Ok, semi-wordless. This isn’t a tutorial, though I did DIY this, but you can read the full instructions over on Eddie Ross’ site.

Quick tidbits:

-I used about 72 ornaments (all from Dollar Tree)

-It took me about 1.5 hours from start to finish.

-Yes, you MUST glue the caps onto the ornaments. I skipped that step a few years ago when I made one of these…never again.

-A low temp glue gun from Walmart is your friend. LOVE MINE. It’s about $4.

-Total cost for my wreath was about $10.

-It’s hanging using a $4 black satin sash I bought at Walmart years ago in the wedding section.

-Make sure to choose a variety of sizes/finishes for a really snazzy wreath.

-Hanging it on a mirror doubles the light and glitter…I highly recommend it!

It looks beautiful in the daytime:

And at nighttime:

Swoon.

In yesterday’s post I gave a step-by-step tutorial on how to use Elmer’s products to recreate a Ballard Designs burlap memo board for a LOT less. Like 80% less.

And I’m back again to show you how to easily recreate another popular Ballard Designs item for less. I’m the knock-off queen lately. Have you seen my West Elm copycat hurricanes?

I consider it a mission of mine to have the luxe for less. Even if it means using a glue gun on occasion. However, you won’t need a glue gun to create this festive holiday wreath:

$39 each + shipping via Ballard Designs

Here’s what you WILL need in order to create your very own monogram wreath:

• 1 Elmer’s foam core board in black
• 3, 15-foot garlands from Dollar Tree
• X-Acto Knife with #11 Blade
• White Elmer’s Painters Pen (or white colored pencil, chalk, etc.)
• Pinecones, ribbon (optional)
• Wreath hanger (optional)
• Elmer’s glue spots

Set-up an area large enough for you to cut with your X-Acto knife. I couldn’t find a craft mat big enough at my local Walmart, so I just used a big box. Bottom line- you don’t want to scratch your floors/counters/desk, so get creative.

Then prop up your black foam core board so you can easily write on it.

I am making a large B (for Benavidez), and I want it to be 24” tall just like the one from Ballard Designs. So, using my metal X-Acto ruler, I draw a 24” line:

Then I freehand draw a letter B. It looks ugly, I know. Do not fret! You can easily make adjustments as you cut. Tip: When you cut your letter out, it’s best to go bigger than you think. You can always trim it down, but you can’t add it back on easily!

Then you start cutting your letter out. I am usually intimidated when using my X-Acto knife, but the trick is to apply even, constant pressure and make smooth movements. The first time you cut it’ll likely score it (seen below), and then if you run your knife through it again, it’ll cut through the board. A little patience and persistence= success.

Not too shabby.

So, now I grab one of my garlands, and I start wrapping it around the straight part of the B.

I used 2 full lengths of garland + about 1/3 of the third garland. The third garland was mostly to fill in spots that looked kind of bare. The black foam core board is very forgiving, so it doesn’t need to be densely filled with garland.

I secured my garland with glue spots on the back every few inches or so. I probably used about 15 glue spots total.

Once it’s all wrapped up, you’ll have a beautiful letter staring back at ya. See, I told you it wouldn’t look so ugly once you’re done with it.

Then I decided it simply needed a cute damask bow. To make one you need about 2 yards of ribbon, some glue and scissors.

Cut about a 1.5 foot section of ribbon and loosely tie a knot in the center, set aside.

Then cut 3 sections of ribbon, each smaller than the other. Mine are 13 inches, 11 inches and 9 inches.

Flip ribbon over design side down and flip one end up to meet in the center and secure other end to it with glue:

You should have 3 ribbon loops:

Stack them on top of one another from largest to smallest and secure with glue:

Place knotted portion from step 1 in the center and then tie/secure it again in the back (so you have a knot in front and back). Cut ribbon tails, if desired. Attach to wreath. If you’re more a video learner, you can watch a video on how to make this very same bow over on the Better Homes & Gardens website.

You all know me…everything has to have a bit of glitz to it, so I added some sequined pear picks that were 2 for $1 at Dollar Tree. They are secured onto the garland with floral wire.

Ballard Designs Price: $39 + shipping

Monica Wants It DIY Cost: About $6+ ($2.50 for foam board + $3 for garland assuming you have other supplies on hand)

Savings: $33 or about 80% off (excluding shipping)

The Look for Less Final Showdown:

  

Pretty close, don’t ya think? I hope this tutorial inspires you to personalize your home with easy DIY projects. And the total time investment to create this? Well, it took me about an hour but that’s with me taking photos of each step to share with you all. Make one for your friends, neighbors, etc. Best of all? Unlike the Ballard Designs wreath, my DIY version can be reused. So whatcha waiting for? GO MAKE ONE!

You know you want to.

I’d like to thank Elmer’s again for sending me the lovely craft pack I mentioned in yesterday’s post. Their products are easily and affordably found at Walmart in the crafts section and also on Amazon. And thanks to these projects, the X-Acto knife and I are sort of BFF’s.

Tomorrow’s post will be a reveal of my gorgeous ornament wreath. It won’t be a step-by-step tutorial, but if you’d like to make one, I used these instructions by the uber fab Eddie Ross. For now, here’s a sneak peek at mine:

See you tomorrow! xoxo.

I have a bit of an obsession with catalogs like Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn and Ballard Designs. I subscribe to them all, yet never buy anything because it’s simply too expensive or sometimes I feel I can make the look for less with a bit of creativity and Elmer’s products.

