Wreaths » DIY Inspired
27th Mar2013

DIY Address Wreath with Fabric Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

DIY Address Wreath

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To celebrate National Craft Month I am so excited to have partnered up with Jo-Ann Fabrics!  I made a two minute Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores Creativity Made Simple crafting video on how to make an address wreath with fabric flowers. 

Creativity Made Simple is the Jo-Ann mission to inspire Americans to rediscover time for creativity. Jo-Ann offers simple solutions for creativity designed to fit busy lives, including… simple skills, simple supplies, simple steps and simple shopping.

Drum roll please!

To view more video tutorial from Jo-Ann, be sure to check out their YouTube Channel…Oh! Check out my YouTube Channel  too!

In case you missed it, here are the materials you need for this Address Wreath with Fabric Flowers.  All of these supplies can be purchased at Jo-Ann’s.

Materials:

  • 18” Grape Vine Wreath
  • 4” wooden numbers
  • Martha Stewart Craft Paint
  • Paint Brush
  • Fabric Scraps
  • Buttons for flower center
  • Fabric Scissors
  • Sewing Needle
  • Thread
  • Hot glue and hot glue gun

If you would like a detailed step by step photo tutorial for the fabric flowers you can go to my Tutorial for Fabric Flowers post.

Thank you so much for watching (and not laughing…well, ok you can laugh)!  I really appreciate the support!

 

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26th Mar2013

Tutorial for Fabric Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

fabric-flowers

Fabric flowers have many uses in the craft world.  I use them to embellish pillows, adorn wreaths, and dress up a plain head band for my EXTREMELY girly daughter.  I use them for so many things and since spring has officially sprung, I thought I’d post a tutorial for fabric flowers today.

These fabric flowers are so easy and inexpensive to make.  All you need are:

  • Fabric of choice
  • Scissors
  • Needle
  • Thread
  • Button (per flower)

The magic number that I have found to work best is five (pretend there are only five pictured below…haha!).  Cut out five flower petals in the desired size.  Remember that there will be five petals, so the larger the petals the MUCH larger the flower.  If you choose a lighter weight fabric, you can cut all five petals out at once.  The lighter the fabric, the flimsier the flower, however the more realistic they look.

tutorial-for-fabric-flowers

Once you have your petals cut, sew your petals together, keep the ends of each side flapped down.

flower-tutorials

Continue sewing your petals together.

DIY-fabric flower

Once all five petals form the flower and are sewn together, sew a button in the center to complete your fabric flower.

easy-to-make-flowers

Here is another AFTER photo.

tutorials-for-fabric-flowers

Consider making them in several patterns, sizes, and fun colors!  Add them to jackets, clothing, purses, and hair accessories.  You can even use them to add a special touch to a gift or use them for weddings or baby shower and bridal shower decorations.

 

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06th Dec2012

Holiday Joy Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

Joy to sales and dollar bins!  Believe it or not, I made this entire Holiday Joy Wreath for less than $15.00.  First of all, I found these wreaths in the dollar bin at Target a couple days after Halloween on sale for $.75 each! Now, I have made these wreaths before from branches from my back yard, but come on! I couldn’t pass up this deal, amirite?

Then, using a coupon I had, I bought these three letters made of MDF at Michael’s for $5.00. BTW, I have the Michael’s iPhone app on my phone and it’s FABULOUS! No more printing out or forgetting coupons!

Also, after Halloween I bought a bag of plastic bling (hee hee) for $1.19 for the entire bag.  On that same trip I bought the ribbon using a coupon for $2.50.  If you want to count the craft paint I already had from making my recycled T shirt banner, it’s STILL less than $15.00!  Yay me! Can you tell I’m pretty proud of this?

The wreath is pretty self-explanatory.  I first painted the letters with craft green paint.

While I was waiting for it to dry, I strung the plastic gems onto my ribbon to embellish the bottom of each letter.

