Frugal Fridays: Haloween Wreath

Looking for a way to make a quick and CHEAP Halloween decorations? I found this beyond awesome wreath from Own Two Hands that I just HAD to share! It worked out perfect for me since we had almost a full bag of black trash bags that don't fit in our new trash can. I love love love this craft!

1) Gather your materials:
- plastic bags
- a wire clothes hanger
- a sharp pair of scissors

I used three 66cm X 82.5cm (26" X 32.5") black garbage bags, but you can use just about any kind of plastic bag in any colour, depending on your preferences. If you want to be environmentally conscious, you can use recycled grocery/shopping bags.

2) Bend the hanger into a circle. It doesn't have to be perfect, as the volume of the wreath will hide any imperfections.

3) Fold your plastic bag so that you can cut more than one strip at a time. I used strips that were about 4cm wide by 17cm long (1.6" x 6.7").

For a fuller wreath, cut longer strips; for a skinnier wreath, cut shorter strips.I cut one bag at a time so that I was sure I wouldn't waste any bags.

4) Using a simple single knot, tie each of the strips onto the hanger. Tie them snugly, but not so tight that the plastic stretches.

5) This is what my wreath looked like after one bag worth of plastic strips.

6) After two bags worth of plastic strips.

7) After a little less than three bags worth of plastic strips.

8) All of your knots will have probably been tied in the same direction, leaving a flat ridge where the hanger is. Twist and fluff the plastic strips to hide this ridge.

9) If you don't like the look of the hanger top or, like me, you didn't use a matching hanger, you can snip the top off. If you don't have a pair of wire snips, you can bend the hanger back and forth until it snaps off.

10) There are many ways that you can decorate your wreath: hang miniature ornaments on it, weave beaded garland through it, add miniature lights (make sure they're LEDs -- the plastic may melt under higher temperatures), etc. You can also leave the wreath plain as it is. Then you're done!