DIY: Clothespin Wreath

When I am planning for my next craft, one thing I like to do is to see what I already have on hand, or what I can reuse, or what I can spruce up before heading out to the Craft store to spend more money. Finding everyday items and using them in a new way is not only frugal, but it’s also fun! How about clothespins? Have you ever made anything out of clothespins? There are tons of ideas out there for using them on Pinterest! My project for you today is making a wreath using clothespins.

A few years ago, I made my first clothespin wreath along with the ladies in my craft club. It was summertime, so we decided to make a red/white/blue (flag) clothespin wreath. It was a fairly easy project and I love how it turned out. The following year I decided to make another one when I found some already colored clothespins on sale (skip the painting part). I made a Coastal-theme wreath for inside my home. Then recently, craft club was working on spring projects and I wanted to make a wreath that would be good for Easter and Spring, so I made another clothespin wreath. I found a Cross I liked at Hobby Lobby and used it as the inspiration for the paint colors for my wreath. I am going to tell you how to make your very own clothespin wreath below. Here are photos of all three of my clothespin wreaths.

What you will need

• clothespins (regular or pre-painted, I used 78)
• 12″ (or any size) wire wreath form (smaller is better)
• paint (I prefer spray paint)
• clear coat spray
• embellishments
  • glitter
  • shells
  • decorations such as Cross
  • flowers
  • scrabble tile letters
  • wooden shapes such as stars
  • burlap, ribbon, jute, etc.
• scissors
• hot glue gun

Making your own Clothespin Wreath

1. Gather all your supplies, most importantly your wreath form, your clothespins, and your paint. I recommend spray paint because you can cover the surface of the clothespins a lot quicker with a lot less mess.
2. Prepare a workspace. I recommend using either large pieces of cardboard or old cookie sheets covered with waxed paper to paint your clothespins. Remember to paint in an area that is well-ventilated. I worked in my garage with the doors open.
3. Spread out your clothespins on the trays  (see example in the photo below). You should have one tray for each color. You want to spray all your clothespins at the same time but do not want them touching because they may stick as they dry.
4. Paint your clothespins and your wreath form (optional). Read the directions on the spray paint. Generally, you want to spray back and forth to ensure the paint goes on evenly and don’t hold it too close so it doesn’t glop. Paint each tray of clothespins desired color. You may also want to spray paint your wreath form so that the green color doesn’t show through (totally optional). If you buy colored clothespins you will skip steps 2-8).
5. Let dry. I let the clothespins dry for a few hours, then I sprayed a second coat to make sure they were fully covered. Let dry overnight after the second coat.
6. Paint the other side. When the first side is completely dry, remove the clothespins from the waxed paper and lay them on new waxed paper (on the trays) with the painted side down in order to paint the other side.
7. Let dry. Again you will let the paint dry a few hours and then paint a second coat. Then proceed to let them dry overnight.
8. Seal with clear coat spray. This is optional, but I like to seal pretty much anything I paint if I want it to last over time. The clear coat spray will keep your paint from chipping. Just lay out the clothespins again on a fresh piece of waxed paper and spray them lightly. Once dry, flip them over and spray the other side. It doesn’t take long for the clear coat to dry, so you can begin putting together your wreath.
9. Place clothespins on your wreath form. This process is super easy and will be done quickly! You just open the clip one at a time and place them over the first two or three inner rungs. It’s up to you how you place them. You can even alternate, one on two rungs, one on three rungs, etc. (This does depend on the size of the wreath and how close the rungs are to each other). The color pattern is completely up to you as well (as you can see in the three I made, they are all different).
10. Decorate your wreath. This is when you get to be creative! Depending on your theme, you might use just one type of embellishment like I did for the red white and blue wreath (stars) or you might use several different types like I did for the cross wreath (cross, flowers, letters). I recommend using a hot glue gun to adhere to your decor to the clothespins. However, you could use E6000 glue or tacky glue.
11. Hang your wreath! I made a simple ribbon loop on the backside to hang my wreath on a door hook.
    

    

    

I hope this blog post has inspired you to try something new … whether making a clothespin wreath or just trying to use things you already have around your home. Please go the My Pinterest Page and post a photo comment if you make a clothespin wreath. I’d love to see your beautiful creations! Follow my Blog or my Facebook Page for more DIY ideas! Until next time, keep on craftin’!  ~Kristina~