Jingle bells can be made into fabulous ornaments like angels, snowmen or even penguins. Packs of bells are sold at any craft store and now come in various sizes and colors. Choose one or more colors of bells to make a cute little wreath ornament that youll treasure for years to come. Some jingle bells are sold in packs that contain several colors and others are sold in bags of specific colors. Choose gold and red, silver and green, or your own combination of colors for the wreath.
Its very easy to make the jingle bell wreath ornament by starting with a pipe cleaner. The gold or silver metallic pipe cleaners are perfect for this craft. Chenille pipe cleaners are a little bulkier than the metallic making them slightly more difficult to work with. The pipe cleaners are sold in craft departments and come in a pack of 12 or more.
Cut a 12" pipe cleaner in half. Bend the stick to form a circle. Use small bells to create the wreath itself. Begin threading the bells onto the pipe cleaner. As you do that alternate the colors youve chosen. Slide one bell onto the pipe cleaner, then slide on another, turning the bell so that it is facing the opposite direction as the first bell. Continue adding bells, turning each to face opposite of the previous, until the entire pipe cleaner is covered in bells. Fold a piece of stretch cord in half and glue the ends of the cord to the ends of the pipe cleaner. Use hot glue to glue the two ends of the pipe cleaner together. Your bell wreath is almost complete. Make a bow from a piece of ribbon or purchase a pack of tiny bows at a craft store. Glue the bow on to the top or bottom section of the wreath. There are no limits to the different patterns you can make for the wreaths. Make one pattern by alternating two colors, or create a totally different look by placing two of the same color, and then one of a different color, onto the pipe cleaner. You can add three of the same color then two of another color, or any number of other combinations. Each bell wreath will have a look all its own. There are even other ways to embellish the small bell wreath ornaments. Use a long piece of ribbon, that matches your wreaths bow, to make the hanger. That hanger will replace the stretch cord hanger mentioned above. You can also purchase a small miniature novelty to set inside the wreath. Simply glue it in place at the bottom of the wreath. Some people prefer the bow of a wreath to hang from the bottom while others prefer it to be affixed to the top part of the wreath. This choice is up to you but each method gives the wreath a different look. Make all the bell wreaths the same, but use different colored bows, to create even more designs. You can make a larger version of the bell wreath, to hang on a door or elsewhere, but dont try using the metallic pipe cleaners for larger wreaths. The pipe cleaners are too flimsy to hold the weight of many large bells. Use craft wire which is much sturdier. Bend the wire into a circle and add large bells until youve formed the wreath. Use wide ribbon to create the bow for the top or bottom of the wreath. Jingle bells arent too expensive especially if youre purchasing packs of small ones for making ornaments. Larger bells are slightly more expensive and have less in each pack. Check dollar theme stores which usually carry a variety of the bells. Kids will have fun making these easy ornaments which they can pass out to teachers, friends and even grandparents. The bell wreath ornaments are cheap, easy to create and loads of fun. Once theyre hung on your tree youll be amazed at how impressive the little wreaths really are.
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