DIY – Fall Wreath

Some people are super crafty.  They are the ones who walk into Michael’s and walk out with everything they need to make their home adorable for any occasion.  I am not really one of those people.  I try hard.  I want to be one of those people, but I’m not.  Not quite.  I try really hard, but so often, the “crafty” things I try end up looking like crap.  I think mostly because they don’t have specific directions.  It’s a lot of “do x until it looks y” and I’m never quite able to get to y because my skill at doing x is so terrible.  But something I’ve had on my to-do list since we moved was to get a wreath for our door.  I meant to have something floral and fun for the summer, but that never happened.  So early in the fall, I made my way to Michael’s to gather supplies to make something that turned out to be not so terrible – pretty darn cute if I do say so myself!  Also, I spent a total of $27.50 on supplies, and that included floral tape which I did not use, and left me with a few extra stems to put in a mason jar and decorate an odd spot on our second floor.  And while it may not seem cheap, keep in mind that the cheapest “fall wreath” you’ll find on the internet is going to set you back AT LEAST $30.  Might as well have one that is exactly to your taste.

So – how do you get a nice wreath like the one I made up there all by myself if you’re not naturally crafty?  It’s not that difficult, especially if I can do it.  First, you’ll need a base wreath.  In most craft stores, you’ll be able to find a grapevine wreath like this one.  Make sure you measure your door so you know how much space you’re trying to fill, and it would probably be a good idea to bring your tape measure with you to the craft store so that you know you’re getting the right size instead of eyeballing it and getting lucky the way that I did.  Don’t worry too much if it’s slightly wonky in shape like mine.  Adding the floral bits will help fill it out and give it better shape.

Next, you’ll need at least three stems of fake floral arrangement stuff.  “Ew – fake flowers?” You say?  Yes.  Fakes will be water resistant, and will last you THE ENTIRE SEASON.  I mean, if you’re totally into spending lots of money on fresh every week, and having to swap things out regularly, you could go for fresh.  I’m just saying that this is a sanity AND money-saving tip.  Plus – unless someone gets really close to your door, they can’t see the fabric of the flowers.  PLUS – Michael’s and most other craft stores are usually running constant sales on these kinds of things, or else have coupons.  I got mine at 50% off the weekend I went, and I imagine it’s possible to do even better.  So don’t be scared by the price per stem.  Get them in complementary colors, but different styles.

Optional step: let your pet cat inspect your purchase.  He will want to chew them.  Don’t let him.

Next – snip off individual stems with wire cutters.  That’s right – the inside of your fake flowers are wire.  This is what allows them to hold their shape.  It does make it more difficult to cut, so make sure your cutters are sturdy.  Don’t worry if the bottom looks raggedy.  No one will see it.  Each stem will yield 7 or 8 individual pieces.

Once you have all your individual pieces, start shoving them in the grapevine wreath.  The nice thing about the grapevine is that because it’s all twisted together on the inside, it will hold on to whatever your put in there quite nicely.  You’ll notice I started at the top, but you can start wherever.  And I just alternated the different pieces – leaves, mum, hydrangea – in a cycle until I got all the way around.  And then once you get around with the bulk of your pieces, hang it up and see if there are any spots that look bare.  You’ll likely have enough extra to do that.  Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be perfectly full – the benefit of the grapevine wreath is that it looks pretty decent and “fall-like” as well.

And here’s the finished product!  It’s not perfectly perfect, but it’s still cute, and I’m proud to hang it on our front door.  What I love about my wreath is that it’s neutral enough to last for the full autumn season – I’ve had it up from early September and intend to keep it up until after Thanksgiving, at which time I’ll switch to a proper Christmas wreath, which I will buy fresh since they aren’t meant to last for months, and yet they still last longer than fresh flowers.  There’s enough room in there that if I want to add some spooky additions for Halloween (I’m thinking either little skulls or pumpkins), I can without too much difficulty finding space.  Additionally, because it’s fake, it’ll last for a long long time.  I will probably buy myself a wreath container later in the season.  With a coupon, of course.  😉