Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Make A Fall Wreath

I don’t know if it’s the crisp autumn breeze or the explosion of all things pumpkin on Pinterest, but a few days ago I woke up jonesing to make a fall wreath. Yes, some people have chocolate cravings, but I have craft cravings. Come to think about it, I also have chocolate cravings. Is there a correlation? Someone needs to study this.

Some of you have even been requesting more small crafty projects (like these) which have always been in the mix, but lately we’ve been so busy painting, stripping wallpaper, & renovating the sunroom that little homemade updates seem to have fallen by the wayside. But not anymore. The truth is we’ve missed them too! So I thought a cheap and easy fall wreath would be a fun place to start. Heck, even if the house behind this door is still half wallpapered, that doesn’t mean the door has to whisper “there are five seashell sinks going on in here.”

Wreath6

This entire thing only took about a half hour to make, and I got all of my supplies to make a nice big 25″ wreath for under 15 bucks (all of which are faux, so I can break this baby out year after year). So let’s call this a naptime project. Or a do-it-at-11pm-while-you-watch-Scandal project.

Wreath7

Here’s what I bought: a 25″ wreath for $6.99, a plastic pot of faux orange flowers for $4.99, and a stem of orange berries for $2.99, all from Garden Ridge (they actually have a pretty exhaustive faux flower section, and the prices seemed lower than some of the stems/plants I’ve seen at Michaels).

Wreath1

My first step was cutting all of the flowers off of the plant and clipping each of the berry branches off of the stem, so everything was freed up to be stuck into the wreath.

Wreath2

I ended up removing the green leaves (just clipping or pulling them off as I went) since it looked a little too jungle-ish (and not very fall-ish) with them on. Then I just stuck the larger flowers around the wreath, using their stems to hold them in place by shoving them into the wreath. You might notice that there are 15 flower-bunches in the wreath on the left of the picture below, but there are only 8 of them above on the table. Well, I realized that each bunch on the table could be further pulled apart, to make smaller bunches that could be somewhat evenly spaced around my wreath. At this point it was looking a little more Hawaiian than I hoped, but I thought the berries might fall things up once I removed their greenery and shoved them around the perimeter.

Wreath3

There’s definitely a little noodling that happens between spacing everything out the first time and calling it done…

Wreath10

… I moved some berries and flowers around for about ten more minutes, just to come up with what I thought looked nicely spaced out. I liked when some of the berries spilled over the outside of the wreath for that whole autumn/abundant/Thanksgiving vibe.

Wreath8

Admittedly with a cheerful blue door, the bright orange wreath feels pretty happy (as in, it probably could work for spring or summer as well) but when you get closer and see those berries there’s definitely a nice fall-ish feeling. And as for how I hung it, I just used one of those 3M wire Command hooks (the ones that stick to the door and can be peeled off later without harming the paint).

Wreath9

Oh yeah, and our little porch annuals bit the big one a few weeks back thanks to some pretty cold nights…

Wreath4

… so two potted mums from Home Depot brightened things up. We’re still hunting for a new light fixture and a wider door mat, but the wreath and those mums definitely add a little more “welcome” to our porch in the meantime.

Mums After

Just pretend you don’t notice those two foot tall weeds hiding behind the bushes in the background of this picture. They can be our little secret, right?

What little crafty projects are you guys doing these days? Is there any other fall decorating and wreath making going on? It feels so nice to dive back into these quick and smile-inducing projects again. Sometimes hours spent stripping wallpaper or painting trim aren’t nearly as exciting as a thirty minute craft-fest with some fake flowers.

Comments

  2. Kyle says

    I did the same thing!!!!! I got all of my supplies at the dollar store though. Fall wreath project for $3 and some change? Yes, please!

    Reply

    • Jordan says

      I am so, so glad that you mentioned the dollar store! I was getting ready to go bargain hunting at Hobby Lobby and had completely forgotten about the dollar store, as well! I’m a SAHM, so our budget has to be followed pretty rigidly. Thanks for the reminder!

