Craft Project: Autumn Wreath

Step 1: clear a large space and lay your wreath on a flat surface. Chose the “top” of the wreath and take a small strip of ribbon (roughly 6 inches long) and tie around the wreath so that it can easily be hung. Glue the bottom of the loop of ribbon to the underside of the wreath to ensure the ribbon does not slip and slide.

Step 2: starting where you have just affixed the ribbon, glue the end of a long piece of raffia, or remaining lengths of ribbon, to the wreath. Working in a circle, begin wrapping the rafetta around the wreath creating stripes. Try to keep at least 1.5 inches between “stripe” of ribbon so that it is not too crowded. Once you get to the first end of the rafetta affix with a little more glue.

Step 3: with your thickest, shiniest ribbon, create a large bow. Affix this to the wreath to hide where the hanging ribbon and raffia are attached to the wreath. This will also create a central focus on the wreath.

Step 4: take your leaves and in the left right hand corner of the wreath create a starburst, with some leaves facing out from the wreath and some into the centre. You can then scatter a few other leaves around the wreath. Using your glue gun, fix these into place.

Step 5: focussing on the spray of leaves in the bottom right hand corner, take a large chilli pepper or cinnamon stick (or two) and following the curve of the wreath glue in the middle of the leaves. Don’t forget to leave room for miniature pumpkins! Once the chilli is firmly glue in place, glue two small pumpkins into the curve of the chilli.

Step 6: Next take the slices of dried fruits (apples, limes and oranges work well here) and choose three of four places around the wreath where you’d like these to go. Once you are happy with their distribution, glue into place.

Step 7: Lastly, glue conkers and miniature pumpkins around the fruit slices and leaves. Try to cluster some together and have others spaced far apart. You don’t want it to look too even.