Fall Inspiration

Fall is my favorite season and like many other years, I have been on the search for the perfect Fall home decor.  The only thing on my list this year ~ a wreath for my front door.  I have NEVERRRR been able to find the perfect Fall wreath that I loved under $70, and even some of those left something to be desired.  

After flipping through my favorite home magazine, I found a picture of the perfect Fall front porch including a gorgeous wreath.
  

Super rustic and but still within my glam taste, I knew I could DIY this one.  Even better - my backyard was FULLLL of hydrangeas with big blooms (falling over) ready to be used for this project!  I cut a few blooms and set them to dry in my dining room.  Tip - cut the hydrangeas leaving a generous stem.  It will come in handy later.

I love the mix of green and pink, especially the ombre effect!!

The trick to drying out the flowers is to not wait too long because if they are too stiff they will be hard to work with, but if you try and use them too soon they will droop.  The drying took about 48 hours.  I left them for the first day on my table as pictured, then hung them upside down for the remainder of the time.  

I went to Michael's to purchase my supplies.  I picked up the wreath, green floral wire, a hot glue gun with some glue, and ribbon.  

I started by arranging the hydrangeas on top of the wreath to be sure I had enough and to figure out placement.

As it turns out, I didn't have enough!  I had cut eight blooms, and I needed more.  I cut three more small blooms, and luckily they were ready to use after about six hours.  My tip - more is more.  Cut more than you think you will need. 

Next, I weaved the stem of the hydrangea through the wreath.  I secured it to the wreath with the floral wire.  Just to be safe, I also added a little hot glue to adhere the stem to the wreath.  I trimmed the extra end of the stem so it wouldn't show.  I continued this for the entire wreath.

Last, I added the ribbon.  Mine had a little more bling to it than the magazine picture.  (That's just me!)

And here is my beautiful finished product hanging proudly on our front door.  It came out great! 

Total cost $15.  Would have been cheaper if I had a hot glue gun already.  I love that this wreath can be used throughout the Fall and even into the summer months!  I can also change the ribbon to different colors depending on the time of year.  All in all, a sucessful DIY project.  So what do you think?  Hope you are inspired!!


Xo L