How To Make a Handmade Autumn Wreath
I have a great project for you today! I’ll show you how to make a handmade autumn wreath using natural items from around your yard. We’ll have it dried and on your wall in one day! If you are anything like me, you don’t like projects that require long wait times or hard-to-get / expensive ingredients. If you love autumn decorations then this is a project you should definitely give a try. There are no long wait times for drying grasses and plants.
Grapevine Wreath as a Base for the Handmade Autumn Wreath
First, get yourself a grapevine wreath or make one like did from wild grapevines from the woods. Mine is about 14 inches. You can also find them at most craft supply stores or on Amazon. Choose whatever size you is right for your space. Above the mantle you might choose something large or you may go with one smaller for a hallway or bedroom. Next, take a walk with a basket and a pair of scissors.
Gather Items for Your Handmade Autumn Wreath
This is the most fun part. Being in your outdoor space, breathing the fresh air, and getting inspired. Look around at what you can find just browsing the gardens, pathways, or a wooded edge. Take a walk down the neighborhood sidewalk or pull over by a field and gather up some grasses. There are treasures to be found everywhere. Look for different shapes, colors, and sizes. Textures make this wreath really stand out. Choose sturdy reeds, seed pods, and flower heads. Softer petals won’t hold up as well.
Make Bundles
Gather up small sections of the different-sized items you’ve collected. About 5 stems worth, tall, thick, and showy. Arrange them from tallest to shortest and get your twine. Tie a knot at the base and wind the twine around several times tightly securing all the stems in. As it dries the bouquet will shrink to make sure you secure it. Leave a long tail to tie on the wreath later.
Make as many as you want for the wreath to be as full as you like. I made around 20 bundles for a 14″ diameter wreath. This gave me enough to slightly overlap as I tied them onto the wreath.
With all the bundles made, it is time to attach them to the grapevine wreath. Take the first bundle and lay it horizontally in the direction you are going to go around the wreath. Wrap the long tail around the wreath and then the bundle a few times to secure it.
Lay the next one over the stems of the previous bundle and attach the same way. Continue this all the way around until you get to the start. Take your last bundle and gently tuck it under the first securing it in place in the same manner. At this point, you can fill in any gaps by tying and tucking in any additional items.
A Simple Way to Dry Out Your Autumn Wreath
Now that your handmade wreath is finished, you need to dry it out a bit. You are going to bake it. Preheat the oven to the lowest possible setting ( mine was 170 degrees F) Yes, you are going to put the wreath in the oven. I placed mine on a pizza pan and put it into the oven on the middle rack after making sure all of the natural items were not overhanging the pan.
Baking Your Handmade Autumn Wreath
With the wreath in the oven, it is important to keep a close eye on what is happening to make sure things were going well. I baked the wreath for 20 minutes, then turn the oven off and let it sit for around an hour with the oven door closed. After an hour, I turned it back on for another 20 minutes, then off again for an hour.
I did this off and on for around four hours. It wasn’t precise and yours might dry faster or take longer. I wanted to get to the point where I felt it was dry enough to not mold and to hold its shape. secure a loop at the top with twine and hang where ever you like.
Wrapping Up
I’ve had it up for a couple of months now, and it looks great. I did not want to wait days or weeks for my bundles to dry out and then risk them falling apart upon assembly. Baking the handmade autumn wreath in the oven worked like a charm. I hope this tutorial will help you create a beautiful handmade autumn wreath of your own. What kind of natural ingredients are you finding? Let me know in the comments below.
Cheers,
Sarah
Make a Homemade Autumn Wreath
Make a beautiful wreath from natural items found around the yard,
Materials
- Basket
- Grasses/flower heads/seed pods
- Scissors
- Twine (I used jute)
- Grapevine wreath
- Large baking pan
Instructions
- Gather grasses, dried seed pods, sturdy flower heads, twigs, anything you like.
- Make bundles as shown in post.
- Using twine, tie the bundles to the grapevine wreath.
- Bake on a round cooking sheet on the lowest oven setting. Checking frequently.
- Let cool and hang in your desired location.
Notes
-I would select flower heads that are sturdy and avoid flowers with thin petals that may droop easily.
-While baking, make sure the grasses are contained and not touching the burners in the oven. Monitor the cooking process.
Shop My Favorite Craft Supplies
14″ grapevine wreath https://amzn.to/3Dywo7f
Twine https://amzn.to/3eRA0XD
Best Kitchen Shears Ever https://amzn.to/3dnNn1m
Sounds like fun!