D.I.Y. Minions Wreath Tutorial

Momma Told Me: Be a little different.


It's no secret we're a little 'off color' here at Momma Told Me- while we appreciate tradition, there are some things we prefer to break free and stand out from the crowd on. Unique seasonal door decor is one of them. Yes, we're talking wreaths. For year I have wanted to make my own Fall wreath, but lacked the patience, or budget, for the more elaborate 'professional' style D.I.Y. wreath. Don't get me wrong, Martha Stewart is great for most people- but when I sit down to create something I'm going to display in (or on) my home, I want it to be immediately obvious that is' home made. A lot of the gorgeous wreath tutorials out there cost just as much as the store bought one's to make, and look slick enough to be store bought when done. My friends, you will not find a Minion wreath in any store, and it is crazy easy to make.

Start with a medium foam ring from your typical craft store. This will be the bulk of your materials cost, as these can run $6-$8- but I'll let you in on a little secret. If you head online to Micheals/JoAnns/Hobby Lobby you can often print a coupon to save 40-50% on a single item and knock that price to just a few dollars. The second most expensive supply, the boas, are about $3-$4 a piece- you'll need 2. Again, bring the hubby, or the kids and use multiple coupons in your trip (it's usually 1 per person.) The rest of the supplies you likely have hanging around; a hot glue gun, some ribbon (for hanging,) black acrylic paint, a paper plate, a paint brush (I use disposable foam brushes) and some newspapers to cover your work space.

Are you ready? It just might have taken you longer to gather your supplies and protect your work space than to assemble this wreath, because this bad boy goes together with no skill level and faster than I can say 'banana' 3 times. Start by taking the end of one boa and hot gluing it to the back of your wreath foam ring. Next, loosely wrap the boa around the foam ring so that the feathers cover the ring, but there is enough give to move the boa to the side as needed for the later steps. Tack the loose end of the boa onto the foam ring and repeat with the 2nd boa, end to end.

You should have what looks like the beginnings of a fabulous Carnivale hat, or at least a wreath that resembles an abstract Tweety Bird. Go ahead and shake it back and forth like a 3rd crader fascinated by the movement of the feathers (I won't judge,) it's impossible not to feel happy when playing with feathers!

Next, grab your paper plate and cut the ridged rim off of the inner circle. Take your foam paint brush and dip it in your black paint. Place it in the center of your round (flat) plate piece so that the tip and wooden end are vertical- give it one smooth spin while applying pressure. If you want to be less fancy- "Take a paint brush and paint a black circle in the center of your round plate cut out." Cut 5-6" strips from the ridged plate rim and paint those black as well. Allow you pieces to dry, or pull out the blow dryer if you're impatient (like me.)

If you want to get a little fancy pants you can add some detailing to the eye. Using your black paint go ahead and draw a black rim along the outside of your round (flat) eye and make one of the border's edges a little thicker to indicate the traditional Minions goggle frame. Take a daub of white paint/white paint pen/white out and draw a little circle of reflective light in the iris of your eye. Glue your dried black painted plate strips to the inner eye circle evenly.

Attach your goggles/eye to the wreath by gently separating the wrapped boa and gluing the paper plate portion directly to the foam ring. Repeat on the opposite end and even out the feather distribution to hide your handy work. Next, loop a few inches of ribbon and glue it to the top (back) portion of your wreath- paying attention to glue directly to the foam ring again, or the ribbon will not adhere.

Congratulations- you've just made a Minion! Wouldn't these be cute in purple as well for the 'monster' minions from the Despicable Me 2 movie? How about doing this with 2 small foam tubes and chaining them all together to make Bobe, Stuart, and Kevin? The possibilities are endless and the work is truly minimal; just my type of D.I.Y. craft. And you better believe the compliments from delivery workers, neighbors, and friends are plenty! Best of all, this is a fun wreath for the Halloween season that isn't spooky or scary at all! What type of seasonal decorations do you like to make?

What Daughter Says: Fall leaves, ribbons, and acorns are nice, but this wreath truly makes me smile every time I come home!

