DIY Summer Wreath

Looking for a summer project that's easy and inexpensive? You're at the right place. This wreath is perfect for summer, and you could even keep it up through all of the other seasons too. Keep reading to find out how to make it.

Materials:

• Tree branch wreath (Not sure what it's officially called)
• Floral bush (I found some at a dollar store)
• Burlap bow (6 in.)
• 3/8 in. ribbon

Instructions:

1. Take your floral bush and cut it so that the flowers aren't all attached to one stem. Cut off all of the main stems so that they are separate. 
2. Take the larger flowers and push the floral wire in and around the twigs so that it is secure, but not sticking out in the upper left part of the wreath. Make about 3 big flowers side by side.
3. Take one stem of smaller flowers and put them on each side of the three larger flowers.
4. Tie a normal bow in the burlap without cutting it first to see how big you want the bow. After you know how long to make your burlap, cut it and tie into bow.
5. Place bow on lower right side of the wreath.
6. Cut ribbon into about three 2 in. segments.
7. Take the cut ribbon through the holes in the backside of the burlap bow and secure in a knot to the wreath. Secure the ribbon on both ears of the bow as well as the middle.

That's all! It's probably the easiest wreath you'll ever make, and it's perfect for summer!

Sparkler Photography Tutorial

I'm so excited for the 4th of July! There will be cookouts, fireworks, family, and sparkler photography. That's right. Sparkler photography. This is honestly one of my favorite shots. I wait year round to get pictures of sparklers and fireworks! One of the shots with sparklers that I like to do is a slow exposure photograph so that you can draw something out with the sparkler and it will show up like in my picture.

Here is how to take a slow exposure shot of a sparklers:

1. First of all, you'll need to put your camera in manual mode so you can control the settings.  Try out your camera  to see what works best. It's best to put your camera on a tripod for slow exposure shots so you can't see the blur.
2. Your shutter speed should be as least 5 seconds, or long enough to capture whatever you want to draw with the sparkler.
3. It is best to shoot these photos in kind of a twilight light so the person holding the sparkler is a silhouette in the background.
4. The ISO should be 100-200 so the picture is not grainy and to make the sparkler stand out.
5. Now have someone try drawing something with the sparkler! Adjust setting to personal preferences if needed.