I may have mentioned before that I am an accidental DIY columnist for the Virginian-Pilot.  (Do you remember the book and move, The “Accidental Tourist?)

Don’t get me wrong: I love conceiving of each month’s project and sharing it with readers.  It’s just that I am not the crafty type at all.  So my rule to myself is that I will only present ideas–and I’ve been writing this column for well over a year–that I would not be embarrassed to have in our home or to give as a gift.  So far so good.

This month’s is one of my favorites.

Essentially, I spray-painted a plastic ceiling medallion from Home Depot silver using an inexpensive paint that bonds to plastic.

Then, using a white paint pen, I painted white dots on each of the beads that create the relief border in order to complement the white polka dots in the narrow orange ribbon.

And finally, I made and tied together two bows.  The charcoal gray one was made out of wired ribbon.  I tied the bow so that there was one short and one long tail and I knotted these tails together–concealing the knot behind the bow–to make a loop from which to suspend the wreath from an over-the-door style wreath hanger.  Easy-peasy!

The whole enterprise, including hanger, cost about $47.  But, I have lots of silver paint leftover, in addition to the paint pen, some of the orange and white polka dot ribbon, and the reusable wreath hanger.

If, like me, you favor a minimalist aesthetic, then this may be the wreath for you.  If, on the other hand, you are a fan of over-the-top holiday decorations, you could start with this basic idea and then embellish to your heart’s content using ornaments and an adhesive that will withstand the elements if you plan to hang it outdoors.

My holiday mantra is: “Simplify without sacrificing.”  But yours should be whatever you want!