Next I put it all together and voila! My holiday joy wreath was complete!  I think I’m going to wait until after Thanksgiving to hang it on my door outside because I don’t want the neighbors to think I’m nuts for decorating for Christmas too early.  So for now it will happily hang on a door inside.  Here are more pictures.

Hope you like it!

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29th Nov2012

Hanging Pine Cone Decoration

by Dinah Wulf

 

My husband, daughter, and I went on a walk around the neighborhood the other day and I found the biggest pine cones I have ever seen in my entire life!  HUGE!  Naturally, I stole several from the neighbors and we quickly walked away (I mean, come on, they had a jillion of them lying under their ginormous pine tree).  I decided to make a hanging pine cone decoration for the upcoming holidays.  Here is a photo of one of the pine cones and a regular sized pine cone just so you can see what I mean!

See?  I told you!  Anyway, here is what you’ll need to do this:

  • 5-6 of the biggest pine cones you can find
  • A picture frame eye hook for each pine cone
  • Ribbon
  • Beads (optional)
  • Scissors

Tip: Avoid the sappy pine cones… way too sticky and annoying to work with.

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This project is quite simple and fun to do with kids (especially the finding the pine cone part).  When we got home, I rinsed the pine cones with water to clean them a little and get rid of any bugs because you never know!  Simply screw in your eye hook to the center of the bottom of each dry pine cone and thread the ribbon through.  I tied a pine cone to each end of the ribbon, hung them on a hook, and adjusted each length as I went along.  I also added some plastic gems for some bling!

Tip: When you are trying to thread ribbon into a small hole, cut the ribbon in an angle to make it easier.

Here are a couple more pictures.

 

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16th Oct2012

Halloween Monster Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

I heart Halloween AND I also heart dollar bins!  This Halloween Monster Wreath cost me about $7.00 to make.  It’s a fun craft you can do with your kids.  You can get creative and mix your colors to make your Halloween Monster your own.  Here is a short video tutorial if you’d like to watch it.  If not, continue reading the step by step instructions!

Materials:

  • Foam wreath from the craft store or dollar store (I found mine at the $1 bin at Target)
  • 4 feather boas (I got mine at the .99 store during the Halloween season)
  • 8 Straight pins
  • 2 plastic balls (golf or ping pong work great)
  • 2 Googly eyes
  • Scrapbook paper (and color of your choice for the eyes and mouth)
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks
  • Ribbon of your choice

Step One:

Pin the end of your feather boa to the back of the wreath.  Continue wrapping it until you reach the other end.  Pin the other end into the back of the wreath.  Repeat this step with the other three boas until your wreath is covered.

Step Two:

Make the mouth.  I used a 3.5 inch circle punch to make it easier, however you can just use paper and scissors.  Cut two jagged pieces.  It doesn’t have to be perfect!  I’ve never seen a monster with perfect teeth!  Glue each set of teeth to the back of your wreath using hot glue.

 

Step Three:

Make the eyes.  I used another circle punch, plastic golf balls from a golf themed baby shower I did, and googly eyes.  You don’t have to use plastic balls to cut down on cost.  Scrapbook paper works well too!

Step Four: (optional)

Dress your monster.  I added a bow tie for a little character.  Feel free to add whatever you want.  Maybe even add some arms or legs.  It’s up to you!

 

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12th Oct2012

Burlap Scrap Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

OK, I’m calling this a Burlap Scrap Wreath because not only is it made out of burlap scraps; this wreath is also made out of craft scraps.  It is made out of plumbing insulation, burlap left over from my burlap stenciled placemats, frames from my daughter’s butterfly themed birthday party, tulle from my daughters Alice costume for Halloween this year, and a ribbon I saved from a birthday present last year.  So, technically, since I recycled items I already had this wreath cost me less than $1.00!  I had to purchase the plumber’s insulation tube for $1.97, but I cut it in half to make two wreaths.

