Light up someone’s day with this Dollar Tree DIY light-up holiday wreath!
Not only are they easy to make, but since all of the materials can be purchased at Dollar Tree, the project costs less than $4.
I created this design last year and made a bunch to donate to a local organization serving low income families and they were a big hit.
Light Up The Holiday With A Dollar Tree Wreath
After seeing how much people enjoyed them last year, I decided to share how to make them so others can make and enjoy them too.
So, this DIY tutorial walks you through how to make a small light-up wreath that brightens any location.
Materials For A Holiday Wreath With Lights
This materials for this Dollar Tree light-up holiday wreath are:
– Small wreath form
The small wreath forms usually come in a two-pack for $1.00.
If you plan to make more than one, I recommend that you purchase several sets as soon as you see them, because they go really quickly during the holiday season.
– 1 box of 125 fold-top sandwich bags
The type of sandwich bag is very specific. It must be the FOLD TOP bags. Dollar Trees across the United States offer the same extra brand and box size so you should be able to find the box with 125 fold-top sandwich bags easily.
A single box of sandwich bags is enough to make two (2) small wreaths. (You’ll be only one baggie shy for one of the two wreaths which won’t be noticeable.)
– 1 light-up necklace
You can find the light-up necklace in Dollar Tree’s holiday decorations section.
This is another item that you should purchase when you see it and, if you can, buy some extras just in case.
Last year, I went back to buy more within a week or two of my first purchase and they were sold out for the season.
– 7 twist ties
It’s time to raid the twist tie stash. Well, not really. You only need seven (7) of them, but having some extras is also helpful.
The twist ties are cut in half and used to secure the necklace to the wreath form.
There are a many ways the necklace could be attached to the wreath. Things like glue, zip ties, or blue painter’s tape would also work.
I choose twist ties because they blend with the wreath form and are easy to get and use.
Plus, the twist ties provide more flexibility for future wreath use.
For example, when the necklace battery dies, you can remove it and either attach a new one or decorate the finished plastic wreath with something else.
Steps To Make A Wreath With Plastic Bags And Light-Up Necklace
Step One: Open the box of sandwich bags and pull one out.
A friend used to joke that, “one can never go wrong stating the obvious.”
And while this step may seem super obvious, it’s not.
Sure, opening a box along the perforated line is something we’ve all been doing for a while now and doesn’t really require an explanation.
Some people don’t always go with the obvious, or choose to do things differently.
So for this project some additional details about this cardboard box are helpful. The important things to note are:
Open the box along the perforation, not from one of the ends. The bags have been placed in the box so that they can easily be pulled out when the box is opened as intended.
After you open the box, leave the baggies in the box and only pull one or two out at a time.
Taking all of them out at once creates a slippery, plastic mess which slows down the wreath-making process considerably.
If you like to find a meditative pace with projects like these the bags must stay in the box.
Step Two: Fold the sandwich bag several times.
Lay the plastic bag flat in front of you with the fold top side facing you.
Take the bottom edge and fold the the bag in half so that the bottom edge meets the top edge.
Then, fold the bag in half a second time and then again a third time.
The final folded bag should measure around one inch.
Step Three: Fold the plastic bag into a backwards C.
I typically wrap the plastic bag around my index finger, but you can use any finger that feels comfortable.
When you fold the back into a backwards “C” it’s basically folding the bag in half and leaving a ‘hole’ at the top that you can access when attaching it to the wreath form.
Step Four: Thread the bag through the wreath form.
When you’re threading the bag through the wreath, place it under the wire to go through the space between the top and middle wires.
Take the ends and pull them through the hole to secure it to the top wire.
PRO TIPS:
– Tug gently when pulling the ends through the hole so that the plastic doesn’t tear.
– Make sure the ends stay lined up when they’re being pulled through the hole. If they are uneven, it will change the finished look of the wreath.
Step Five: Repeat steps 1 – 4 until outside circle is complete.
To complete one outside section, it typically takes 12 sandwich bags. The whole outside therefore needs 36 bags.
This may change, however, depending on the size of the knots you make and how tightly you push the bags together.
The finished outside circle should look like the picture above.
Step Six: Follow steps 1 – 4 to complete the inside sections of the wreath.
The inner-most wire of the wreath form is what I call the “inside section”.
The baggies should be attached to the smallest circle of the wreath form for this second phase of the project.
You will use the middle wire later in the tutorial.
Each inside section needs 9 bags for a total of 27 bags to finish the inside of the wreath.
Threading the bags to complete the inside circle is the same process as the outside circle. The wire spacing is just a little bit tighter, which means you have to focus just a little bit more on threading the bags.
This time, you’re going to thread the bag through the space between the middle wire and inside wire.
Then, do the same as you did before to attach all the plastic bags to the wreath wire.
Step Seven: Puff up the plastic bags to create a fuller wreath.
You folded and smushed the plastic bags together in order to thread them through and secure them to the wreath.
This process flattened them out considerably so the wreath, at this point, looks very flat.
The finished wreath should look very full.
So, you need to open up the folds you created for each of the plastic bags. This involves taking the corners of each end and pulling them apart.
You should also push them all slightly toward the center to create the 3-D fullness. Play around to see what looks best.
The above picture showcases what the wreath looks like after all the ends of the plastic bags are opened/unfolded.
Step Eight: Attach the light-up necklace to the wreath.
The last big step to complete the wreath is attaching the light-up necklace to the dollar tree holiday wreath.
For this step you need the necklace (of course) and the twist ties.
Cut the twist ties in half to make them more manageable.
Then, push the baggies on the small circle toward the inside of the wreath and the bags on the large circle to the outside. This will expose the middle wire of the wreath form and make it easier to use.
Take the necklace and place in around the middle wire.
The little power pack will can stay to the side and will be attached last.
After you’ve placed each of the lights where you want it, use a twist tie on each side of the light to secure it to the wire.
Once you’re finished with the lights, the little power pod needs to find a home too.
Take the necklace power pod and pull it around to the back of the wreath form.
The necklace wire is long enough that it will easily reach.
Attach the battery pack to the wreath form the same way you did the lights.
How Will You Light Up Your Wreath?
The light up necklace from Dollar Tree would already be a fun option if it only had one setting. This dollar deal, however, has THREE different settings for the lights. So you have choices!
Simply press the little black button to turn the lights on and off as well as move through the different flashing sequences.
A Dollar Tree Holiday Wreath That Lights Up Any Space
The beauty of the small light-up wreath is that it will fit in almost any space, inside or outside. It can adorn your front door or an office or bedroom door.
This also makes a fun teacher appreciation gift to light up a classroom for those who are teaching in-person.
Regardless of who receives this light-up holiday wreath, it is sure to brighten their day.
Share the Goods
What are your favorite materials to use from Dollar Tree when you’re crafting a holiday wreath?