How To Make an Autumn Wreath (for cheap!!)

I spend entirely too much time and money at craft stores.  I just love it.  I wish I had more money and time to support everything I want to make.  Luckily sometimes things can be made for cheap.  Like a pretty wreath!

I can't take full credit for this, I had read this blog post at LiveLoveDIY quite a while ago and the idea has been stuck in my head ever since.  I totally forgot that Virginia at LiveLoveDIY had used a lot of supplies from the dollar store, but I also knew that Michaels had a lot of these "picks" for a dollar or so.

So, I went to Michaels and collected my supplies.  I typically prefer Joanns but Michaels does tend to have more of the crafty stuff than Joanns.  I was armed with one 40% off coupon, but luckily all the flowers were 60% off.  The other picks I used were 30% off.  I spent $13 on everything.  Except I went back and bought the ribbon, so like $15 total.

You'll notice that I have scissors in this picture, but don't use scissors.  I realized right away that I forgot the pieces have wire in them, so you'll need something that can cut wires.  I used a pair of needle nose pliers that have a wire cutter on them.  I repeat - DO NOT USE SCISSORS.  You'll also note that I have a frappucino.  All projects require coffee.  Especially coffee sitting next to the coasters.  Genius.

I pulled in purple because for some reason it called to me.  It needed to be the right shade of purple in order to work with the red and orange, but it works gloriously.  I love it.  Also, obviously anything I make requires glitter.  So there's plenty of that.

First I cut up all the pieces on each pick.  I cut each stem about two inches below whatever leaf/flower/glitter ball or at least as far down I could cut if not two inches.  I tried to practice arrange my goods, but they all just fell off, so I just hit the ground running.  See a theme here?  I tend to do that.  It all works out in the end.  Hakuna Matata.  I warmed up my trusty glue gun (I love you.) and first arranged the leaves since they were the biggest.  I would glue one on the left, then work on the right side while the glue was cooling on the left, and switch back.  This method worked out pretty awesome.  I did get some hot glue on my coffee table (don't tell Hubs) but I picked it off before it was totally solid and it popped right off.  So you may want to work on newspaper.  Or, you know, not on your coffee table. 

Then I filled in some gaps with the purple flowers.  I didn't use all of them, just here and there until it looked good enough.  By this time the wreath was fairly well covered, so then it was just a matter of finding pretty spots for the other stuff.  I had a pumpkin, one pinecone, a couple acorns, a few twigs of berries, and several clusters of glitter balls.  I poked them in here and there to find good spots for them to go, pulled them out and covered the stem in hot glue, then stuck it back in real quick.  This half hazard method also worked pretty well.  Again, hakuna matata.  This stuff is handmade anyway, which doesn't always mean perfect.

Once everything was well situated and glued, I spot checked to make sure nothing was going to fall out.  I did kind of use a lot of hot glue (I went through like three sticks. but whatever I love that stuff.) so everything was pretty secure.  I added extra glue to a few of my baubles just to make sure they would stay in their perfect position.  Like I put some hot glue under an acorn to make sure it stuck nicely to the leaf it was resting on.  Stuff like that.  I waited impatiently to make sure all the glue was cooled off, then I looped the ribbon over the top of the wreath.  I thought about gluing it directly to the wreath but I wanted the wreath to have movement if it needed it, so instead I glued the ends of the ribbon to itself.  First I gave it about a foot long loop, but once I put it on my door the wreath hung about to the middle of the door.  This is ok for some people, but I like my wreath a little higher.  So I adjusted the ribbon by gluing more of it to itself.  Finally my wreath was perfect.  And glittery.  So that's always awesome.

Tadaaaaaaa!  Issopreeeettyyyyyyy.  I wanted a glitter ribbon, but for once I actually thought a satin ribbon looked nicer.  It's a little smooshed between my storm door and my front door, but with all the hot glue in there I think it's just fine.  It doesn't look smooshed from the outside.  It just looks awesome.