DIY Autumn Wreath

WELL FOLKS IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE MY LAST POST. LIFE HAS BEEN A BIT CRAZY FOR ME WITH MY SISTER'S UPCOMING WEDDING AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS BUT I AM HOPING TO START BLOGGING ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS AGAIN! SO FOR MY FIRST POST AFTER A LONG HIATUS I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A FUN, CHEAP AND EASY DIY AUTUMN WREATH MADE FROM PAPER!

RYAN AND I ARE TRYING TO BE GOOD ABOUT STICKING TO OUR BUDGET SO WE CAN BE OUT OF DEBT BY NEXT FALL(!) WHICH MEANS FOR HOLIDAY DECOR THIS YEAR I MUST THINK OF INGENIOUS WAYS TO DECORATE AT AN AFFORDABLE COST.

AFTER WORKING 10 YEARS IN A FLORAL SHOP, I HAVE COME ACROSS MANY TACKY FALL WREATHS AND REALLY WANTED TO STEAR CLEAR OF ANY AND EVERYONE OF THOSE! (HAHA) HOWEVER THE REALLY NICE WREATHS GENERALLY COST AN ARM AND A LEG SO THIS CALLED FOR SOME DESPERATE CREATIVITY! AND BY CREATIVITY, I MEAN PINTEREST =) 

SO I REALLY CAN'T TAKE CREDIT FOR THIS WREATH. I DID CHANGE A COUPLE THINGS AND MADE IT MY OWN BUT THE WHOLE CONCEPT CAME FROM THIS LOVELY POST ---> BROWN BAG FAUX BAY LEAF WREATH

THE REALLY COOL THING ABOUT THIS KIND OF WREATH IS THAT YOU COULD CHANGE THE LEAVES TO BE ANY SHAPE, SIZE AND COLOR FOR ANY SEASON! I PERSONALLY WANTED A DEEP BARN RED/BURGUNDY TO MATCH MY FRONT DOOR BUT YOU COULD DO THE GREEN BAY LEAVES LIKE IN THE ORIGINAL POST OR MAKE THEM ALL DIFFERENT FALL COLORS OR EVEN FOR WINTER YOU COULD MAYBE EVEN MAKE THEM WHITE LEAVES! THE POSSIBILITIES REALLY ARE ENDLESS! BELOW ARE PICTURES WITH STEPS. HAVE FUN CREATING YOUR VERY OWN PAPER LEAF WREATH!

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

HOT GLUE GUN WITH LOTS OF GLUE

PAPER BAGS OR KRAFT PAPER (I USED KRAFT PAPER BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I HAD)

PAINT (CRAFT/ACRYLIC PAINT OR WATER COLOR PAINT)

PAINTBRUSH AND SOME WATER

SCISSORS

FOAM WREATH

A LITTLE TWINE/STRING

STEP 1:

I DIDN'T HAVE GROCERY PAPER BAGS SO I USED A ROLL OF KRAFT PAPER THAT I ALREADY HAD. I ROLLED OUT PROBABLY ABOUT 7 FEET WORTH AND CUT IT INTO 3 SECTIONS JUST BECAUSE IT WAS EASIER TO WORK WITH

STEP 2: 

PAINT THE PAPER. I ORIGINALLY USED WATER COLOR BUT IT WASN'T GETTING AS DARK AS I HOPED SO I ENDED UP USING ACRYLICS OVER TOP TO GET A RICHER RED. IF YOU ARE DOING A BAY LEAF WREATH, WATER COLOR WOULD PROBABLY BE BEST BECAUSE YOU GET A NICE TEXTURED LOOK AND THE BROWN WILL SHOW THROUGH MORE. IF YOU USE ACYRLICS OR CRAFT PAINT, STILL MIX WATER IN WITH THE PAINT TO GET DIFFERENT HUES AND SHADES! 

STEP 3:

ONCE PAPER IS DRY CUT INTO MANY LITTLE LEAVES (WHATEVER SHAPE AND SIZE YOU PLEASE!) I DID THEM ALL ABOUT THE SAME SIZE. I USED ABOUT 150 LEAVES TO COVER MY 18 INCH WREATH.

STEP 4: 

TIE A PIECE OF TWINE/STRING AROUND YOUR FOAM WREATH FOR THE LITTLE HOOK

STEP 5:

START GLUEING AWAY! I MADE MY LEAVES ALL GO IN THE SAME DIRECTIONS AND ALMOST GLUED THEM IN ROWS SO I MADE SURE I COVERED EVERY INCH OF THE FOAM. CURL THEM UP AND MANIPULATE THEM A LITTLE BIT TO GIVE NICE TEXTURES.

STEP 6:

HANG AND ENJOY!

NOTE: TWO DAYS AFTER I HUNG IT UP OUTSIDE, I NOTICED MY LEAVES STARTED TO CURL FROM THE HUMIDITY. IT LOOKS REALLY COOL BUT IT LEFT SOME OPEN HOLES SO I HAD TO GO BACK AND MAKE SOME MORE LEAVES AND GLUE THEM INTO THE PLACES WHERE FOAM WAS REVEALED.