How to make rustic twig heart wreaths

Today I joined in with Red Ted Art's Google Hangout again.  It's lots of fun, and this week we shared ideas for stick or twig crafts.

We never come back from a walk in the woods or down the park without some treasures - generally sticks! So this was really great for me to find some new ideas.

Take a look at the Hangout for all the crafts, including my demo of how to make the heart wreaths.

For this project we used bunches of long twigs - weeping willow or silver birch is ideal.

Simply take a bundle of similar length twigs in your hang and secure together near the end.  You can use wire; string; garden twine or cotton to do this, whatever is to hand.  If you want to disguise it, you can wrap around some smaller twigs when you've finished.

Holding the secured end in one hand, use your other hand to divide the twigs into two equal sections, then with a gentle twisting motion, bend it over to make the heart shape, catching in the top ends and secure at the bottom end as before.

I like to leave some ends loose to make a tail.  Tidy up by gently pushing and weaving any loose ends on the heart shape back into place.

For Valentine's simply tie with a big red bow and use to decorate your door.

You can make mini ones as present decorations or stick them to Valentine's cards.

For children's crafts they can embellish the wreath with dried leaves, fabric flowers, pom poms, sticky jewels, wrap strings of old beads through...the sky's the limit!

These are so simple to make and are seriously addictive.  I'm running out of places to put them!

You can also spray paint these or kids can paint them with brushes.  Metallic coloured ones look great as Christmas decorations too.

For more tree inspired crafts you might like my Silver Birch Bark Candle Holders and my Glittered Sticky Buds.  

Don't forget to head over to Red Ted Art and check out the links for all the crafts featured on the video:

• Maggy's Spider webs and Tree pictures
• Ali's Shadow Puppet
• Anthea's Wall Flowers
• Kelly's Pom Pom Flowers
• Aly's Fairy Wand

Has this inspired you to get out in the forest?  What stick crafts do you enjoy?

Also linking up with Ta-dah Tuesday.

And #GetYourCraftOn