MERRY MANTLE: DIY Yarn-wrapped Letters

I’ve attempted to knit. I’ve attempted to crochet. And I can start the stitch. I can continue the stitch. But I can’t end and finish off the stitch. I have bins filled with 10+ ft scarves. I’m not kidding. Can someone come to Denver and show this girl what to do with a needle? The only thing I can really do with yarn is wrap it around stuff. I’m good at that. These yarn-wrapped letters are a DIY that’s right up my alley. They’re easy to make. They just take a little bit of time. These letters have become quite the favorite decor item in my house. The colors are so bright and cheerful. Whenever I walk by, I scream “CHRISTMAS!!!”.

To make your own MERRY MANTLE you’ll need:

• cardboard/papier mache letters spelling M-E-R-R-Y (found at Hobby Lobby)
• yarn in mint, cherry red, and sparkling white
• hot glue gun with glue sticks
• a beverage and 1 or 2 Christmas films

Starting at the back of one of the letters, make a small line of hot glue at the bottom of the letter. Push the end of the yarn into the glue and start wrapping. You’ll want to wrap tight, but not perfect. Strands can overlap. They look better if they do. Keep wrapping and hot glue the yarn down occasionally. When you get to the tricky parts like the corners, plan out how you are going to wrap the yarn before you hot glue it in place. Trust me. I just saved you a lot of screams tears right there. The yarn will be a little bulkier in these parts, but it’s not bad. It builds character.

Once you have all of the letter wrapped, seal the final strand with a dab of hot glue. Make sure that it’s on the back of the letter. The front needs to look pretty. Appearances are everything. We all know this. ;)

Emergency room. Elves rule. Everybody remembers. Eggs rolling. Excessive rabbits. These letters can mean whatever you want them to, baby.

On a few of the top ledges like the Y and the M, I cut small individual strands and hot glued them down before wrapping the top half of the letters. I’m a little crazy and wanted every part of the letter covered in yarn. Nobody really sees the top because these will be at eye level. But if you feel like it… go for it.

What have you put on your mantle this season? We don’t have a mantle we can decorate so I’m living vicariously through you.

24 MERRY DAYS day 4: Visit The Sweetest Occasion for today’s giveaway (a $250 gift certificate to Cloud 9 Living!)

photo cred: The Proper Pinwheel