As you all know, I’ve worked a lot on my breakfast nook, but I needed something on the walls to give it that personal touch and functionality as a message/mail center. It just looked kind of bare. Boo. The nook is an area we frequent many times a day: we sort mail, put down our bags/keys, etc. Therefore, I really wanted a chic, unique message board to keep us organized and on top of things. We are a forgetful couple. Ok, maybe me more than him…

Recently, I got a Ballard Designs catalog in the mail, and I was smitten with a product in their catalog:

Burlap Memo Board, $69 each via Ballard Designs (image credit: Ballard Designs)

But $69 a piece was not going to fly in this thrifty household. That’d be $138 plus shipping…so almost $150.

<insert me fainting>

Then I thought to myself…Elmer’s has challenged me to create something I’ve seen in a catalog using Elmer’s products. They sent me some awesome stuff:

 

My craft pack included 3 foam boards (1 black + 2 white), 3 glue sticks, 3 packs of Painters pens and an X-Acto crafting knife. On top of all that, they sent a $25 Visa gift card to help me buy any extra accessories I needed to complete my looks for less task**. With all this crafty goodness, how could I not bring my memo board dreams into my breakfast nook?

Now, let’s get crafty! Below is a list of supplies to create your own burlap memo board (note, I made 2, so if you want to make a pair, you’d need 1 extra foam board):

• 1 Elmer’s White Foam Core Board
• 1 Extra Strength Elmer’s Glue Stick
• 1 X-Acto Designer Series Gripster Knife + #11 Blade
• Painters Pens (I used black)
• 1 X-Acto Metal Ruler (to help create straight cuts using X-Acto Knife)
• Elmer’s Spray Adhesive
• Stapler or Staple Gun or Hot Glue Gun
• 1 Yard of Burlap
• Decorative Ribbon (about 1 yard)
• Push Pins
• Alphabet Stencil (optional)

**Note: Thanks to Elmer’s, I only had to spend $5.94 for the burlap (I bought 2 yards in case I messed up, but only used one), $2.97 X-Acto Metal Ruler, $2.00 X-Acto #11 Blades (in case mine broke, which it didn’t)= $11.81 total.

Step 1:  Cut your foam board in half using your X-Acto knife. The board is 20x30, so you should end up with 2, 20x15 inch boards. Using spray adhesive, spray one board and place the other board on top of it to glue them together. If they’re not perfectly flush, don’t fret, just trim any excess hangover using your X-Acto knife. As you can see, I am using a box to cut my boards on so I don’t scratch my counters. Also, use a metal ruler to help guide your X-Acto knife for a cleaner, straighter cut.

 

I did this twice (to 2 different boards) since I made 2 memo boards. Why did I double up my board this way? Simple! I didn’t want the push pins to go through to the wall when pinning stuff to my memo board, so by doubling up my board I got rid of that issue.

Step 2: Cut your burlap in half and fold in half. You want to do this so that the white of the foam board is totally covered by the burlap, so make sure to double up your burlap as seen below.

Step 3: Using your extra-strength glue stick, glue one edge of the burlap onto the board.

This helps get your burlap in place so you can make sure it’s taut around all the corners. I only used the glue stick for one edge, and then I reinforced it with my staple gun. Basically your fabric will move and shift as you work with it, so the glue stick helps keep it in place while you make sure your fabric is just the way you want it; no need to go staple/glue gun crazy and then take it all out if you end up with crooked fabric.

I finished wrapping, glueing and stapling the burlap to my 2 boards, and this is how they should look at this point.

Step 4: Using my Silhouette SD, I cut out a stencil for our monograms. Mine is the M, Daniel’s is the D. Using my black Painters Pen, I traced the letter onto the burlap.

Then I embellished them a bit with some simple diagonal stripes to add some interest.

Step 5: I create a simple bow using 1-foot of ribbon + floral wire and adhered it to the board using some hot glue. I also attached a 10-inch black ribbon on the back to serve as a hanger.

Step 6: Place onto wall, adorn with some push pins and admire your handiwork!

Cost Breakdown (approximate cost at Walmart, you likely already have some of these on hand):

• Foam Board: $2.50 each
• Burlap: $2.97/yard
• X-Acto: $5
• Paint Pens: $5 for a 5-pack
• Glue Stick: $2 each
• X-Acto Metal Ruler: $2.97
• Other misc craft supplies: Had on hand (FREE!)
• Total cost: About $20 for one or $23 for two burlap memo boards!
• That’s a savings of $52 for one board (or about 70% off) or $115 savings on 2 boards (or about 83% off- WOW!!)

Well, what do you think? Did I do a good job creating the #looks4less? Next time you’re bummed that you can’t afford something out of a catalog, think about how you can recreate it yourself using craft supplies and some imagination. The project took me about 1.5 hours total, and you can view my shopping experience over on Google+. Can’t think of anything to make? Elmer’s has created a wonderful how-to guide that is sure to inspire anyone to create something beautiful.

And, Elmer’s is being uber generous and providing 2 gift packs to one of my lovely readers so you can create my project (or any other project you’d like). How great is that?!

The prize pack included:

• Black 20x30 Foam Board
• White 20x30 Foam Board
• CraftBond All-Purpose Glue Stick
• CraftBond Repositionable Glue Stick
• CraftBond Extra-Strength Glue Stick
• X-ACTO Designer Series Gripster Knife
• Painters Assorted Colors Set

Drawing is open until December 8th at noon CST.

To enter leave me a comment with what you’d make using the gift pack (and a way to contact you if you win- Twitter handle, e-mail, something…please!). Giveaway is only open to blog subscribers, so make sure you follow my blog over there on the right handside.

Good luck!!

I’ll be back tomorrow with another Ballard Designs knock-off for the holidays. You won’t want to miss it!

This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Elmer's #gluenglitter #collectivebias #CBias All opinions, photos and ideas are my own, as always.