What to Do with an Old Metal Wreath Form

Last week I went to a HUGE sale for charity that my dad organizes each year. I came home with one box full of tin lids- just tin lids. They were going to crush them down and toss them at the end of the sale so I "rescued" what I could from this terrible terrible fate. Then there were the books. Three huge tables of paperbacks, encyclopedias, cookbooks, self help books, you name it. I grabbed the most vintage-y looking of them. Then as I was getting ready to go I saw a pile of metal wreath forms. Metal of any sort attracts me and although I couldn't think of anything to do with them I knew I needed (ok wanted) one to play with.

Yesterday as I was unpacking all the sale things I brought home I pulled out that wreath form and started to think about it.

What could you do with a metal form? You could turn it into a hanging candle chandelier, you could wrap it with lights and suspend it, you could wrap it with fabric or moss. You could use it like stretcher bars and stitch canvas to it to make funky framed art.... Or you could go with the obvious and use it as a wreath form. I really wanted to see what I could do with it that would add to it yet not take away from the shabby chic charm of it. So here's what I came up with.

A couple of stitched branches, a bird, and some ribbon. Not much and maybe I didn't even need the flower but it covered up the wires attaching it all.... So there's answer no. 1 to the question of What to do with a metal wreath form. Now I'd like to get my hands on a few more and try some of those other ideas out.... Know of any good garage sales coming up??? ;)