Introduction: I'll Be Broke for X-Mas Cardboard Wreath

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About: I tattoo, illustrate for a magazine called Razorcake, help raise a coupla kids, and make cool stuff outta junk. When we don't have the kids I enjoy drinking, and going to punk rock shows.

Trying to make the home more festive w/ zero bucks... You got this crap laying around.

I need to wash the windows.

Step 1: You Need:

Cardboard (I used a combo of single ply and corrugated.)
Wire Coat Hanger
Newspaper
Scotch Tape
Hot Glue/ Gun
Green (or whatever color) Spray Paint
Assorted Acrylic Paints
10" of Craft Wire
             Optional...
Something to Make Ornaments Out Of

EXTRA CREDIT:
Polyurethane Varnish Premixed With Stain
                  or:
Cut it Yourself (by adding a little stain to your clear polyurethane, dealers choice on color, to a coupla cups of varnish.)
Brush for Applying Varnish

Step 2: Step 1 Coat Hanger Into Circle

Bend coat hanger into ring, secure by twisting it to itself or with craft wire.

Step 3: Step 2 Cover Hanger

Wad the newspaper up. Begin taping paper to hanger making  balls in between wraps of scotch tape. Go around the whole hanger.

Add another layer of paper over the first paper layer this time evening out the shape of the wreath. Add layers until the ring looks uniform-ish.

Paint.

Step 4: Step 3 Paint Cardboard and Cut Out Leaves

Paint some sheets of cardboard in a few colors that will look good together.
TIP: I just dump some paint directly on the cardboard and smear it around with a paper towel, it's easier that using a brush and more fun. I like to pretend I can afford a B.A. wood shop and I'm working with wood and stain... someday.

Cut out 2-4" leaves. They sure don't have to be perfect... there just have to be a bunch of them. I think I cut up like 2 medium sized boxes.

Use a complimentary color and cut out like 15 circles for holly berries.

Step 5: Step 5 Glue on Them LIttle Suckers On

Start hot gluing your leaves on to your paper wreath so the upward pointing end gets glued. Alternation in color is key.

Add another layer... and another... and another... etc.

Step 6: Step 5 Holly Clusters

Pretty self explanatory.  Glue a couple of different colored leaves together to create a little nest for your berries, kid.

The first time I made this I added a little shading to the bottom edge of each berry... shoulda done that for this one. Dang.

Make enough clusters to go around the wreath. Keeping in mind if you are going to use anything else for ornaments.

Step 7: Step 6 Glue Them Clusters Down

After you have got about around 5 layers of alternated color leaves on your wreath you want to finish it off with your holly clusters and anything else you can think of to glue to this sucker.

I took 3" button faces wrapped 'em in a little ribbon and... POOF! Ornaments.

Now find somewhere to hang it!

Step 8: Extra Credit...

I'm at the shop and I ran out of glue sticks but if I could finish this thing right now I would complete it  with a healthy application of polyurethane cut with something like a mahogany  wood stain.

A very effective way of making the colors richer, adding depth with the stain, making it shiny (man, I love making things shiny),  reinforcing the structural integrity of the piece, and just really classing up something you just made outta garbage.