We are making a Fall wreath from nature using unique dried materials gathered from our property. I refer to this as wildcrafting and wrote about it here last year.
I have been wanting to make a wreath for our door, but I couldn't seem to get motivated. Do you ever run into that, where you want to do something but the desire is weak.
For those of you who do not know this, before
kids I was a florist. I worked in all aspects of the business and my favorite
was probably the silk and dried floral arranging because there were no
limitations.
Being a floral designer back then was a good fit for my creative spirit. There was never a dull moment in any season and unleashing that creativity a few weeks ago was fantastic.
It was an enjoyable way to spend time putting things together and it is easy enough for you to make your own.
I will walk you
through how to do that and would like to recommend gathering “like” materials to unleash your talent.
Fall Wreath Supply List
- Grapevine wreath any size you like
- Your favorite ribbon
- Hot glue gun and wire
- Wire cutters and clippers
- Pinecones and needles
- Fall materials like a leaf or two
- Tree branches
- Additional neat things you gathered from the outdoors
When you have everything make sure to choose a space with room to spread out. You are going to make a mess so maybe lay a tarp on the floor so clean up is less difficult.
Additional Branches
I used a grapevine wreath because they make a neat foundation for any style of project. I like that natural vibe they present as they work beautifully with gathered material.
I clipped several twig branches that I knew could be added to the base and sort of set the stage for the rest of the project.
I simply placed them around the wreath to see where they would look the best and then hot glued both together.
When the glue dried, I wired them in addition to the glue because this project is going to hang outdoors.
Adding Ribbon and Natural Material
Now this is where things get fun; the next step was to add ribbon. I made a simple bow without a center loop and then hot glued towards the upper left.
Make sure you allow some ribbon to trail so you can let the tails glide and be glued in place.
From there I hot glued the pinecones around the bow in addition to a few fall leaves. Those leaves may curl in a couple days which looks even better. You might decide later to go back and add a couple more.
I had some curly grass and a few other dried weeds from our property that pulled this wreath come together so it had a nice flow.
Adding Pine Needle Bundles
This next step is important to note because I used coated
wire. You can buy this at craft stores or
even make your own using florist tape.
The benefit is this wire will keep the pine needles from
breaking when you wrap the base of each bundle.
I made several of these bundles and then hot glued where I wanted to place each one.
As you can see it did not take long to let my
creative spirit to unleash and when finished I had this wreath mounted in minutes. I thought it looked nice and a bit more inviting than a plain white door.
This
fall wreath project was fun and after a couple of weeks it still looks nice
hanging under a protected awning.
After thanksgiving I will add red berries to
spruce it up for the holidays and perhaps some green pine needles because we have plenty.
It's my hope you enjoyed this good idea and perhaps you might be encouraged to see what you can gather and create from your property. Make a natural fall wreath, what are you waiting for?
Be the good,
Carole