Materials:

  • 3’ plumber’s insulation tube
  • Duct tape
  • Burlap
  • Hot glue
  • Small frames
  • Computer (optional)
  • Tulle scraps
  • Ribbon

First, I made the wreath out of the tube by securing it with duct tape.  I have made this wreath and this wreath out of this tube and it works great.  I would suggest wrapping the entire wreath with duct tape, once you massage out the lumps and get the perfect circle.  That’s the key, massage and maneuver the wreath until you get the perfect circular shape.

Note: If you are adding decorations on the heavy side, reinforce the entire wreath with duct tape before decorating it so it maintains shape.  It’s not necessary if you are making wreaths similar to my other wreaths using plumber’s insulation.

Next wrap the wreath with burlap strips.  I used hot glue to attach each strip.  After the wreath is wrapped, you can begin decorating it.  I painted these dollar bin frames black and printed out the letters of my last name to but in each frame.  I also made burlap flowers and hot glued a cluster to the right side.  I added some white tulle as well to add some contrast.

Finally, I used a ribbon to hang my wreath.  That’s it!  Hope you like my wreath that cost me less than $1.00! Hope you try it out!

 

 

 

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10th Oct2012

How to Make a Burlap Flower

by Dinah Wulf

I heart burlap.  It’s pretty.  It’s natural. It’s cheap!  I made a wreath out of burlap scraps from my craft closet.  I’ll show you the tutorial (and the wreath) later, but I felt like I needed to write a separate post on how to make a burlap flower like the ones for my wreath.  They are quite easy to make and can be used as embellishments for several craft projects.

Warning: I think I got arthritis in my hands from making these… geesh!

Here are the materials you need:

  • Approximately 3”X18” burlap strips (one per flower)
  • Hot glue sticks
  • Hot glue gun
  • Scissors

Note: I say “approximately” for the strips because any size actually works as long as they are long and narrow.  I used scraps, so some were smaller than others.  It also depends on the desired thickness you want.

First fold your burlap strip in half lengthwise.  Begin rolling the strip in a tight roll to create the center of your flowers.  This part is a little tricky to explain so hopefully the pictures help.  Start turning & folding the burlap to form petals while pinching the base of the flower.  It takes a little bit of practice, but as you get used to it, it’s nice to have varying sizes and shapes.  No two flowers will look alike, but they will still look cohesive.

Once you have your flower, carefully turn over your flower, tightly holding it in place.  I trimmed the bottom so it was neat and free of loose strands.  Using your hot glue gun, “seal” the folds together.    After I applied the hot glue, I used both hands to pinch the bottom and blew on it to speed up the hardening time.  If you want to finish it, cut a small circle of burlap to fit the bottom and hot glue it.  I bypassed this part because mine were going to be hidden for my wreath.

Also, consider using these burlap flowers as a vase filler.

Stay tuned for my scrap burlap wreath!

 

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24th Sep2012

DIY Fall Wreath Ideas

by Dinah Wulf

Ouch my eyes hurt!  I just spent the last, I don’t know, hour looking at Etsy for some DIY Fall Wreath Ideas.  Oh man!  There were some good ones and there were some bad ones with a capital “B”.  I looked at 3200 wreaths to be exact and that wasn’t even a fraction of what was available.  There were wreaths made out of every material from tulle to yarn and burlap to branches.  There were even wreaths made out of recycled materials like cork, coffee filters, and book pages.  There were wreaths made to look like Elmo and Mickey Mouse and wreaths made out of baseballs and flip flops…yes…flip flops.  That one may be a submission on regresty.com.  Yikes!

I’ve been trying to think of a fall wreath project to make and I’m stuck.  Anyway, I narrowed it down to sixteen of my favorite.  As you can see I was kind of drawn to burlap and yarn.  My favorite is the Halloween one made out of gauze…it’s fantastic!  I think I’d like to incorporate my house numbers in it but I’m not sure.  But now after looking at 3200 of them, I’m even more stuck…Ugh.  Here goes…

What about you?  Do you have any ideas for me?  Help!

 

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22nd Aug2012

Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

If you follow me on Facebook, you saw this Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath I found on Pintrest.

