DIY Alabama deco mesh wreath

With just days until Alabama takes on Virginia Tech at the Georgia Dome, I know everyone is anxiously awaiting that loud "ROLLLLLLLLL TIDE ROLL" that sounds the beginning of football season! While you're waiting on August 31st, get in the spirit and make yourself a beautiful wreath to support the Crimson Tide! 

 Supplies:

• 24" wire craft wreath (if you don't want a large wreath I suggest getting the 16")
• Deco Mesh - two colors of your choice and one grey (It seems to work better with a solid color on the second row and a fun pattern on the outer row!)
• pipe cleaners - grey and other (try to match them to your deco mesh)
• Googly eyes 
• Craft Glue
• Scissors 

** optional - ribbon

 Step 1

Take your pipe cleaners and tie one about every two inches. On my craft wreath there were bars around every two inches so that is what I used as my guide. Once you have done the full pipe cleaners cut 6 in half and tie them in between each full pipe cleaner as shown above. 

 Step 2

Take the patterned deco mes and bunch the ends together tying it off with one of the full pipe cleaners on the wreath. Bubble out about 5 inches of deco mesh, bunch it together and tie it at the next full pipe cleaner. Continue until entire wreath is finished. 

Step 3

Take your solid deco mesh and repeat step 2 but bunch at each pipe cleaner on the wreath. Make sure when you bubble the deco mesh out it goes towards the inside and not up. On this row it is better to act like you are tying a bow when you bubble. 

Now that you have the base of your wreath made it is time to work on your elephant. 

Now, the elephant can get frustrating so just relax! You have to play with it until it works. 

Step one (top right): To make the ears take about a foot and a half of grey deco mesh, fold the ends in to where they over lap. bunch the middle together and tie it off with a silver or grey pipe cleaner.

Step two (middle right): To make the head take a separate foot of deco mesh take one end and fold the ends over to make the top of the head. 

Step three (bottom right corner): use half of a pipe cleaner and run it through the folded end of the deco mesh to secure it together. 

Step four (big picture): use a pipe cleaner to attach the head to the ears.

Step Five: Roll another foot of deco mesh so that the top will fit into the nose of the existing elephant making it get smaller as it goes. Almost like a funnel. Attach the bottom half of the trunk to the top half with small pieces of pipe cleaners. 

Step Six (bottom left): Glue the googly eyes onto the face. 

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Finally: Using pipe cleaners attach the elephant to your wreath and voilà your wreath is complete! 

You can play around with the deco mesh options but no matter what you choose your wreath is guaranteed to be super cute and worthy of the Crimson Tide!

Here's to another awesome football season and hopefully a win in Pasadena for number 16! 

"Remember the Rose Bowl we'll win it!" 

Roll Tide!

-Kelsey Ann