I love the color. Every Christmas I always say I'm going to make one of the wreaths for the front door, but I never do because I haven't found a box of ornaments that weren't crazy expensive or all the same kind. I love the different types of ornaments you've worked into the wreath.
What kind of hanger did you use to make the shape & hold them together? I probably won't get around to making one this year, but I'm glad I can enjoy yours.

I agree with Tuscaroramaiden, always loved the ornament wreaths, but haven't run across a collection that was inexpensive yet. You sure found some pretty ones, Oddie, I love the variety and the colors. You do a wonderful job of putting just the right things together. Luvs

How beautiful! The color mix is perfect. What kind of simple hanger did you use?

Thank you! I did get a great deal on these still have enough to make maybe two more and only paid $2.50 for all of them some old some not, dont give up I started looking at after christmas sales last year but never found any cheap enough that I liked, for the hanger I just used silver cord, didnt think it needed a bow, the back was cut from a pizza box, painted it silver, hot glued the bulbs on, all laying kinda side ways so the hanger part was glued to the cardboard, the height of the larger bulbs makes it look like theres different levels, poked fake snow in the holes.
Have a few real pretty bulbs that are not enough to do anything with, anyone have any ideas?
oddie

Hi Oddie, I've seen lots of pics of pretty bulbs in glass containers, especially the pedestal dishes and jars. They would also be pretty just hanging on a swag over the mantel or a picture or over a doorway. I know you will come up with something pretty to use them for. Luvs

oodie you did a fabulous job!! LOVE IT!! I made my inventory of these this year of 75...have sold all but 2 and they are on hold. These are a great seller for me hope you have the same success!!
Great work as always!!

ginger

Thanks luvs for the ideas! might give the glass contanders a try I have a pretty clear vase that might look okay
ginger, thank you and omg would love to see a photo of your wreath, how in the world did you sell that many! ofcourse I know thay are beautiful but gosh thats alot, please share with us some photos!
oddie

oodie...it all started several years back when I had a small gift shop and made a couple of the wreaths for that shop and one for a charity auction. Word of mouth gets out and orders come in. I make a limited amount every year. The first few years there were 100-125, now the most I will do is 75. I slowed down last year when I lost my Mum, and I couldn't make anymore for the year and I no longer take special orders. I sold what I had finished last year which was right at 45 and promised only do as many as I feel like doing in a year's time.
I do work on them year round, trying to produce 2 a week until October 15th, then I offer them for sale at a boutique and an antique shop.
I buy my ornaments year round. I had a lady stop me in town the other day and asked me to come out to her home to pick some up. It was 5 big boxes of ornaments that had belonged to her Mom and grandmother. Her children weren't interested and she knew I would be.
I use the damaged and broken vintage ornaments first and foremost, because they have lost their appeal to collectors and are ready for the trash. I also mix in reproductions and new ornaments when colors are needed.

I can't wait to see more of your work!!
Here's a few pics of some of last years and this year's work.

Here is a link that might be useful: Christmas' Past

OMG ginger I knew your wreaths would be beautiful, but gosh they are GORGEOUS! each as georgeous as the next, I can see how you sell them so easy, what type of backing do you use for the wreath part, and do you wire three together befor you attach to the wreath, like all the instructions I read said to do, I didnt but would like to know the correct way of makeing these, could never do such gorgeous work, but sure would like to try!
makes me wish I still lived in Ga, would look you up for a hands on.
sure hope others are still reading this post so they can go take a look at yours! dont know what one I like the best, would be sooo hard to choose! love them all.
oddie

Oddie...thanks for posting your idea. Blue is my daughter's favorite color and she's moving into a new house December 1st...Wonder if I could make one...Can you use Silicone glue...could they be glued to a piece of thin wood?
Honeysuckleridge...you sure are creative. I'm not (My mother was)
This past summer, I threw away a LARGE bag of what I call Christmas balls...you call them bulbs?...I like to change the color scheme every year on the tree...never thought of any other use for them, other than to display some in a glass bowl...My DH found a plastic container of colorful balls (purple ones too!)...a few weeks ago...Free...and I was thinking...hmmm...more to throw away...but for reason, I kept a lot of them...and then I read this post this morning.

