Craft Project: Fall into the Holidays Wreath

 

(c) Donna Herron 2012

I stole the inspiration for our latest decorating project from Lauralee at Yellow Mums.  She creatively "borrowed" the idea from Delia at Delia Creates.  I really loved how Lauralee mixed berries and fabric with the sticks to make a warm, rustic, and charming wreath.  However, I knew I wanted to add more red and brown to my wreath so I could use it throughout the fall and into the holiday season (Honestly, I plan to keep it on display until it falls apart).

So, I used some brown and red fabric, and some woven black fabric that I had in my stash.  I found some fake red flowers that were described as cherry blossoms (I thought cherry blossoms were white?) and added some berries from a garland I bought at Christmas Tree Shops.  Since we live in a warmer climate, I think the red flowers are a nice touch!

Instead of making rosettes, I just ruffled the fabric around the center and glued it down in place.  I meant to take some photos during the assembly process but I forgot :(  No matter, both women have good instructions and advice on their blogs above.  Here I'll just add my two cents of what I did and wished I'd done differently:

1.  For my cardboard base, the outside diameter of my rings was 11 inches and the diameter of the inside hole was about 4.5 inches.  I think my twigs are a bit longer and more irregular around the edge than Lauralee's.  My wreath is quite wide and fills the entire width of a standard door.  I might need to trim it back a bit.

2.  We (hubby and I) found it was easier to start placing the sticks at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock, then go in and fill between the starting points.  This way, I think we were able to control the shape of the wreath and mix the texture of the twigs.

3.  Having said that, I kinda wish that I had used all the same sticks from the same type of tree (we had plenty of sticks) for a more uniform texture to the background element.  Well, maybe next time :)

4.  I made the two fabric strips each 2 inches high for the center decoration.  If I were to do it again, I think I would make the black strip wider, so only about 1/2 inch of the brown would be showing.  I think it would be more dramatic.

When the holiday season comes, if the wreath is still in one piece, I may fill the center with pinecones for a more wintery look.

Thanks to Lauralee and Delia for sharing their creativity and inspiration!!  Check out their blogs for more great ideas!