Look at this piano! Just take a moment to revel in its beauty.
This is the parlour in the now museum home that belonged to Margaret Brown. She is most commonly recognized as the wealthy woman that survived the sinking of the Titanic. She’s even known as The Unsinkable Molly Brown. She was portrayed by Kathy Bates in the James Cameron film, which was some on point casting by the way. She was well travelled and returning home from Egypt when she boarded the Titanic. I think what makes her significant is not as much the fact she survived, many wealthy passengers survived, it’s that she took it upon herself to help the survivors. She gave them the socks off her feet and the coats she had on. She organized a survivor’s aide fund before they even got back to shore to help the people who lost their entire lives to the ocean.
This piano was not original to the house, but based on photos we do have of the home, this piece fits into their decor. It was magnificent. The sides were painted with country scenes. The keys darkened from age and use. I saw it when I stepped into the house and I wanted to cry it was so beautiful.
The house did have some extra decor because it is so close to Halloween and they do Haunted Victorian Tours. The cobwebs for instance don’t normally belong. However, the spooky extras made the house feel like I was in the Addams Family living room, so I didn’t mind.
The piano was, by far, my favorite part of the home. I wanted to hear it play, but I knew I couldn’t, and it looked as though it hadn’t been played in a very very long time.
I love that art doesnt necessarily come on a canvas in a frame, or even in marble or clay. Art can be in many forms, in any form really. It can look like a painting, or a stained glass window, a piece of music, or an intricate golden piano. Art is beautiful.
Starting pieces. I got a metal wreath ring, three rolls of tool, a string of garland, a little witch hat, a BOO, and two packages of small figures. Totaled to $9, and if you add tax round that up to $10. I did also use a hot glue gun and string that I already had and didn’t calculate into the price. Neither are terribly expensive if you need to buy them. If you do, add another $8-$10 dollars.
First, I wrapped the orange tool around the metal ring flatly, and then with the second roll, I wrapped the orange but twisted it. Then added the purple tool on top of the orange. I decided to keep it only two colors to avoid making the wreath too busy and confusing to the eye. Simple is sometimes best, especially when it comes to base colors. I secured the tool directly to the metal ring and added a little hot glue for extra strength because tool likes to come apart.
Next I added the ghost Garland. This added a third color to the mix and some spooky as well. I also secured this directly to the metal ring. Pretty simple step, just wrap the garland around the wreath.
For the BOO I tied it onto the wreath with string to hold it on. Then I used the hot glue gun to position it where I wanted. I knew simply glue wouldn’t be strong enough to last, which is why I chose to tie it on with string for added strength.
After I had the BOO where I wanted it, I arranged the small figures around it for added flair. I had a package of plastic bugs and skeletons and a package of glittery bats. I didnt use all the bugs, mostly just the spiders, so my kids got the extras to play with. I tried to positon them in places with contrasting colors so they would be easy to see. Hot glue is what I used to keep them in place. Careful with this part as not to burn your fingers on the hot glue that eeks through the loose weave of the tool.
Lastly, I added the little witch hat in the middle of the wreath. I debated putting it on top or figuring a way to tie it on the front, but ultimately chose to put it in the middle. This was the most difficult part of the entire craft. I tied both sides down with string. I made little peeky holes down to the metal ring and secured the hat directly to it. Once it was tied down, I used a little hot glue to position it exactly how it needed to sit and keep it there.
Final product on the door. In total, this took me about an hour to make and cost me just under $10. I like how it turned out, and I’m pretty pleased with my craftiness. I’m thinking next time though, I’m going to use black tool on the base and orange or purple garland. Just to make it more stable and simply pleasing to the eye. Final consensus is you can make a good looking wreath entirely of Dollar Tree materials. Have a fashionable door and not spend a fortune. I’d say the experiment was a success.
Dose of Sunshine 