Christmas Roses Swag

Create a lovely Christmas swag for mantles, railing and doorways with rich silk roses, greenery and berries. Using inexpensive materials for the base helps you stretch your crafting budget.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Foam:
  • Balls: 6", one; 5", two; 4", four; 3", six
• Artificial roses, four each: red with leaves; cream
• Artificial red berry sprays, two each: glitter berry holly branch; crystal with leaves
• Green reindeer moss, three bags
• Bright green glass ball ornaments, 2", three
• Wire: floral; craft, 16-gauge, 12' length
• Floral pins
• Yardstick or ruler
• Wooden skewer
• Wire cutters or floral shears
• Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
• Thick, white craft glue
• Optional: Battery-operated mini light string

Steps:

1. Glue reindeer moss to foam balls, covering surfaces. Carefully push skewer through center of each ball, twisting skewer to create a hole large enough to accept two thicknesses of craft wire.
    
2. Fold 16-gauge wire length in half and twist together along entire 72" length.
    
3. Place foam balls on work surface with 6" ball at center, 5" balls on each side, two 4" balls next to those, and three 3" balls on each end. Insert twisted wire through foam balls, leaving enough slack in wire to form curving swag shape as shown. Position balls close enough to touch, but be sure they will hang straight when swag is hung.
    
4. When pleased with shape, tightly twist wire ends to secure. Glue and insert wire ends into sides of 3" balls. Cover exposed wire with small pieces of moss.
    
5. Glue and insert holly stems into center top of 6" ball. Bend stems to follow top edge of swag; secure with floral pins.
    
6. Use wire cutters to trim rose and leaf stems to 2" lengths. Glue and insert two red roses into center top of 6" ball; glue three rose leaf stems behind blooms. Glue and insert remaining roses into swag as shown; glue one rose leaf stem behind each red rose.
    
7. Trim stem ends from crystal berry sprays and insert one into each end of swag above cream roses; secure with floral pins. Bend stems to follow curved ends of swag.
    
8. Use floral pins to secure ornaments to swag. Place one ornament below red center roses and remaining two on opposite sides of center drape.
    
9. Cut two 18" lengths from floral wire. Fold each length in half and twist ends together to secure. Twist wire again, forming two loops in each length. Wrap center of each double-loop around wire between balls at top of swag for hangers. Cover exposed pins or stems with small pieces of moss.
    
10. If desired, secure mini light set to swag with floral pins; glue moss to exposed pins. Attach lights to centers of balls and along edges of swag. Position switch and battery holder at center top of swag and secure with floral pins.

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow. For more project ideas, please see styrofoamstyle.com.

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