    • Bren says

      I totally hit the Dollar Store, too. I’ve had a plain old grapevine wreath on my door for like, a year. I added 2 stands of fall leaves and some gold foil wire ribbon to the top. Lookin’ goooooood.

  4. Lauren @ The Highlands Life says

    Love it! I was just typing up a wreath tutorial too. I seem to get much more in the crafty mood when fall rolls around. Weird. But I love these small little crafts that you post. Next month I’m conquering the xacto states you have from your book. Here’s to hoping they turn out just as good looking as yours!

    Reply

  6. Allyn says

    The wreath looks lovely! Don’t you love Garden Ridge . . . my eyes tend to glaze over when I walk in there as they have SO. MUCH. STUFF!!! But I agree with you that they seem to have the best prices on fake flowers and other accessories.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes! That store is completely full of too much stuff for me to focus sometimes, but then my eyes will land somewhere and I’ll be like “hmm, I can work with this!”

      xo
      s

  9. Sarah says

    Funny I did the same thing this weekend. Michaels actually had a lot of the fall decor on sale, so I got a similar wreath and was going to do the flower stems until I saw the faux flower garland on sale. I got 1 strand of yellowish fall leaves and wrapped it around (while watching tv too! haha). I like the berries in your’s and the orange is a nice compliment to the blue door, very pretty!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, anyone know how to hang a wreath on a stone wall without hurting the stone? Home Depot sells these brick clips that just sort of squeeze into the cracks between bricks and that holds them up, so maybe try those? They don’t make holes or anything but seem to have good leverage!

      xo
      s

    • Kaesey says

      What about hanging the wreath from the ceiling? If the wreath is light enough, you could use a Command sticky hook like Sherry did. (They make some that a sort of hinged that work well for ceilings – we use them for mobiles in the kids’ room.) Just stick it to the ceiling right up close to the wall and use clear fishing line or similar to hang the wreath.

    • Bailey says

      I hang my wreaths over the mantle using an s-hook screwed into the ceiling and some fishing wire. The hook is so small no one ever sees it – but you will want to make sure you get one strong enough for your wreath!

    • Kassie says

      What if you leaned a mirror against your manel and used a suction cup hook to adhear the wreath to the mirror? It would bounce around a bunch of lovely light while letting your wreath be center stage. Just a thought!

  12. Wendy @ New Moms Talk says

    I was Pinteresting pumpkin ideas yesterday that are perfect for our toddler, and think I found one that will work just right for a few pennies.

    Now we just have to get some pumpkins and make it reality… after a trip to ReStore today!

    I’m hoping the pumpkins will add a bit of “oh, how pretty!” to our just-moved-in madness (which was heightened by ripping out built ins before we built furniture). (Priorities…)

    Reply

  13. Beth says

    love the orange against the turquoise! i think hanging a mustard yellow “P” in the middle would be the cherry on top!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The wreath is made up of really tightly wound branches, so I just shoved the stems of the berries and flowers into the wreath and that sort of pinched them and held them in place. So far nothing has fallen out, even though we open that door about 10 times a day to let Burger in and out!

      xo
      s

  16. Christy Maynard says

    I just created a wreath for my front door as well. Got the idea from Pinterest and included our last name initial. It’s very lovely. :o)

    Reply

  18. Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says

    I agree that this is one happy door! The blue and orange look so great together! I’m sure that door won’t spill your secrets now that it is so dressed up. No shell sink secret leaks. I am so bad at fall decorations. It must be because we go all out for Christmas!

    Reply

  20. Brenda says

    I am very tempted to hit up the Dollar Tree and make some new fall foliage arrangement. They have a decent selection of crafty foliage items, and you can’t beat the price! I have a friend who always hangs a red berry wreath on her apartment door during the holidays, and maybe this year I’ll spruce my apartment door as well. No one has to know that on the other side of the door it’s a mess, right?

    Reply

  23. Lesley says

    We have neighbours down the street with a blue door who have some orange art applied to the wall of the house, love how that looks every time I walk by.

    I noticed in the background of the first shot that one of your shutters is hanging off the wall a bit. Is there work going on there, or does the black paint absorb too much heat and it warped?

