Fall Wreath
A bunch of branches got blown off the oak tree by my apartment last Friday. The leaves were such pretty colors, I decided to make a wreath.
Supplies:
Branches with leaves still attached and green twine to tie them together. These are my leftovers. I gathered enough branches to fill a grocery bag. Longer branches are better since it gives you more overlap between branches when you tie them together. You also need a large flat work surface. ( I used my floor.)
Steps:
(I didn't take pictures along the way-sorry.)
1. Lay out the branches and sort by branch length.
2. Start with one long branch. Place it to one side of working area. Layer another branch offset so that the leaves from the new branch cover the bare areas of the first branch that is beneath it.
3. Continue layering branches, slowly adjusting the angles of each subsequent branch so that they form an approximate circle. Also, alternate leaf colors so that there is a mix of colors all the way around.
4. When you have worked back around to the starting point, tuck the last branch(es) below the first branches.
5. Cut lengths of twine several inches in length. Starting anywhere around the circle, tightly tie the overlapped branches together. (Carefully move the leaves out of your way if necessary.) Continue tying the layers of branches together every couple inches.
6. Once all of the branches have been tied, it should be stable enough to pick up. Check if there are any weak spots that need to be tied together. (You can turn the wreath over and check that everything is tied well from the back.)
7. Check if there are any spots that need more leaves. If there are, tuck one (or more) of the leaves on short branches between the existing branches and tie in place.
Finished Wreath (Front and back)
I am hanging my wreath outside on my balcony because more people will see it, and because I'm not sure how well it would hold up over time. After just a week, the leaves are getting pretty dry, so I'm afraid they would get too damaged on my front door and end up crumbling.
Supplies:
Branches with leaves still attached and green twine to tie them together. These are my leftovers. I gathered enough branches to fill a grocery bag. Longer branches are better since it gives you more overlap between branches when you tie them together. You also need a large flat work surface. ( I used my floor.)
Steps:
(I didn't take pictures along the way-sorry.)
1. Lay out the branches and sort by branch length.
2. Start with one long branch. Place it to one side of working area. Layer another branch offset so that the leaves from the new branch cover the bare areas of the first branch that is beneath it.
3. Continue layering branches, slowly adjusting the angles of each subsequent branch so that they form an approximate circle. Also, alternate leaf colors so that there is a mix of colors all the way around.
4. When you have worked back around to the starting point, tuck the last branch(es) below the first branches.
5. Cut lengths of twine several inches in length. Starting anywhere around the circle, tightly tie the overlapped branches together. (Carefully move the leaves out of your way if necessary.) Continue tying the layers of branches together every couple inches.
6. Once all of the branches have been tied, it should be stable enough to pick up. Check if there are any weak spots that need to be tied together. (You can turn the wreath over and check that everything is tied well from the back.)
7. Check if there are any spots that need more leaves. If there are, tuck one (or more) of the leaves on short branches between the existing branches and tie in place.
Finished Wreath (Front and back)
I am hanging my wreath outside on my balcony because more people will see it, and because I'm not sure how well it would hold up over time. After just a week, the leaves are getting pretty dry, so I'm afraid they would get too damaged on my front door and end up crumbling.