HOW TO MAKE A BEACHY WREATH

It’s easy! Just thread a mix of driftwood, cuttlebones and balls of air-dry clay onto a metal ring.

Gather your supplies

• 500mm-dia galvanised metal ring

• Air-dry modelling clay

• Dulux Duramax spray paint in Matt Black

• Black raffia

You’ll also need

Drop sheet; wire cutters; metal skewer; assorted natural items (we used cuttlebones and driftwood); Dremel rotary tool or drill and drill bit; gaffer tape; screw or cup hook

NOTES

• You can buy cuttlebones from pet shops and assorted driftwood pieces from craft stores.

• Please don’t collect natural items from beaches or reserves without permission to do so.

Here’s how

STEP 1 Lay out drop sheet in your work area. Using wire cutters, snip open metal ring in one spot. Set to the side. STEP 2 Roll about 2 tablespoons of air-dry clay into a ball using the palms of your hands. Repeat to make as many balls as desired (here, 8 balls were required).

STEP 3 Pierce centre of each ball with metal skewer.

STEP 4 Set pierced balls of clay to the side. Let dry, following product directions.

STEP 5 Using Dremel or drill fitted with drill bit, drive a neat hole through each natural item. Keep in mind the desired position of item on metal ring and locate holes accordingly. When drilling through cuttlebones, drill through porous side (not shiny side).

STEP 6 Coat clay balls with spray paint. Spray one side, let dry, then turn balls to coat other side. Repeat to apply 2 coats of paint to each ball.

STEP 7 Thread a mix of natural items and painted balls onto metal hoop, as desired. Cut an 8cm length of gaffer tape. Close up gap in wire with one hand, then wrap tape around cut using other hand.

STEP 8 To avoid hanging the wreath at fault line (where tape has been applied), shift items on hoop to one side (about 10cm) so top point of wreath is solid wire.

STEP 9 Tightly wrap exposed wire hoop with raffia. Cut raffia with scissors and tie off when all of wire hoop is covered.

STEP 10 Hang wreath from a screw or a cup hook in your wall.