five minute autumn wreath :: a tutorial

Last week I made a fabulous new wreath for our front door. I saw the design on Pinterest, clicked immediately over to The 36th Avenue blog and read the instructions. Within two days, I had gathered my supplies and the wreath took shape. It turned out even better than I imagined! Sadly, I'm not sharing that project here today. You see, I was all excited to decorate for fall on Tuesday, took out the wreath, hung it on our front door, shut the door...well, no. I couldn't shut. the. door. The wreath is too thick to fit between the storm door and our interior door. Who would have even thought to measure for that? Ahem. So, that lovely wreath now hangs in our kitchen where I see it 100+ times a day. See, not a fail at all!

Today, I looked at our unadorned white door and grumbled. It is September. Autumn decor must be displayed. It's my favorite season. Everything apple and pumpkin and lovely warm colors! So, off to the craft store I went to try again and on the cheap. I saw one ready made wreath I loved but at $50? No, not happening. Armed with a coupon and keeping an eye out for sale signs, I picked up bits here and there, brought them home and got to work. FIVE MINUTES later, I was done and happy. You read that right. 5 minutes.

I made the wreath using very simple supplies from AC Moore, the nearest craft store to our home. Prices will vary at other stores but every big box craft store will have similar supplies on hand right now, likely at a discount. I did not pay full price for one piece of this project:

You will need:

Grapevine wreath // $2.50 (regular $4.99, used 50% Michael's mobile coupon)

Leaf Garland to wrap around // $3 (on sale, regular $5.98)

Berry Picks x 4 // $0.50/ea (on sale, regular $1.00)

Burlap bow // $3.59 ready made in the floral design section (on sale, regular $5.99)

Instructions:

1) Wrap the garland around the wreath, attaching it to the back with wire or pins. Or, since my garland had lops at either end, I just hooked it on a cut piece of the grapevine on the back and started wrapping, then did the same for the ending.

2) Add bow with wire. Mine came with a tan pipe cleaner as a stabilizer so I just twisted that around the wreath. 

3) Add two berry picks to either side of the bow. Just stick them into the dense grapevine.

4) Hang your finished wreath.

Totally do-able in 5 minutes while your infant eats puffs next to you and your toddler runs circles around your feet with a toy truck, yelling, "beeeeeep, beeeeeep!" Oh wait, is that just my house?