Kool-Aid Dyed Coffee Filter Wreath

Who knew that coffee filters could be so crafty but I have seen all kinds of crafts popping up made from them.  And you know they are a fairly cheap crafting medium so I say the more ideas the better.  Well I have  seen some coffee filter wreath ideas lately and I was in need of a spring wreath for my door so I decided to give it a try.  I did a little research first on dying coffee filters and found lots of different ideas including coffee, tea, fabric dye, watered down paint and crystal light.  I decided to try Kool-Aid.  Like I read on one blog, "if it dyes my fingers it has got to be able to dye a coffee filter."  Well Kool-Aid definitely stains everything it comes in contact with so I figured it would work.  Only I didn't know just how well it would work and how easy it would be.

Here are my color choices (because I wanted a couple of shades of pink and yellow)

I poured the entire contents of the package in a tall container, added some water (didn't really measure-not too much-probably a cup and a 1/4).

Now take a bunch of coffee filters

and submerge them into the liquid (you only need to leave them in there for 30 seconds-it goes fast)

 then take them out, squeeze out the excess liquid (over the container) and lay them out on a cookie sheet.  If I used a really thick bunch then I separated the filters to make sure the very middle ones got colored.  If not I re-submerged them.

 Here are all the ones I did.  Don't be alarmed if the color is a lot brighter than you wanted when they are wet-it will lighten as they dry.  

 They hold the stain so well-I couldn't believe it and the whole thing too me about 10 minutes.  I did a full package of (I think close to 200) and another half package.  The only problem is that you may end up with colored fingers too but even that wore off after a day.

 Now here is the genius part.  In all the tutorials I read online people were putting these on cookie sheets all over counters to dry, or hanging them on fences and clothes lines, or lining their entire floor with them.  Listen-it is all unnecessary.  I put the whole works into my dryer, set the low heat cycle for 10 minutes and then an additional 5-7 (it depends on how many you have in there) minutes and they were completely dry (and the dryer smelled fruity fresh).

 And it was onto the wreath making.  I used a Styrofoam wreath cut in half for my wreath base.  I tried gluing directly to the Styrofoam but it and the filters do not hold the glue well so I found it was better to wrap the wreath base in cloth first and then glue to that.  I also found that this is a super messy hot glue project so put something below the whole thing to catch all the drips.  I tried gluing the coffee filters individually but that took forever and I was way over crowding them so I ripped them all off and tried gluing them in premade little bundles and that worked much better.

 To make the bundles take 3 or 4 coffee filters and lay them on top of each other.

 Fold them in half

 and then in half again.

Cut off the point.

Run a few beads of hot glue down in between a few of the layers to hold it together.

 Then add hot glue to your wreath base first (be generous) and stick the bundle down tucking it under the other filters but not too tight-loose looks better.  Go all the way around.  If you are adding a ribbon hanger do it before you cover the spot with filters.

 And there you have it-beautiful, simple, springy (and frugal too).

 I can't even tell you how much I love this project.  I have a feeling there will be more of these popping up through the year and you can bet I am going to think of a few more ways to use dyed coffee filters.  My mind just won't stop thinking of possible color combinations.  

Kool-Aid dyed Coffee Filter Wreath-my new favorite for 2013.