Pretty papers are abundant in the scrapbooking aisles of the craft stores. I love to buy an array of colors, patterns and sizes — and not for any specific reason other than they are beautiful.

Use the papers to create a fun wreath for your front door. Take down that traditional grapevine wreath and hang this wreath made from easy-to-assemble paper cones.

The craft store now sells double-sided printed cardstock and decorative paper. These are ideal for this project because when you roll the paper, you will see the opposite side on the inside of the roll. Most of the decorative papers have patterns on either side that complement one another. When you roll them, the other pattern will show, but still look good and not clash.

The cost of this project is minimal; it only took about three sheets of 12-by-12-inch cardstock. The time it takes to roll the paper cones, which took me about 30 minutes, is your biggest investment, but the results are rewarding.

When selecting your paper, think through the wreath. It can be all stripes, all polka dots, all floral or mix it up for something light and fun.

It should be noted that this wreath will not be weatherproof and should be hung between a screen door and the house door, in a protected porch setting or on your office door.

 For this project, you will need four sheets of complementary double-sided cardstock, matching ribbon, a paper cutter or scissors, a piece of scrap cardboard, double-sided tape runner (found in the scrapbooking aisle) and complementary floral stickers.

Begin by cutting your paper into 6-by-6-inch squares. Cut each piece diagonally. You will have 24 triangles with which to make your wreath.

To get the symmetry of the wreath pictured and to have your points all facing the same way, each triangle should be rolled the same way. To achieve this, place the triangle in front of you with the long side toward you. Run a length of tape along that longest side. Flip the triangle over, being careful not to let the taped area touch your table, and run another length of tape along the opposite short side. Roll the paper so that it forms a cone and the two taped sides overlap each other, creating a solid seam. Press firmly.

Work through the triangles until all have been turned into cones.

Cut a 4-inch cardboard circle. Cover the circle with the tape runner. Hot glue or any other glue can also be used for this step. Carefully press the paper cones onto the cardboard circle to anchor them. Create a circular pattern with the cones, being sure to stagger your patterned paper so you don't end up with identical cones next to one another.

Once all of the cones are adhered to the circle, press one of the floral stickers in the center to mask the cones' points.

Poke a hole in the cardboard and run the ribbon through the hole to hang your new wreath.

E-mail: cesbenshade@lnpnews.com