Snowy Owl Wreath
I'm going to come right out and boldly say, this might be my favorite thing created here at the Brainy HQ. I just find it dreamy (can I say that about something I've made? )
I cant wait to hang it on the wall every year for Christmas. Though I may in fact gift it to my favorite person, Ellie, my sister. Surprise Ellie! Love you!
The inspiration for this wreath came from two different places. One from this epic collaboration called Craftmas directed by the fab ladies at Little Button Diaries. We made a Festive Fox Wreath for that collaboration. Consider the Festive Fox Wreath the rowdy cousin of the Snow Owl Wreath. It's punchy, fun, and totally festive in a slightly inebriated way. I posted the tutorial for the Festive Fox Wreath over on the cool site Barley and Birch. When you get a chance, check that rowdy cousin and that cool site here.
The second source of inspiration came from the wickedly talented Gina from Willowday. She is hosting 24 Days of Scandinavian Christmas. Everything is so beautiful! I swoon! How much money it would take to relocate my entire family (sister included!) to Scandinavia? Worth every cent, no doubt.
What is it about Scandinavian design and Christmas? They are like coffee and cream, or cake and icing. In other words, perfectly paired.
Look at all that beauty! Head over to her site sometime!
Now on to the
Snow Owl Wreath tutorial!
Let's get started!
Gather:
*Salt Dough (see recipe below)
*Silver glitter
*White paint
*Grey acrylic paint
*Black acrylic paint
*Bubble wrap
*Hot glue/gun
*Skewer (for fine detail painting)
*Paint brushes
Create:
1. Make salt dough. Mix 3 cups of flour, 1.5 cups salt and 1.5 cups of warm water together in a bowl. You are looking for a playdough like consistency. It should not stick to your hands or implements. If it is too wet add more flour, little bits at a time. Too dry? Add a little bit more water. Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Roll the dough out to about 1.5 cm thick on parchment paper. Cut 13 owls out using the cookie cutter. Lay them next to each other in a circle. Press the ears and wings together firmly to form a bond. Be sure to press them together firmly enough. You can also apply glue later to reinforce the bond.
3. Bake the salt dough until the wreath is hard. You should be able to peel it off the paper easily. It make take up to 5 hours. Make sure you bake at 225 degrees Fahrenheit so the dough does not puff up.
4. Once the wreath is cooled you can add super glue to the joints and hot glue around the back side.
5. Paint the wreath white. To create the eyes, I used the cap of a food color container. Dip it in grey paint and apply to the owl.
5. Make a slurry of Mod Podge and gold glitter. Apply a big drop of it using a skewer to the inner part of the circle. Make it a big drop or dollop to create a 3D look. Wait for the dollop to dry. When it does dry, apply a black circle to the inner part of the eye.
6. Use bubble wrap covered in grey paint to make the grey feathers of the owl. Cut the bubble wrap to the size of the owls wings. Paint a small amount of grey paint on the bubble wrap and apply it to the wing area. Put a pinch of silver glitter on the wing area. If the grey area appears too much, use the bubble wrap to apply white paint over the same area. It will mute it a bit.
7. Apply the beak with a skewer tip. Create a diamond shape.
You can apply Mod Podge over the entire project to help preserve it or leave as is. It will last for a very long time as long as it is stored in a dry environment.
Lastly, decorate your beautiful Snow Owls! Apply greenery in between the owls or around the owls! Get creative! Have the best time!
Or send it to your loving sister for Christmas.
Cheers Friends!