    When I was a kid, my friend’s mom painted their front door dark brown, and I remember that about a week of sunny days later, the heat had melted the trim (likely a plastic composite) adhered to the metal entry door. I’ve been worried about using dark exterior colours ever since. Has that been an issue?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It just popped off the clip that holds it in place, so we have to pop it back on. We do it once every few months (just seems to be a finicky shutter). I don’t think it’s due to the dark color though since the other shutters are also black and don’t have the same issue.

      xo
      s

  24. Melissa says

    I love it. Promised my kiddos we would spook up the porch after school today. Pretty sure there will be a wreath in our door’s future.

    Reply

  26. April says

    Love this, and I’m totally copying! The box elder bugs flooding my porch will also enjoy this, and they’ll add a nice touch of red!

    Reply

  28. Kaesey says

    I’ve been sewing, sewing, sewing but it’s time to dig the fall wreath out of the basement and replace any of that faux foliage that’s looking dingy. The kids are already thinking Halloween, so in addition to a pumpkin-and-leaf garland in the hall we’ve got a skull in the dining room, jack-o-lantern votives in the living room, and a huge hairy spider on the stairway. I haven’t been able to deal with posting pics of Halloween decor yet, though!

    Reply

  29. Chelsea says

    I have been talking about making a fall wreath for a few weeks now! We’ve recently replaced our front door so I’m excited to make something pretty for our new pretty door. Wish me luck as this is my first time making a wreath.

    Reply

  31. Andrea says

    I’ve spent my whole spring and summer spray painting flea market finds with bold springy colors for my built-in shelves.Yellow book ends, turquoise animal statues, etc. Now I feel like my fall decor clashes terribly, but I don’t want to box EVERYTHING up!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh no! Yellow sounds like it would still work! Maybe put the turquoise stuff on a buffet or cabinet that’s not getting fall decor, but keep the yellow stuff in the mix with the other fall stuff?

      xo
      s

    • Andrea says

      Do you tend to work around your decor, or are you constantly putting things away and putting out new stuff depending on the season? This is the first time I’ve added some color to the house. Pretty pops of color along side some floral lamp shades. I am glad to be away from a dull, blank canvas, but it definitely poses some holiday challenges.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think 98% of our house is set up for year round living (we don’t switch out our comforters or our shower curtains and towels or anything) but a small amount of things do seem to switch in and out (like I’ll redo the mantel a few times a year for fun, we might switch out/add a wreath to the door, and we’ll hang stockings and break out the tree for Christmas).

      xo
      s

  32. Kerin says

    Just a side note: It makes me kind of sad when you guys start your posts justifying why you’re posting what you’re posting (some of you have asked for this, we’ve done something like this before, etc.) — we like you, we like what you do, just be confident and post!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Kerin! We just like to acknowledge and give credit when our readers ask for something, instead of acting like it’s all our idea. Haha! It would feel weird to say “here’s a small project we did” without acknowledging that last week some folks said “I miss those small projects! Are they coming back?” – so those requests truly inspired this whole wreath thing, and I’m so glad they did!

      xo
      s

  33. Stephanie says

    “That doesn’t mean the door has to whisper “there are five seashell sinks going on in here.”
    Every mention of those seashell sinks makes me laugh. Without fail. Thanks for the morning pick me up. And I look forward to the day when we get up close and personal with those sinks!

    Reply

  34. Eri says

    Turquoise + vitamin orange = win! Can you post a zoom out photo that captures the entire house with the wreath on the door? Must be looking as fabulous!

    Reply

  35. Isabel says

    Love it, so pretty and bright and fall-ish :) I love all the big DIY stuff you guys do and the inspiration it provides for me to do the same but I am a crafter/scrapbooker at heart (Sherry’s pillow/ceramic animal problem = my ribbon/scrapbook paper problem) so I agree that this type of project is not only fun and provides lots of instant gratification, they are also very therapeutic. Sadly, my last scrapbook fest was a while back, but this inspires me to tackle that Christmas wreath I’ve been meaning to do for the last few years :)

    Reply

  36. Sarah says

    My weeds are three feet tall, so no judgement here! I’ve got pumpkin spice in the scentsy for the first time today and am dying to make a fall wreath so good timing for this post!

