Faux-Succulent & Pistachio Nut Wreaths

by Three Dogs in a Garden

$20

Easy

You aren't going to believe what you can make using Pistachio nut shells!

faux succulent pistachio nut wreath, crafts, wreaths

The first step in this project involves eating-not a typical Hometalk DIY project step I know!

Step1: Go eat some pistachios! Clean away any residual brown nut husks from the insides of the shells before you start your wreath.

To make a wreath you first need to learn the basic technique in making a pistachio nut floret. To demonstrate how to make the flowers, I came up with this really simple trinket box project.

I'll put a link at the end of this Hometalk post to the how-to on my blog.

To make the Pistachio Nut Wreath you need:

Wreath form

Low heat glue gun

Glue sticks

Pistachio nut shells

To make the Faux Sedum version of the wreath add these items to your materials list:

2 different colors of green multi-surface spray paint

Small bottle of rose colored craft paint

Paint brushes

Old newspapers and some paper towel

Mask (for protection from paint fumes while using spray paint)

A note about hanging your wreath:

Before beginning this project, you may want to give some thought as to how you want to hang your finished wreath. For my wreath I simply created a loop of heavy duty fishing wire. Alternatively, you might create a loop of decorative ribbon and tie a bow on the top of the ribbon. You could also fashion a hanger with some florist's wire.

2. Using the technique that you learned in the last post, make your first floret on the styrofoam wreath form.

3. Shift down and to the left and make a second floret. Move down again and slightly the right to make a third floret.

Step 4: Go back and fill in the spaces between the first three flowers with new florets. When you are finished shift down and make the next three florets.

If it makes it easier, you can take a permanent marker and make flower sized circles on your wreath to serve as a guide.

Continue working in a single direction around the wreath filling it up with florets as you go.

I am sure you must be wondering what happens on the sides of the wreath form. Create full florets where you can, but where you don't have the space available, make semi-circular florets instead.

One of the somewhat annoying things about working with hot glue is all the fine web-like strands of glue you end up creating.

Clean away these little spider webs of hot glue with a soft paint brush. This is particularly important if you want to carry on and paint your wreath. The strands of glue will become more evident after you spray paint your wreath.

If you want to leave the wreath a neutral color, all you need do now is hang it!

Transforming your creation into a faux-succulent wreath is basically a matter of painting it.

You can find paint colors and detailed instructions on my blog.

Hang your finished wreath and enjoy!

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Frequently asked questions

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3 of 5 questions

Ellie on Apr 21, 2016
Approximately how many bags of pistachios were needed?

1
Jane prey on Apr 21, 2016
did the hot glue melt the foam form?

1
Beckee Mathison on Apr 22, 2016
Is it possible to create the flower first by gluing it to the base of something, like a small round piece of card stock, and then gluing that to the wreath? I was just thinking of the angular positions of the wreath & trying to hold it. Also, I've always wrapped the wreaths in a colored ribbon if the wreath is styrofoam so the hot glue doesnt melt it, and it kind of fills in holes with the color, which I think would look pretty here if you painted the nuts.

1

Comments

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2 of 160 comments

Lovesunique on Jul 15, 2019

Oh wow. This would be a project for when you get snowed in at a cabin in the mountains and you brought bags of nuts with you! Just kidding!! It is beautiful and such a creative idea and if you have the patience, like you did, to carry it through, it is priceless. Great instructions too. I will try to make a floret first!

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Create With Cynthia on Jan 01, 2020

Gorgeous wreath!

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