Fall Fashions With Long Tall Sally- #BlogPOPEvents $125 Giveaway 9/10

The following Blog POP! Events post is sponsored by Long Tall Sally.

Momma Told Me: Fall into fashion.

Fall.

Some people, in some parts of the country, swear it is already beginning to look and feel like Fall. Other than the collection of yellowed leaves fallen on the ground outside, there is little indication Fall is on it's way here in SoCal. One might even argue that the foliage is just a result of the drought we've endured through one of the warmest, driest, years in recent local history. You see, while I am a SoCal native who lives in her flip flops and happily trounces down to the garage in short shorts, I do not care for the hot and the dry.

And that, my friends, is precisely why I will be taking 10 days off, and away mid-September.

While some long for the sway of palm trees and the sound of crashing waves, I'd rather visit the South Pole (quite literally.) And, though my dream vacation is to one day backpack through Ireland and Europe, September 11th I will be setting sail for my dream cruise. I just may sip a few Pina Coladas poolside on the deck of our cruise liner, but you won't find this fair skinned girl anywhere near the tropical beaches and hula dancers. We've got Mexico to the South, Hawaii to the West, and I'm headed North for the Fall.

Yup, you guessed it, I'm headed to Alaska.

Beautiful, cold, vividly bright through all hours of the day, sun tan on the rays reflecting from glaciers, Alaska. My first cruise. My dream cruise. It will also mark my first International endeavor, departing Washington and landing it's final port in Vancouver. Since we'll be dropping anchor on a Friday we've arranged to spend 2 days in Canada at the end of our journey where the exploration won't stop as we explore the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and cross a 430 foot suspension bridge (circa 1889,) suspended 230 feet above the Capilano River. Of course that will be a cake walk after our rain-forest ziplines in Juneau!

As fun as vacations are, they can also be quite a bit of stress.

While I've been planning on this cruise for over a year I only just realized I don't have any appropriate attire. The closest thing I own to a coat is a zipper hoodie sweater, and my footwear situation was even worse. Though we'll be on the boat, or in various port towns, for the majority of our journey, some of our more adventurous excursions will require 'real people' clothes, as I like to call them. These is where the flip flops must retire, I'm afraid. For my time in town, in Canada, I've picked out an outfit directly from Long Tall Sally's Fall collection.

I had a chance to take a sneak peek at some of  Long Tall Sally's Fall 2015 highlights and immediately fell in love with the dark palette and urban inspiration. For those who don't recall, Long Tall Sally is THE destination for fashionable and flattering clothing for women 5'8" and taller. They also happen to be the exclusive online retailer for Barefoot Tess shoes (stylish shoes for women size 9+,) and, if it weren't for them I likely WOULD only ever wear flip flops. But I digress, the Lace Yolk Sweater in Khaki immediately caught my eye for it's gorgeous green hue and nape of the neck keyhole detailing. I knew the color would be flattering to my complexion and hair color, and a great pick to stay warm this Winter and on my cruise.

New to Long Tall Sally for the season are Super Soft Legging Jeans. These aren't your Walmart's jeggings, folks, these are butter-soft, extra thick, super flattering skinny jeans that compliment all the right curves. I think I just might live in them while in Alaska and every wardrobe should have a pair in each color. For this outfit I've styled the legging jeans inside my Barefoot Tess Jasper Boots (in Mushroom,) though here in California I'll wear them loose around the ankle with the boot tounge relaxed and hanging out. I cannot gush enough about the comfort level and fit of these boots- I only wish I'd been bold enough to grab the Doc Marten-eque Pink/Black floral style.

I know, I know, I'm going to need a lot more than one beautifully styled outfit to get me through 10 days abroad, but it's one heck of a start- And Long Tall Sally certainly has me covered, if I can only decide on the colors and prints in my favorite items! Now, tell me, is it Fall yet where you are? Do you have any exciting adventures planned for the upcoming season?

What Daughter Says: Every season, just like every shape and size, has it's flattering prints and styles. Fall, for me, means comfort.

Enter below for your shot at a $125 Long Tall Sally gift certificate then hop along to the other amazing Blog POP! School Rules event giveaways on the LINKY!