Tape Core Wreath Ornament

This wreath ornament is based on the very first pattern I designed back in 1983.* I changed the beads and the ribbon on this one. I would actually use red satin ribbon but I did not have any at the time this wreath was made so I used red twill tape for the example.

Materials Needed:
Small amount green Worsted Weight Yarn
The empty core from transparent cellophane tape
Size F aluminum crochet hook.
yarn needle
9 red faceted beads or 5 small starburst beads
¼" wide red satin Ribbon or purchased red bow.

Yarn Thickness: 4mm
Gauge: 4dc=1"
Finished Size: 4" diameter
Skill Level: Easy

RND 1: Make a starting loop and pass through hole in core. Work 24 sc around core. Sl st to the first sc to join. Then push the stitches so they are centered on the outside of the core. See figure 1.

RND 2: Ch 3, work 3 dc in same st as sl st. *Work 4 dc in next sc. Repeat from * around. Sl st to top of ch 3, fasten off and weave ends of yarn into work.

Finishing.
Attach beads to wreath using green thread either randomly or in 3 clumps of 3 beads. You can also embellish the wreath with whatever you want. Be creative! Then attach the red ribbon or bow to the top of the wreath. Attach hanger to top of wreath. I use small paper clips for ornament hangers.

*Little Wreath Story:
Back in 1983 when I was just 15, living alone with my Mom. One day I noticed some plain plastic napkin rings in the trash and I asked her if I could have them. She said yes as long as I knew exactly what I was going to do with them. I told her I had an idea. I loved to crochet even then and up until then, I had been using patterns I found in magazines. Well I didn't have a pattern for what I wanted to do with them so I figured I could design something. I asked Mom for any green, white and red yarn. She let me have some scraps she had in different shades of green and white. I went into my room and shut the door. I didn't want her to see what I was making, I wanted it to be a surprise. Christmas was coming you know. So I used all 6 rings and made 6 different colored wreaths. I had some ribbons and beads in my stash and used them to decorate them.

I put them away until it was time to decorate the Christmas tree and when I pulled them out, to put them on the tree, I had them in a Christmas tin and gave them all to my Mom. She was delighted with the 6 little wreaths I had made for the tree. She couldn't believe I had kept them out of site until then. Since then we have given 4 of them away, I kept one and she has one.

The first Christmas after I got married, I took my favorite one off of my Mom's tree for my own tree. That first year, I made all of my own Christmas ornaments for my tree and to this day, I still think it was the prettiest tree I ever had. It was a real spruce tree full of crocheted ornaments, little colored lights, silver and gold garland. I didn't put any tinsel strands on it because I had a cat and a baby by that time.

Designed in 1983, rewritten in 1998. Copyright ©1998 By Julie A. Bolduc f103012