Framed Straw Wreath

I made a pre-Christmas trip to IKEA and picked up this straw wreath. I love how simple it is!

It's a bit smaller than I had anticipated (I'd first seen it online), so I decided to add something to it to make it more substantial. My first thought was to hang it in front of a punched metal piece I made way back in high school.

But, I didn't like how it looked with the punched design behind, and it didn't lay flat.

Here's the punched metal piece:

I made it as a 4-H project, and since I had to turn it in to be displayed at the county fair, I put this sign on it (the metal showed fingerprints very badly if touched). I can't believe that tag is still on it almost twenty years (and lots of moves) later!

I love the high tech duct tape job- I think I did have to redo that once over the years :)

The frame is one I made from wood that had been sitting outside, getting nicely weathered. If I remember correctly, it was part of my mom's old quilting stand.  Even after all these years, I love how that frame turned out.

After removing the metal (I've been planning on replacing it with a different design for years now), I rehung the wreath in the frame.

It looks much better now!

I might change the ribbon out to match the seasons, but I have red accents in the front room, so it works year round. I need to locate studs in the walls so I can hang some heavy artwork, then I can decide on a final resting place for this.