Falling in Love

I can't believe that Labor Day is right around the corner, but it's still 90 here. Nonetheless, I figured that is was the time to break out the fall decorations. I don't have much room to decorate, but I still like having something. I had made a beautiful fall wreath last year, but due to some unforeseen circumstances I needed to make another one. After making a (dangerously tempting) trip to Hobby Lobby, I ended up with ribbon, a twig wreath, some flowers, and a pine cone spray. Usually when I start a craft project I have an initial idea and part way through I begin to realize that it is taking a different direction. I learned that it works out better to embrace the change and realize that my creative "juices" have set in, rather than trying to stick with my original idea.

The sprays I bought were leaves and acorns. I decided to start with the leaves and add the acorns later. I removed the leaves from the branch and then began hot gluing them to the wreath. The leaves were shades of red, orange, green and a deep bronze. Making the wreath isn't a hard task, (though there is some danger when using a glue gun) it is just somewhat time consuming. The trick is to hot glue the stems to the sticks of the wreath so they are weighted. There can sometimes be quite a bit of wind outside and so you want to make sure that the leaves aren't getting ripped off.

Another thing to remember is that you want the direction of your leaves to follow the curves of the wreath. When you change the direction of the leaves, don't worry if it looks a little weird. It will be hidden by the bow. I would suggest holding the wreath up every once in a while to see how the leaves are laying. You don't want to stick a leaf in and then see it sticking out.

On a side note, don't be afraid to make florist bows. They are much simpler than you would think. All you do is start with a tail and make and initial loop. It's better to leave the tail longer because you can always cut it. Continue making loops on one side and then the other, while pinching the center together. When you are done take the tail and tie it in a knot. Fluff and hot glue the bow in the center and you are good to go.

I wanted to keep the wreath simple and natural looking. I left the acorns off and used them as a vase filler. I know that wreaths can sometimes be overwhelming, but when you make your own you don't have to worry about seeing it on someone else's door. Beside by premade wreaths can be expensive. I usually go for ones that end up being about $75 and up so I figured I should try to make my own. Stay tuned for my other fall decoration projects. If you need any advice on your wreath or are looking for someone to make a custom one for you, please let me know ad I would be more than happy to help!