A few of us were commenting on how to make it and inspired each other to take this project on ourselves (Thank you, Elise, Rose, Katie, Jo, Michelle, and Zach & Lois… you all are the best!).  The best part?  This wreath cost me NOTHING!  This is my version.

I ended up making two, a large one and a small one.  Here is my tutorial on how to make a Recycled Book Page Butterfly Wreath.

Step One: Make the butterflies

Materials:

  • Old book, map, magazine, etc.
  • Scissors
  • Pencil

I used an old book I had from another recycled book page wreath I made last year.  At first I used a butterfly stencil that I had but after tracing and cutting the first three, I thought it’d be more fun to free hand them instead.  It’s easiest to fold the page in half and draw half the butterfly so that you have two identical sides.  Use a pencil so that you can erase any lines if need be.

Step Two: Gather the branches and prep them

Gather your branches.   Remove any leaves from the branches and soak the naked branches in water.  This makes it easier to work with and will cause less breakage.

Step Three: Construct the wreath

Materials:

  • Wire hanger (one for small wreath, two for large wreath)
  • Prepped Branches
  • Water
  • Sink
  • Hot glue

Simply unwind the wire and create a circle, twisting the end together. One by one, wrap, twist, and tuck each branch around your wreath until you have the desired width.

Allow your wreath to dry.  (Optional step) Once it is dried, on the BACK of the wreath, use a hot glue gun to secure and loose branches.

Step Four: Assemble the Butterflies

Materials:

  • Pre-cut butterflies from step one
  • Plastic Beads, Pearls, Shells (anything you want to use for the bodies)
  • Hemp string (I found this to work best so that the antennas will stay erect)
  • Scissors
  • Hot Glue

You can use whatever your heart desires for the bodies.  I chose to use plastic beads and hemp string.  Using a hot glue gun, glue your beads together and while the glue s still hot, insert your antennas (as shown).  Next, glue the body onto your butterfly.  Make sure the butterfly wings are folded up so that they appear as if they are in flight.

Step Five: Attach the Butterflies to Your Wreath

Materials:

  • Assembled butterflies from step four
  • Constructed wreath from step three

I placed the butterflies on the wreath and moved them around to arrange them in the order and position I wanted BEFORE I used the hot glue.

Ta Da!

Here are some photos of the large wreath.

Here are some photos of the small version.

You can make these wreaths for the holidays and embellish them as you wish!  I hope you try it!  Email me a photo if you do… oh and say hi! :)  dwulf@diyinspired.com

Here are some more fun trash to treasure ideas and tutorials! In case you missed them!

 

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12th Mar2012

St. Patrick’s Day DIY Inspiration

by Dinah Wulf

My husband LOVES St. Patrick’s Day (even though he’s not Irish).  We thought we’d start an annual St. Patrick’s Day party at our house… starting NEXT year.  Since we just moved in, we thought it’d best to just start with getting some ideas first.

There were so many inspiring St. Patrick’s Day ideas that I decided to do a photo gallery.  It was impossible to narrow it down to a few pictures.  I explored my usual websites like BHG and Martha Stewart and also some of my favorite blogs as well as Pintrest.

So, at the end of this photo gallery is a list of links for the sources, some with tutorials, and some with free printables, to all this amazing St. Patrick’s Day DIY Inspiration.

St. Patrick’s Day Party Ideas:

St. Patrick’s Day Decorations & Crafts:

St. Patrick’s Day Sweet Treats:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shamrock Paper Centerpiece

 

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25th Jan2012

Felt Wreaths

by Dinah Wulf

Ever since I made my Recycled Book Wreath and my Coffee Filter Wreath, I became obsessed with wreaths. They can look great all year round.  Also, lately I have noticed many cute do-it-yourself projects made out of felt, so naturally I thought… felt wreath! As I did my DIY inspiration research I came across so many beautiful felt wreaths. So many, that now I am confused as to which one I’d like to pursue. Maybe you can help me choose.  Here are some of my favorites.

