Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Make a fall foliage wreath
• Method 2 of 3: Make a pumpkin and gourd wreath
• Method 3 of 3: Make a wreath with nuts and berries
• Tips
• Necessities
• Wreath with autumn leaves
• Wreath with pumpkins and gourds
• Wreath with nuts and berries

Making a wreath to decorate your home is a great way to celebrate any time of the year. However, autumn, the season when leaves and plants change and are ready to be harvested, is particularly suitable for it. In this article, you can learn how to make a fall wreath with fall leaves, small pumpkins and gourds or nuts and berries.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Make a fall foliage wreath

1. Buy a metal wreath shape. Metal wreath shapes are circular and feature bendable pieces of iron wire that hold the materials in place on the wreath. They are great for making fall foliage wreaths, as you can twist the pieces of wire around the stems of small leaves, bundles of flowers, or other materials you want to use. Metal wreath shapes are available for purchase at hobby stores.
2. Collect fall leaves. To find beautiful materials for making a fall wreath, all you have to do is go outside and look around. If you live in an urban area that doesn't have many trees, visit your local nursery or hobby store to look for the following supplies:
   • Brightly colored autumn leaves. Choose leaves that are typical for fall in your area, be it bright red maple leaves, yellow birch leaves or orange beech leaves.
   • Evergreen fall leaves. Evergreen branches of spruce, pine and other green trees will give your wreath a wonderful scent.
   • Wheat stalks or culms of golden grass. Autumn is the time of harvest and wheat stalks and other wheat-colored plants are a pleasant reminder of the changing of the seasons.
   • Autumn flowers. Chrysanthemums are a good choice in many regions, especially those with fall colors, such as red, maroon, orange, and yellow.
   • Leaves from other trees in your area. Don't limit yourself to the traditional autumn symbols; choose plants that are special to you. In some areas you see a lot of pink and blue nettles during the fall and in other places the autumn is mainly characterized by evergreen branches that drip with rain. If there is a particular tree or plant that means something to you and you think it would look good on a wreath, take some of this material home with you.
3. Design your wreath. Now that you have a collection of materials to choose from, you can create the design for your wreath and start laying out the materials. Arrange the materials in the shape of a circle so you can see what your wreath will look like. Consider the following designs:
   • Opt for a wild, natural look. Alternate leaves, flowers, grasses and branches without using a particular pattern. Try to contrast colors and textures. For example, consider attaching some strands of grass behind some red leaves to emphasize the colors.
   • Opt for an orderly appearance. Alternate leaves with flowers in a circular pattern, or arrange the materials in groups of three: for example, some maple leaves, a bunch of chrysanthemums and some wheat stalks.
   • Create a color wheel. Place all the red leaves together, then the orange, yellow, and purple leaves.
4. Assemble the wreath. Insert the stems of the plants diagonally into the wreath shape. Use the wire or staples to hold the stems in place. Continue until you have attached all the materials from your design to the wreath shape.
   • Hide the pieces of wire by wrapping material around them and tucking them behind other materials that are already attached.
   • Use extra wire or twine to attach the material, if necessary. Wrap the iron wire around the wreath shape or tie the rope to it.
5. Add accents. Wrap a ribbon in circles around the wreath, or tie it into a bow and attach it to the bottom of the wreath. Add decorative imitation birds, pinecones, chestnuts, acorns, and other fall objects to fill in the spots among the leaves you've collected.
6. Hang the wreath. The wreath shape may have a hook or loop at the back to hang the wreath from. If not, make a loop yourself by twisting a piece of iron wire on the back of the wreath or by tying a piece of string to it. Hang the wreath on your door or on the side of your house.

