Mesh Wreath Shopping: a little guide.

Today we would like to bring up a quite delicate question: how do I distinguish a high quality deco mesh wreath from a poor one?

One of the most popular marketplaces for handcrafted goods is Etsy. On Etsy, you can find everything from wood work and handmade kids clothing, over fancy hats and paintings, to extraordinary jewelry and, last but not least, deco mesh wreaths. The price of a mesh wreath can be anything between 30 $ and 150 $, not included the cost of shipping. The average price paid for a mesh wreath is 98 $, plus whatever you will be charged for shipping. 98 $ is quite a number, and for that reason you really want to make sure, that you are going to buy a wreath of high quality, crafted with durable material and skilled hands.

Deco mesh is made of plastic, which is why it is often referred to as poly mesh. It is a very durable, long-lasting and weather resistant material, and therefore the perfect choice for an outside wreath. A deco mesh wreath can bring you years of joy, without fading colors or dried out branches. However, the average 98 $ are only well spent if your mesh wreath was crafted with high quality material, from someone who is skilled in this craft. How do you recognize a professionally crafted mesh wreath, that is well worth the money? Today we are going to share some helpful tips with you about mesh wreath shopping!

1. Take a look at the shape
   Some people like square-shaped mesh wreaths. During Valentine's Day season, we can also find a lot of heart-shaped mesh wreaths. There are even work wreath forms for oval wreaths and wreaths in a cross shape. However, 90% of the mesh wreaths are round and 24 – 30 inches in diameter. The shape of a wreath tells us a lot about the crafters skills. If the wreath you are looking at should be round, but actually isn't, you might wanna keep looking for something more appealing.
   It doesn't take a degree to craft a mesh wreath, BUT it does need some experience to get a mesh wreath in a perfectly round shape. If you see a wreath that has bumps in the shape, the crafter probably just started out and doesn't have enough experience yet. While you can still go ahead and buy this wreath of course, don't get ripped off by paying too much for it! If a wreath has a bumpy shape, it might be possible that the quality of this wreath is suffering in other areas as well! Attached you can find a round and well layered wreath, as well as two not-so-round mesh wreaths.
   
   
   Of course we have to mention here, that we have no rights on those 2 lower  pictures. We are showing them for example purposes only.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. How look-through is the wreath
   Mesh wreath is a fabric netting and therefore a look-through material. However, crafted in layers, a professionally made mesh wreath should be as little look-through as possible. If you can see a lot of work wreath through the mesh, you are probably looking at the work of a beginner.
   
   
3. You get what you pay for
   It always feels great to get a great deal on a mesh wreath, but don't get fooled by a low price! If someone is offering a mesh wreath for 45 $, the person who crafted it either doesn't want to make money with this wreath (not very likely), or the material and quality is poor. If you consider that the basic cost of a mesh wreath, without any decorative details but a ribbon, is often more than 30 $, 45 $ for a fully decorated wreath sounds way too good! Keep in mind that the ribbon might have been bought at the dollar store, and will pretty much dissolve after a week of rainy weather. Or the sign is made of cardboard instead of wood, and will pretty much dissolve as well over a short period of time. The glitter might fall off the ornaments, and picks will come off due to a cheap glue.
   Instead of going for the cheap price, try to look for wreaths that are on sale, or look for coupons or other sales promotions. This is usually the best way to make a great deal on your wreath!
   
   
4. Avoid disappointment
   Let's get this straight to the point: a skilled mesh wreath crafter will be professional enough to make sure, that the wreath reaches your doorstep save and sound. Make sure that your wreath will be properly secured before it ships out. As an example: Vanity Wreaths wires almost every wreath to the bottom of the shipping box. This is to keep the wreath from moving around, and therefore to keep it's shape and to avoid damage to the decorative details.

We hope that our tips are going to make the mesh wreath shopping easier for you! If you like this article, please go ahead and like us on facebook as well!

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Making a simple headband bow

Sometimes we use the same bows in our wreaths as you can see on headbands and similar accessories. These kind of bows are fairly simple to craft! Today we would like to show you how to craft such a headband bow. If you don't have a glue gun, you can do it with regular glue as well.

Like mentioned above, it doesn't have to be a glue

gun. Regular glue will work just fine. Other than that

you will need a ribbon of your choice and maybe

some pearls, gemstones or whatever you would like

yo use to decorate your bow. Your bow will have half

the length of the ribbon you are going to use.

Fold the ribbon in half by putting the ends exactly

together. 

Press down the part in the center of the ribbon.

You will now have a line running through the vertical 

center of the ribbon.

Add some glue among the line. You have to work

quickly so the glue won't get hard or dry.

Bring each end of the ribbon to the center, and glue

them together. This is what the side will look like that

has the glue seam.

Turn the ribbon around. You are now facing the side

without the seam. Fold the ribbon in a half vertically.

Add a small drop of glue to the center of it and press it 

together. Make sure that both ends of the seam match

perfectly.

This is what it should look like while you are pressing

it together.

If you let go off the ribbon, this is what the side without

the seam should look like, after you glued the center together.

    Now turn it around so you can face the side with the 

     glue seam. Fold the sides with the seam ends towards 

the center. Put a small drop of glue in the center of 

each of the two gaps.

This is how it should look like while you press the 

glue together.

This is how the front (the side without the original seam)

will look like.

Since we don't want people to see the glue stains on our

bow, we decided to attach a small ribbon and wrap it 

around the middle. You can as well put a gemstone,

diamond or something similar to it.

If you attach a small ribbon to it, put a drop of glue in

the center on top of the bow. 

Attach one end of the ribbon to it. Wrape it around once or twice.

Add a drop of glue to the backside of the bow in order

to attach the other end ot it.

And the result will be a beautiful headband bow. You can

use any sort of ribbon for it, however, you will need some

experience to make it look neat with sheer ribbon.

Songbirds

We finished this wreath today and this quote goes so well with it!

Time of the flowers...

Now that we are 8 days into the year of 2013, spring is just around the corner. While the Christmas season is dominated by ornaments, glitter and lots of reds, spring is the time of the flowers. 

Take a look at our first spring 2013 creation!