Another Patriotic Clothespin Wreath – But Not Just Another Tutorial

I enjoy making wreaths of all different styles and varieties.  I have wanted to make a clothespin wreath for some time.  A patriotic themed version seemed perfect for my side entrance but Pinterest seems to be flooded with DIY tutorials on how to make a patriotic wreath. So I was hesitate to add another post of my own to the mix.   I mean really – do we need another step by step post on how to make a patriotic clothespin wreath?

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The process to make a clothespin wreath of any style seemed pretty simple and straightforward.  You paint the clothespins and attach them to a wire form.  Easy peasy – right?  Well I decided to attempt a clothespin wreath anyway, because I wanted one for my side entrance even if I didn’t post about it.

All of my supplies for this wreath came from the Dollar Tree.

 

 

What I found was that clothespin wreath making comes with it’s own quirks and extra steps required to work with this type of product.  Even though I like the finished result, I did find myself comically repeating some steps over and over again.

Here is how it went…

Step 1:  Lay out clothespins and wire fire on cardboard box and spray paint with primer paint mixture.

 

 

Step 2:  Realize that the raw wood of the clothespins absorb a lot of paint.  Spray paint the clothespins a second – and a third time just to get a base coat of white.

 

 

The clothespins can be attached to the wire wreath frame in different patterns and variations.

Step 3:  Attach the all white clothes pins to the wire form to figure out pattern and style of the design.  I wanted a tiered and full look to the wreath so I tried to attach the clothespins to three sections of the wire form.

Step 4:  Pick up the clothespins off the floor that snapped off the wire form while I was trying to attach other clothespins around each other to the three rings of the wire.  Thankful I was able to dodge any that came flying too close to my face when they snapped off.

Step 5:  Finally get a pattern in place for the position of the clothespins that does not cause tension between the individual clothespins and they don’t snap off the frame anymore.

 

 

Look on Pinterest for many more ideas for clothespin wreaths.

 

Step 6:  Start painting the clothespins in the acrylic paints in red, white and blue after deciding on the pattern and position of the colors.

Step 7:  Realize even with the primer paint coverage, the acrylic paints don’t stick to the clothespins with one coat.

Step 8:  Paint a second and third coat of paint on the clothespins and wait for them to dry.

Step 9:  End up painting a fourth and fifth coat of acrylic paint to get a good color coating on the clothespins.

Step 10:  Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 again trying to get the newly painted clothespins back in place.

Step 11:  Try to add the decorative bow to the wreath and laugh when more clothespins fall off.

 

 

Step 12:  Reattach clothespins again and admit that I am going to need glue!

Step 13:  Heat up the hot glue gun and repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 again to attach each clothespin with hot glue.  Third time is the charm and you are happy that you finally get the pattern right.

Step 14:  Hang the wreath on the wall and threaten anyone who tries to touch the clothespins.

 

 

Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I make it seem.  I knew all along I would need to glue on the clothespins but didn’t want to start off with that just in case I didn’t like the overall pattern.  So I had to deal with them popping off while I was trying to find the look and pattern I liked.  Three tries later I finally got a look I liked in a stacked pattern that would fit the wire form.

 

 

I had fun making this wreath, even with the extra steps and clothespins constantly falling off the frame.  Who knows, I may even make a different themed one some day.

 

I highly suggest that even if you find a project on Pinterest that has been done many times before – if you want to try it for no other reason than you want one for yourself – then go for it.  The creative process will be worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

2 Timothy 4:7