How To Make An Autumn Wreath Dressing Your Home

October 13th, 2011 by Gabriel Hanslow

How To Make An Autumn Wreath

Fall is a time for taking walks among the pinecones and the falling leaves in the cool October breeze. While you’re ensconced in the season’s beauty, get inspired by all of the materials you see around you – and maybe even take a basket with you to gather up a few special items from the woods. You can use your imagination and all of nature’s materials to put together a beautiful autumn wreath.

Grapevine, bittersweet vine, forsythia, honeysuckle and raspberry vines can be pulled right off the trees and tied into a bunch. How do you locate them? If you’re out early enough, you can see where the leaves have begun to change color – the vines’ leaves are the first ones to turn yellow.

Looking for something to add a green splash to your wreath? Moss and lichens can be found on forest floors and alongside streams.

All kinds of colorful fungi can be found on tree stumps and in the shady spaces of fallen trees. They’ll add texture and vivid contrasts to the browns and darker shades of your wreath.

Lilies, chrysanthemums, marigolds, freesia, orchids and roses are just some of the colorful flowers that come into their own in autumn. They add contrast and subtle fragrances to a wreath. Daisies and other flowery weeds close at hand that you might pluck from your garden can become gorgeous accents.

Find acorns, pinecones and nuts on the forest floor and tree-lined nature pathways. They are fun to collect; you can really turn it into an afternoon expedition with your family. Make sure you dry these items thoroughly to get rid of any bugs that may have stowed away in your baskets!

You’ll need a hot glue gun, clippers, ribbons and possibly other accessories to stick together, trim and decorate your wreath as you like it.

For the vine base, you’ll want to soak it overnight to give it the necessary “give”. Wind the two ends of one vine around and tie them together. Next, weave a second vine around the first until it’s completely wound around. Trim the ends of the vines that are sticking out to avoid getting scratched. Next, dry the wreathe so its structure hardens up.

There’s no hard rule about how to decorate a wreathe, so let your imagination carry you away. Space out the flowers, seeds and other items you’re gluing on according to pleasing contrasts in color and texture. Turn it into a family project that the children can enjoy.

Dressing Your Home