Deck the halls with yard sale decor

Teacher brings passion to students

MOSES LAKE - Joan Dopps loves to rummage at yard sales.

Small stuffed animals for a quarter, cookie cutters, ribbon and bows are among the items Dopps buys.

For the past several years, her second-grade students have enjoyed the fruits of her hobby. The children pick out their favorite colors, shapes and animals, and use the decorations to make a holiday wreath.

Wreaths are made from evergreen or grapevine.

"It's an inexpensive hobby that I can give to kids," Dopps said.

In addition to the popular stuffed pup, students chose less familiar animals including a squid, shark, pig, parrot and scorpion.

"I like lake animals, so I picked a shark," said Aaron Pilling, 8.

After mulling for a bit, Pilling emerged with a name for his shark: "Teeth."

He expressed pride in his wreath, a gift for his mother. Pilling said he planned out the look of the wreath before he made it.

"I put gold, and red and white, and then I put some of this," Pilling said, showing off a silver, sparkling fabric. "I put it on because I knew it was going to look cool."

Weston Noyes, 7, said he picked a stuffed dog because he likes dogs. He said he has a stuffed animal collection.

Noyes also picked out cookie cutters shaped like teddy bears and trucks, two other things he likes. He plans to keep his wreath.

"I plan to hang mine up and, like, show it off to people," he said.

As for the cookie cutters, Noyes said he is going to remove them from the wreath.

"I don't want them to get all dusty, so yeah, I'm going to take them off," he said.

Pilling said he is going to use his and then put them back on the wreath.

Joseph Cassiano, 8, picked a squid for his wreath.

"I like animals in the sea, like squid and fish," Cassiano said.

The stuffed squid is named "Iron Man," he said.

Sydnee Johnston, 7, had a wreath with a dog wearing a red and green bow. Additional red and green ribbon was wrapped around the wreath.

Johnston said she wanted the wreath to be Christmas-like.

Kalahan Caughlin, 7, also picked a dog. Hers was black and brown with a red bow on its head.

"Because it's cute," Caughlin said.

Dopps said she started making what she calls "cookie cutter Christmas wreaths" seven or eight years ago.

It is her fourth year sharing the hobby with students. Dopps said all the wreaths are unique.

"I think they're wonderful," she said. "I just think they're awesome."