Today’s make is a printed wreath to hang on a cupboard or interior door. I love print making, and although I am complete novice, I think it’s possible to create a great effect without being an amazing artist. I love the simplicity of print, and the homespun effect. As with all my makes, this is inspired by nature and the garden.

This project does take a few hours, but it’s very straightforward and you don’t need any special skills. 

What you need

A sheet of thick card

Cartridge paper or thin card

Glue

Printing stamps – you can make your own or purchase ready made stamps from Hobbycraft and craft shops. I made my own leaves, but I bought the Fair Trade bauble stamp from an art shop.

Water based printing ink and colourful paints

Roller

Glass panel (e.g front of a photo frame)

Short length of ribbon

What to do

1. Draw two circles on your sheet of paper, a large one, and an inner circle. I drew round a biscuit tin and a cereal bowl. Paint the wreath shape with watercolours or acrylic paints. I chose a dark background to give the illusion of shadows. 

2. While that is drying, print some leaf shapes on to a sheet of card. Put a small blob of printing ink on your glass panel. Roll the roller over it until it is very evenly spread and not too thick – it should look a bit like suede. Then ink up your leaf shapes using the roller, and print them out.  Press them down on to the paper with the back of a spoon to get really even coverage.

 3. To make leaf stamps yourself, use Funky Foam, which is inexpensive and comes in A4 sized sheets. It is much easier to use than traditional lino sheets which also require special cutters. Collect some leaves, draw round them, then cut out the shape and use a biro to impress the leaf veins. Stick each one to a piece of cardboard to stiffen them. You can reuse them over and again, – mine have lasted three or four years now. 

4. Print several sheets of assorted leaves and decorations and let them dry. It might take an hour or two, printing ink is slower to dry than paint.

5. When the leaves and baubles are dry, cut them out of the paper. 

You can also cut out your basic wreath shape now too. Use a sharp stanley knife to cut out the centre, so you are left with a blank cardboard ring.

6. Arrange the leaves on to the wreath base. It looks best if you layer them one on top of another. When you’re happy with the result, stick them down with a strong paper glue.

Make two holes at the top of the wreath, and thread ribbon through to create a hanger. 

All done!

A cheery wreath.