Method 2 of 3: Make a pumpkin and gourd wreath

1. Buy a thick piece of iron wire about four feet long. Make sure the wire is flexible enough to bend into a circle, and sturdy enough to hold in shape under the weight of small pumpkins and gourds.
2. Collect small pumpkins and gourds. During the fall season you can find a lot of these small, orange fruits at supermarkets, garden centers and markets. Choose small, light pumpkins and gourds for your wreath.
   • Try to find pumpkins and gourds with interesting colors and textures. Choose orange, yellow, brown, green, and spotted pumpkins and gourds.
   • If you want a wreath that is more even, choose pumpkins of the same size and color.
   • If you want to make a wreath that lasts longer, go to a craft store and buy imitation squashes and gourds instead of using fresh, perishable fruit.
3. Thread the pumpkins and gourds on the iron wire. Create a beautiful motif with contrasting shapes, colors and sizes. Choose to alternate pumpkins with gourds or string the fruits on the string in any way.
   • To thread the pumpkins, hold the thread on one side of the pumpkin (about an inch below the stem) and push it horizontally through the pumpkin so that it comes out on the other side.
   • To thread the gourds, hold the thread by most of the fruit and push it through so that it comes out on the other side.
4. Bend the ends of the wire into hooks and tie them together. Use your fingers or a pair of pliers to bend the ends into brackets shaped like the letter "C." Then hook them together.
5. Add accents. Tie an autumn ribbon around the wreath thread, or add a sprig of an evergreen tree as an accent.
6. Hang the wreath. Tie a loop in a piece of string, or twist one into a piece of iron wire. Tie or wrap the end of the loop around the c-brackets you made to join the ends of the wreath. Hang the wreath on a nail on your front door or elsewhere in your house.

Method 3 of 3: Make a wreath with nuts and berries

1. Buy a wooden wreath form. You can buy wooden wreath shapes at craft stores. These are simple, flat pieces of wood that have been sawn into a circular shape and have a hole in the center. If you can't find a wooden wreath shape, get one made of plastic, styrofoam, or floral foam.
2. Collect nuts and berries. If you live in a neighborhood that has trees bearing nuts, you're in luck - just walk the streets with a paper bag and fill it with acorns, walnuts, pecans, and chestnuts. Try to find nuts with intact skin and few bruises and cracks. Trim red berries from holly bushes and other plants that bear red, blue, and black berries in the fall.
   • You can buy unpeeled walnuts and pecans at the grocery store if you can't find nut trees.
   • Consider using imitation berries from a hobby store if you want your wreath to last more than a season.
3. Heat a hot glue gun. Plug a glue gun into the wall socket and fill it with transparent glue cartridges that melt. You can glue craft materials securely with it. Heat the gun on a newspaper. Hot glue often gives a mess.
4. Glue the nuts to the wreath shape. Start by gluing a circle of nuts around the hole in the center of the wreath. Then glue a second circle of nuts around the first circle. Continue gluing nuts to the shape until you have covered the entire wreath.
5. Add berries to the wreath. Apply a little hot glue to the stem of a sprig of berries. Stick this between a few nuts and hold it for a few minutes so that the glue has time to dry. Continue to add sprigs of berries until you are satisfied with the appearance of your wreath.
6. Hang the wreath. A nut wreath is the perfect fall wreath to hang on your kitchen door. Hang the wreath on a nail or rest the wreath against something and then enjoy the festive fall decorations you created.

Tips

• Hobby shops have many suitable materials for your fall wreath. Buy imitation leaves, flowers, birds, pinecones, and other items to add to your wreath.

Necessities

Wreath with autumn leaves

• Metal wreath shape
• Leaves, flowers, evergreen branches, wheat or grass stalks, and other fall foliage
• Ribbons and other decorations to add accents (optional)

Wreath with pumpkins and gourds

• Thick piece of iron wire of 120 centimeters long
• Small pumpkins and gourds
• Extra pieces of thinner iron wire
• Ribbons and other decorations to add accents (optional)

Wreath with nuts and berries

• Wreath shape of wood, polystyrene foam or floral foam
• Nuts and berries, collected locally or bought at the store
• Hot glue gun