    Reply

  38. CandilL says

    I tried using one of those command strips on my door for a wreath my grandma made me. My door got too hot and it fell off…broke my wreath and couldn’t be fixed…so be careful if you use one and your door get’s any kind of sunlight!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh no! Thanks for the warning, CandilL! Was your door metal? That might explain why it got so hot. Ours is wood but gets a lot of direct sun, so we’ll have to keep an eye on things.

      xo
      s

    • CandilL says

      But, I hung another one upside down on the INSIDE of my door and hung it with a piece of ribbon that way!

    • Alex says

      I hang my hook on the inside of the door. It’s too cold here in Maine to have our Christmas wreath on the door if I’m depending on the the command strip to stay sticky in freezing weather. Press your hook upside down near the top of the door, on the inside, and then you can run a string (or bit of floss, to be “invisible”) from the hook, over the door, to hang the wreath. Does that make sense? I feel like a picture would be more helpful! :) :)

  40. Lisa says

    The wreath looks great, Sherry! It definitely looks worth way more than you spent!

    I’ve definitely caught the crafting bug this season and will be hosting my first fall craft party next weekend. Super excited to get our craft on.

    Soak up that fall crisp air for us Floridians still living in this lovely humidity! :)

    Reply

  41. Lisa E says

    Fall is my absolute fav! I decorated inside two weeks ago and just did outside this past weekend. I, too, get more crafty this time of year but I think that the consensus as that’s when most of the craft shows start. Looks pretty.

    Reply

  43. Emily @ Love, Pasta and a Tool Belt says

    I love your wreath!! It looks great against the door! Isn’t it so fun to make them when they take like no time at all. I did the same with my fall wreath I made, actually for my sister because we are staying with them right now, but I love it! I also made a fall centerpiece from the dollar store and love it and it was so inexpensive. The best way to craft!

    3 Step Fall Burlap Wreath: http://lovepastatoolbelt.com/?p=2016

    Dollar Store Fall Centerpiece: http://lovepastatoolbelt.com/?p=2068

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Both of them are so cute! Thanks for sharing links to other fun fall stuff in the comments today, guys! I love seeing what everyone’s up to (apparently I’m nosy about fall decor).

      xo
      s

  44. CohoesMom5 says

    I am dying to get out my fall decor but I can’t find where I put it. I found all the halloween stuff but not the few “fall” things (a pumpkin and pot of fake mums).

    Reply

  45. Christina P (NS) says

    I had the wreath hankering the other day too; I found a great pinterest tutorial, got all of my supplies and was ready to wreath when I realized my glue gun is packed somewhere in the mountain of boxes that now fill my basement in anticipation of moving (8 days baby)!
    So sadly my wreath craving will have to be filled with chocolate in the meantime :)

    Reply

  48. susan says

    looks nice, but what about a pretty bow on the wreath…maybe one with a hint of the blue color in it? I also like the idea of adding a big “P” like someone said.

    Reply

  49. Tiffany says

    I spy with my little eyes a shutter that is curled up. I hope that means you are going to take them all off, clean and paint them! Sounds like fun right? Well because I have a curled shutter and really they all need to be taken off cleaned and painted and it would be great if you did your first….hahahaaha ;)

    Reply

  50. Cali says

    I always have a wreath on my front door for whatever season it is! Although, when you live in Florida, summer is the main season… but, I always decorate according to the time of year. Big word of advice, though!!! Soak your colorful faux flowers in water first to get the risidual dye off! I put red flowers in a wreath on our white door and after a hard rain, the dye came out of the flower and stained our door!!! You can read it here:

    http://domesticdockerty.blogspot.com/2013/06/not-so-pretty-in-pink.html

    We now have a pink-smeared front door…

    -Cali
    domesticdockerty.blogspot.com

    Reply

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