This one from ProjectNursery stood out because of the colors.  Although I’m not really a pink type of gal, the gray wreath and pink ribbon just caught my eye.

Check out this one from PurlBee. It’s a wreath and wall hanging in one… very feminine and pretty.

TheBerry showcased this wreath.  I like how the entire wreath is not felt, rather just the embellishment.

GREEN Peace sign!!! Need I say more? (Source Unknown)

Perfect for Valentine’s Day, this one from TheIdeaRoom is so sweet.

Another pretty gray felt wreath that caught my eye from KristenEliseDesigns.

Love, love, love this all white felt wreath from Domestifluff.

Here are a few more that I found from Pintrest. Ugh! There are too many felt wreaths to choose from! In the meantime, I should probably master the felt flower. Perhaps, I can do a combo of all of the above! Any suggestions?

 

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14th Dec2011

Repurposed Ornament Ideas

by Dinah Wulf

Here are some great ways to use holiday ornaments other than on your tree!  All of these repurposed ornament ideas can be done quickly and easily.

1. Use them on top of a candle stick to create a vignette.  This works great on your fireplace mantel, or any table top.

2. Use them as a place card holder. Many modern ornaments double as small frames to hang on your tree. Use them as a place card holder instead and insert a picture of your guest.  If you have trouble finding a picture, stalk them on Facebook first (ha ha) or you can write their name on cardstock to be inserted.  Have your guests take the ornament place card holder home as a gift to remember the evening.

3. Make a garland with ornaments and ribbon.  Hang the garland down your staircase, drape them across your mantel, or hang them from a window.

4. Display ornaments under glass or in a vase.  It’s time to break out all those unused vases that are collecting dust in your cupboard from all those flowers you’ve received from Valentine’s past. Or make a DIY Apothecary jar to display your ornaments in.

5. Use them as a gift embellishment or gift tag.  Ornaments are a great way to give your wrapping a special touch. Try making this toilet paper roll flower ornament to embellish a hand-made gift.

6. Make an ornament chandelier. Dress up those ugly chandeliers that come with that rental or glam up your existing lighting fixture.  Consider using fishing wire to create a floating effect and hang each ornament at various levels.

7. Make a napkin holder.  Dress up your holiday table scape by simply attaching an ornament to your napkins.  Your guests can take them home as a party favor.

8. Simply hang them in a wreath.  For me, the simpler the better!

9. Make an ornament centerpiece.  Use coordinating colors in your dinner table scape or a top a flat surface.  Mix your ornaments with garland, ribbon, pinecones, branches, and other natural elements.

Happy Decorating!

 

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12th Dec2011

Coffee Filter Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

So I bought six feet of plumbing insulation tube at Home Depot to make this wreath out of antique book pages.  The project only needed thirty six inches, so I had enough to make a second wreath. I had seen amazingly creative DIY projects made out of coffee filters, including wreaths, and with the holidays and changing season; I decided to give it a try.

This coffee filter wreath was quite easy, I must say.  The only thing (be forewarned) is that I kept burning myself with the hot glue gun. This never happens to me, but out of the 150 coffee filters I used I must have burnt myself 50 times! I even got a glue gun blister (occupational hazard).

Here are the materials you need:

  • Plumbing insulation tube
  • Duct tape
  • Glue gun
  • Coffee filters

The beauty of this project is that the tube and coffee filters costs less than $3.00.  I assume that if you decide to take this project on that you already have a glue gun and duct tape, which are essential materials in any craft closet.

Here is the step by step tutorial on how to make a coffee filter wreath.

First, tape the plumbing insulation tube together with the self-adhesive strips and then duct tape the ends together. It will look horrible, however with a little massaging and maneuvering you can shape it into a circle.

One by one, quarter each filter and overlap the flap.  Using hot glue, attach each filter to your tube.

After the first layer (now the back of your wreath), turn it over and start layering.  I found it easiest to bend the tip of your coffee filter (as shown) and then glue.