you are welcome! sure would love to have those purple bulbs! hope ginger will come back and share some info on how she makes hers, they are so beautiful! wouldnt know about the silicone glue, would be a mess if it got on the bulbs to get off, i had to use the blow dryer to help get the hot glue off of the bulbs, has to be a better way! mine was made on a flat circle cut from cardboard, as with the glue there has to be a better way, what do you say ginger care to give us a lesson ? please!
oddie

I LOVE THIS THREAD!! I am wanting to try to make a wreath similar to this...I need H....E...L....P!! What do you use for the form? I was thinking those foam forms you find at the craft stores?? I was wondering...when the tinsel is used...is it just garland wrapped around whatever form that was used...then hot glue the bulbs on? Any help anyone has would be much appreciated as in I have gone to the store SEVERAL times with the intent on buying what I need...but walk away frusterated because I don't know WHAT I need ;/!! I am trying to make a black one with matte and shiny bulbs...or black and silver..I'm scared to buy a bunch of "maybe this will work" and then end up ruing my bulbs with my bright idea!!!) Love the blue and white one by the way...gorgeous!!..p.s anyone know where I can get black matte & shiny glass bulbs?? Around here Hobby Lobby is GREAT for bulbs...just incase abyone is looking for different kinds...they have AISLES AND AISLES of them..just not black ;(

Ginger, your items were all so gorgeous. Loved the wreaths with the white wreaths under them and all those beads. Very creative. Your jewelry, the jewelry trees, just everything was really great. Thanks for sharing your pics with us.

Oddie, I stopped at a thrift store today so looked at the ornaments--ugly, ugly, ugly. There were some plain red with splotches and some weird green glittery ones. You really got lucky and found pretty ones! ;o)

Ashli, when you say "throw away", I hope you mean "donate"--one woman's trash is another woman's treasure! ;o)

Luvs

Hey everyone I posted and asked ginger for help! she is so nice and a very helpfull, I am sure she will help to answer all your questions!
Luvs keep looking, I am sure there out there somewhere just waiting for you! I got a few ugly ones in what I got, do you remenber the glass bells? have a few of them but the color is a strange color of orange, doesnt look like Christmas to me!
Happy Crafting
oddie

One year at the bank where I worked, the girls wanted to change the color of our tree decorations. No budget for buying new ornaments, so we spray painted all our old ones. Was time consuming and had to be really careful to not get runs, but it can be done if you want to badly enough. LOL Might be a way to safe some old, not so pretty ones. Luvs

oh thank you ladies for your nice compliments.

oodie because I was doing this before there was real internet..lol I learned the hard way, attempt and fail then success. The base I use depends on the bulbs I'm using. I have used a wire base before but it's not my favorite. I perfer the styrofoam(green)and I have also used straw. I wrap the wreath in coordination 2" wide ribbon and sometimes fabric. Then I use a generous mix of Aleene's Tacky Glue(gold bottle) and low temp glue gun. I do use wire if I have to, but only when absolutely necessary.

I start with wreath shapes cut out of plain card board as my templates(you can also buy these as a base for wreaths), I lay the bulbs out on each template along my work station sometimes 8 at a time, filling in here and there with a color until I'm happy with the look(most of the time), then I do my assembly. I leave them in place to dry over night. Waiting until the next evening to make sure everything is intact.
Daeger...the tinsel is just that..old time tinsel garland still sold in stores wrapped around the wreath. Our Hobby Lobby today had the black bulbs(balls) in both satin finish and shiney. I even saw tons of coffee brown..absolutely beautiful.
I am using black and white gift wrap this year and was excited not only to find it at Hobby Lobby but half price to boot.
I do the majority of my ornament shopping the day after Christmas and hit the thrift stores for other folk's toss outs beginning the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Hope this helps and please always ask me what I didn't answer, because I'm a terrible teacher.

ginger

Ginger, thank you so much for shareing with us how you make your wreaths, sorry wasnt thinking about the fact that you must be very busy right now, but came to help anyway!
I have a box of styrofoam sheets my dsil saved for me, and of course tackey and hot glue, wraping the wreath with tinsel and ribbon would give the glue something to cling to, any ideas how to remove the hot glue from bulbs, thought I had with the blow dryer but now I see that it just melted the glue and it shows agine, thanks agine ginger will try real soon and will post if I can do a good job! thanks for the tip on when to check the ts.
Happy Thanksgiveing!
oddie