to make it - Don't overthink this. You won't get this done in a day and can always go back for more ribbon if needed.)
Pipe cleaners (I bought a pack of 50 and cut each one into 4 pieces to get more use out of them.)
Pokémon cards of choice (I hand picked mine off of TCG Player for fairly cheap.)
Laminator and hole punch
Any other Halloween "flavor" you'd like to add (I found the Boo sign and ghost at my local craft store.)
To start, I followed a simple ribbon wreath tutorial. (There are plenty of videos and blogs with techniques to make a ribbon wreath - take a look online and go with whatever version speaks to you.) The wreath begins with one ribbon where you make loops with your hands, using pipe cleaners to tie the loops in. Some tutorials suggest zip ties instead of pipe cleaners. I've used both for wreath projects. I prefer the pipe cleaners, but to be honest, you'll get scratches on your hands when working with both.
After you've made it around the wreath with your ribbon, fluff the ribbon out so you can't see any of the wire frame.
Since I purchased more cards than I was likely going to use, I decided to try and lay them out to see how many I needed to laminate. My plan for this wreath was to decorate my front door, so to keep the cards from getting ruined, I decided to laminate them.
I laminated the cards, making sure to give each enough space for cutting them out. I decided to use a hole punch to make two holes on each laminated card (in the upper and lower opposite corners). That way, I'd be able to use ribbon to tie the card to the wreath.
To attach the cards, I used extra ribbon that was leftover and made sure to double knot each tie. Be careful that you don't tie too tight or the cards will have a weird bend to them. Tie them loosely so they can sit on the wreath.
I used pipe cleaners to tie the ghost into place on the side of the wreath. The Boo sign that filled out the middle gave me a little trouble because it moved too easily after being tied in only one spot. I was worried the wind may bang it around and ruin the door if I didn't reinforce it. So I added more ribbon to force it to stay and that seemed to work great.
I'm so proud with how the wreath turned out. I felt like this was the first craft project in years where what I imagined is actually what I was able to create.
I hope this blog helps send inspiration your way. If you create a geeky wreath, please share!
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