Paper cone wreaths were a traditional decorative centerpiece of the Victorian Era. Girls and women of all ages would create masterful papery pretties using a variety of papers from old books, sheet music or the like, as well as hand-made wreaths, paste and scissors.
A couple of weeks ago, I began constructing a paper cone wreath to be used as a decoration at a friend's baby shower and then later as useful nursery décor. Although not a difficult project, it was definitely time consuming. If you plan on creating your own, may I suggest starting early and working a little each day or have about 4 to 5 hours free when you begin.
Materials:
A book - Any book will do, but make sure it has at least 100 pages, or if you are using several books, check to see if the papers are similar in color (if that sort of thing bothers you!).
An extra large (3 inch) paper punch. I used a scalloped punch, but you could also use a rounded punch.
About 6 to 10 sheets of color coordinating scrap book paper. You can use one-sided or double-sided. If you opt for one-sided, you can always combine two and create your own double-sided cones.
Ribbon - After you have your color scheme picked out, find a complementing ribbon. I used one that said All Girl with butterflies. It looked great!
Floral pins make life easy when attaching ribbon to the wreath. You definitely want to have a few of these on hand.
A 9 to 12 inch wreath. I used a 12 inch floral foam wreath. I prefer the smooth wreath to the rougher varieties, but any wreath will work. I've even seen individuals make their wreaths from newspapers.
A low-temp, hot glue gun and plenty of glue sticks. I used nearly a dozen on this project.
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Step 1: Using your paper punch, cut out paper from the book and the scrapbook pages. This actually goes quickly and shouldn't take you a lot of time.
Step 2: Begin by covering (gluing) the wreath with the punch-outs from the book. You don't want to see any wreath! Be careful - even low-temp. glue is HOT!
Step 3: Create all the paper cones (reserve some plain paper punch-outs for Step 6). This is the most time consuming part of the entire project. As you gently bend the paper into a cone shape, make sure to "close" the tip as it creates a very nice looking cone. You can make skinny or wide cones for variety. Be sure to watch your fingers when you secure the cone edges together with the hot glue.
Step 4: Now that you've got all the cones made, begin placing and gluing them on the wreath randomly. I think the haphazardness of placement really makes this wreath shine. Make sure to cover any and all areas that will be visible when hanging with paper cones.
Step 4.5: Before you finish the very top section of the wreath, take your ribbon and wrap it around the hanging pinnacle twice and secure with floral pins. You will cover the pins and ribbon with paper cones, leaving the section of ribbon for tying, free.
Step 5: Get creative! Go back over the cones you've randomly placed and insert extra cones into others to create a double cone effect. I had planned on creating a tiny banner displaying the baby's name across the middle of the wreath, but mom is still keeping it hush-hush!
Step 6: Using the remaining plain paper punch-outs, tidy up your gluing area by covering up large glue blobs or unsightliness. In addition, make sure to remove all the fine hot glue "spider webs" from your wreath, thus giving your wreath a polished look.
These adorable paper cone wreaths are not just for baby showers; in fact, I have plans to make one for Christmas this year and quite possibly the 4th of July. In addition, a quick search for paper cone wreath yields a plethora of different cone creations. The endless creativity and the wonderful use of paper truly makes this a fantastic project.
If you do make one, please share a picture of it with me. I'd love to see your creations!
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