How to Make a Fall Nature Wreath

The first part is fun - collecting the materials. Start in your own back yard, and look forч  interesting flower heads that may have dried, seed heads with unique shapes such asч  poppies, tulips, columbine or iris, or feathery heads of grasses. Silver dollar heads andч  Japanese lanterns will have dried, and are ready to pick. Clusters of cones can be foundч  on and under evergreen trees, and nut trees will have shed the seed husks fromч  filberts, oak or chestnuts, or maples their winged maple seeds, just waiting to beч  collected.

Your wreath will be more interesting if you plan for some contrasts in texture andч  color - shiny chestnuts next to a fringed hemlock cone cluster, or a deep brown walnutч  shell next to silvery feathers of ornamental grasses. Place the same item in differentч  positions - a cone can sit on its base, lie on its side, or even be placed stem up. Justч  make sure your pods, cones, acorns, seed heads and foliage are ripe and dry. Greenч  material can get moldy and destroy all your hard work.

Cut a sturdy corrugated cardboard into a doughnut for the base. Use white glue or aч  glue gun to attach the materials to each other and to the base. Strip a large pine cone,ч  and glue the pieces shaped like petals around the edges of the wreath to form aч  border. Once it has dried, start building up the wreath with the largest pieces you haveч  collected - the largest cones, teasel heads, large pods, and so on. Glue them in placeч  around the wreath.

Next, add the medium sized pieces - acorns, thistle heads, small cones, seed husks orч  dried flower heads. Make sure you keep a variety in your arrangement, and again, thinkч  of contrasting color and texture as you glue the pieces in place. Finally, add yourч  smallest pieces to fill in any spots where the cardboard still shows. If you have someч  feathery grass heads or dried flower heads, these can even be broken apart and used toч  fill in small spaces, adding even more texture, color and depth.

Once the glue has dried, take your wreath outside and spray it with clear varnish.ч  Ifч  you"d like, you can add some ribbon, beads or berries to make a Christmas themedч  wreath. Glue a hanger to the back, and you"re all finished.The mellow natural tonesч  make this an appropriate decoration for fall and winter, and even year round.

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