How to make a paper pinwheel wreath

We asked designer Jillian Harris to share a Christmas decorating idea, her favourite holiday tradition, and what she hopes to find under the Christmas tree.

I love spending cozy winter evenings curled up with a classic book. This delicate wreath is made of paper pinwheels from pages of antique books that are attached to a lace-covered foam ring. Miniature lights make it twinkle and are a warm reminder of holidays past.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Foam wreath
• Wire wreath frame
• String lights
• Plastic zip ties
• Doilies
• Antique book pages
• Glue gun

Instructions

1. Insert a foam wreath into the wire wreath skeleton (this gives it more stability).
2. Wrap the string lights around the entire frame and secure it in place with plastic zip ties.
3. Cover the whole thing with the doilies, overlapping them and pulling the lights through the fabric.
4. To make pinwheels (make as many as you need, about 20 for an mid-size wreath):
   1. Use two sheets of paper (because the pages of an antique book are thin).
   2. Cut each sheet of paper into an exact square.
   3. Fold the square in half into a diagonal and crease.
   4. Open it up and fold it again in a diagonal the opposite way and crease.
   5. Open it up to a square again and cut along the crease lines (starting at the edges) until you are halfway up towards the centre point.
   6. One by one, take the points and gently bend them towards the centre (try not to make a crease).
   7. Then, using a glue gun, secure one of the points to the centre (bending the paper as you did in the previous step).
   8. Repeat with each corner until they are all glued at the centre point, forming loops.
5. Attach each pinwheel to the wreath form using the glue gun or with a straight pin through the centre.

 

Antique book (for wreath), Charlieford.com. Mirror, Lovethedesign.com.

 

Favourite holiday tradition: The sleepover with all my cousins. To this day we still insist on putting out milk and cookies.

Under the tree: I’m in love with antique candelabras and dainty glassware, so a gorgeous vintage treasure to make my house holiday-party-ready.

Get more DIY wreath ideas