Tutorial - Decorative Life Preserver

For my son's 'B is for Boat' birthday party, I wanted to decorate the bait shop dessert table with nautical decor but couldn't find anything for a reasonable price.  So instead, I decided to construct the decorations myself.  This life preserver was an easy and affordable decoration made using a white foam wreath from the local craft store, red acrylic paint, and thick twine that I already had on hand.  The end result was a realistic life preserver that can be used for any nautical, summer, or beach party.  

Materials:

White foam wreath 

Red acrylic paint 

Paintbrush 

Painters tape (optional) 

Thick twine 

Hot glue gun 

Pencil 

Step 1:

On the foam wreath, use a pencil to mark where you will be painting the red stripes (make each stripe 3 inches wide).  If you're not very steady with a paintbrush, use painters tape to mark off the stripes.  Paint stripes with acrylic paint and let them dry thoroughly before beginning the next step.

Step 2:

Once the paint has dried, turn the wreath over so the back of the wreath is facing upward.  Use a hot glue gun to attach twine to the back of each painted stripe.  Allow a small amount of excess twine between each contact point.  After glue has cooled, cut off excess twine.