Hey there! I thought I’d change it up a little bit on this space to include some home improvement/DIY projects. When we purchased our farmhouse back in December, I knew there would be a lot of fun projects in my future. The house was built in 1901, has a lot of character and charm, which is why I fell in love with it as soon as I walked in the door the first time. I’m really loving the modern farmhouse/industrial style that is so popular right now, (as in I’m obsessed with Fixer Upper) and lucky for me I have a farmhouse where the style fits perfectly!
Our house
We’ve done a little bit of re-doing already; the bathroom & kitchen have had wallpaper removed and have been painted and redecorated (posts on those later). A small project I did this weekend was a DIY magnolia wreath and old window. This started out when I was going through the barn on our property and found these old windows. They were in pretty rough shape, but I knew with a little TLC, they could be something pretty great. I’m a sucker for farmhouse blogs, and I’ve seen many windows used as a backdrop for a wreath; I’m equally a sucker for a traditional magnolia wreath, but not so much for the hefty price tag. So, I figured I could make one myself.
Old, dirty windows hiding in the barn
None of the windows had all the original panes in them. I could have gotten new glass panes, or knocked the old ones out; I chose the latter for budget & time reasons. With a couple of strikes from a rubber mallet, the glass was out. (Disclaimer: remember to use eye protection, gloves and sturdy shoes for this; I sat the window on top of a cardboard box so all of the glass would go directly into the box and I wouldn’t have a mess to clean up). I then wiped down the wooden frame with some soap and water, getting rid of years of dirt (and bugs, and cobwebs, eww) and they cleaned up great! A little rough and weathered look to them, which is exactly what I wanted.
Window after being cleaned and glass removed
I bought a grapevine wreath and 1 bunch of magnolia leaves at Hobby Lobby, and hot glued the leaves all in the same direction, but applying glue to the stem and inserting it into the wreath. I glued one layer around first, and then added extra leaves as needed. I found some burlap ribbon from a previous project in my craft bin, wrapped it around the wreath and glued the ends. I then took the wreath and window upstairs to their new home, the small hallway bookcase. I folded the burlap ribbon over the top left of the window, adjusted the height, and glued the end to the back of the ribbon. That’s it! Super quick and easy project. I love finding old things and bringing them back to life. Look for more projects like this to come!
Finished project on hallway bookshelf
DIY Magnolia Wreath & Window Project
Supplies:
1 Old Window (I used a 4 pane)
Soap & Water in a bucket
Rubber Mallet or Hammer (something to knock out the glass if you don’t want it)
1 Grapevine Wreath
1 bunch of magnolia leaves
Hot glue
Ribbon of your choice
Scissors
Directions:
Remove glass from window, if desired
Clean window with soap and water
Glue leaves one layer at a time in the same direction, by applying glue to stems and inserting them into the grapevine wreath; adjust leaves as desired
Wrap ribbon around top of wreath once, and glue ends together, forming a loop
Position wreath on window as desired; drape looped ribbon over top of window
Adjust height of wreath; glue top fold of ribbon to its back to secure wreath on window