Continue gluing and overlapping until you reach your desired fullness.  Here is mine about half way.

There you have it! I used a ribbon to embellish the wreath and to hang it.

 

 

 

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06th Dec2011

Coat Hanger Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

Coat Hanger Wreath written by Michal Sparks

My quick coat hanger wreath is one of those holiday decorations that you can make with
just stuff from your house and yard. The only item you might need is thin wire
such as green florist wire that can be found at any craft store.

OK, first you need, a coat hanger, greens, wire and pliers.

Now as for the greens, look around your yard and be creative, magnolia, yew, ivy,
juniper, all sorts of pine, rose hips (sans thorns!) This not a big wreath so
you don’t need much.

You want to get rid of the cardboard bottom of the hanger. If you are using a classic
hanger don’t worry about it, your wreath will just be larger.

        Using your pliers just bend it into a circle and hook the two ends together and bend them closed.

Now start wrapping wire around the greens. Continue to add greens and wrap them all the
way around the hanger circle. You can make it as full as you like and mix the
different greens together, the colors really work! Keep in mind the hanger
“hook” at the top and try to have enough greens on so it will be partially hidden.

Now that all your greens are on it is time to embellish.

I used some wild rose hips for just a touch of color. I just tucked them under some of
the wire that was already wound around.

For my ribbon I used a piece of a green striped shirt from my scrap basket.

Last I added a tag made from antique book pages glued onto a piece of cardboard. I had
water colored it red for a bit of color.

This wreath would make a great little hostess gift or a hand delivered Christmas card!

Have fun with it and be creative!

To see more of Michal’s work, visit her Etsy Shop, A Clever Spark!

Check out more of Michal’s tutorials:

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21st Nov2011

Book Page Wreath

by Dinah Wulf

I’ve been looking for the perfect book page wreath to make because I have a damaged antique book with beautiful gold leafed pages.  The book is a book of poems by Keats, however it is falling apart and some pages are missing.

There are several book page wreaths out there for inspiration.  I finally came across one at this little boutique in Tustin (of course I didn’t have my camera on me at the time to take a picture).  Because I’m such a cheapskate, of course I didn’t buy it rather I did peep at the fifty dollar price tag!  Ha! I’ll make it myself for much less!

I wanted to get some tips before I tried to make it, so I did a little research.  I couldn’t find an exact tutorial on the one I wanted to make, but I did find some good tips from Living With Lindsay and The Penny Parlor.

Believe it or not I had everything I needed already, so I only spent a total of $1.04 for this project!!!  Here is what you need.

The Penny Parlor had a brilliant idea of buying a “foam tube” from Home Depot. I had no idea what department a “foam tube” would be in and after research, it’s in the plumbing department.  Here is a picture so you know what to ask for.

I chose the thickest tube for $1.94 ($2.08 with tax).  It is six feet long, the perfect size for two (maybe even three)wreaths, hence the $1.04 TOTAL I spent for this Book Page Wreath.

Start by cutting the tube in half.  Set aside one tube for another project. Carefully and gradually peel away the adhesive strip and stick the two sides together.  I say “carefully and gradually” because this sucker’s extremely sticky.

Next, tape the two ends together with duct tape.  It will look something like this.

Don’t panic like I did!  If you pinch and massage the tube, it will form into a circle and end up looking like this.

Next, cut your pages out of the book.  I found that the fastest and cleanest way is to use a sharp knife.

One by one, roll each page to make a cone shape and flatten the bottom part.

Using a hot glue gun, glue the cones onto the foam wreath. After your first layer, turn the wreath over.  You have just finished the back of the wreath. I used approximately 35 pages for the first layer.

Start your second layer as pictured below (approximately 30 pages).

For the third, fourth, and fifth layer, you will glue the cone over the ring as shown below.  After the fifth layer, “QC” your wreath and fill any open gaps with another cone.

Here is a picture of the back. Use a glue gun to attach a ribbon to hang it.

Here are some after pictures.

 

 

 

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