Halloween Wreath and Banner

I started working on this Halloween Wreath over a month ago.  After completing my 4th of July straw wreath I knew I wanted to make one more but for Halloween and I think this Halloween wreath is even better than the original.  It's so graphic with  just the right amount of color.  I promise though this is my last straw wreath... that I know of.  It has so many different looks to it. 

Wreath Supplies:

- 1 foam wreath form (you need one with a flat front, I found mine at the dollar store)
- yarn or fabric to wrap around the wreath form
- orange ribbon to hang the wreath
- approximately 70-75 striped straws (I ordered mine from Amazon)
- hot Glue

- 1/2 yard of tulle (optional)

- small straight pins (optional)

Banner Supplies:

- 4 different pieces of scrapbook paper

- 2-3 pieces of black cardstock

- vinyl letters

- Halloween stickers

- twine

- scrapbook tape

- hot glue

Step 1:  Wrap your wreath form in yarn or fabric.  I used left over muslin strips I had from my ruffle tree skirt.  Place a small dot of glue every few wraps to help keep it in place.  (Fabric takes far less time than yarn)

Step 2:  Glue your orange ribbon to your wreath form on both the front and back.  I did this because I ended up gluing my straws on top of the ribbon.  Measure the ribbon to make sure the wreath hangs at the right length. 

Step 3:  Cut approximately 1 inch off half of your straws.  I would have a few extra of each size so about 35-40 straws in each size.

Step 4:  Glue your striped straws around your wreath form alternating between your two sizes.  You want the ends to touch at the center of the form.  A flat front wreath form is ideal because it gives you more surface in which to glue your straws to.

Step 5:  (Optional) Take your tulle and bunch it together so that it looks more like a strand of yarn then a piece of fabric.  Take one end and pin it to the inside of the wreath.  Twist the tulle and place another pin about every inch until you go around the entire center.  You will want to make sure the pins are hidden.   When you are done, cut off any extra tulle you may have and pin the second end.   

Reversible Banner

Step 1:  I made mine reversible so that one side said FALL and the other said BOO!.  I wanted my "Halloween wreath" to be able to stay up all fall as I plan on only decorating once in that three month span of time.  I used a Silhouette machine to cut out all of my triangles but you could easily cut them out with scissors as well.  There is a piece of black card stock in between the front and the back of each pendent to give it some strength. I used the scrapbook tape to glue each pendent together so my paper wouldn't bubble. 

Step 2:  I also used the Silhouette to cut out my black vinyl letters but again you could just go to the craft store and pick up stickers, chipboard, or pre-cut paper letters.  Place the letters for FALL on one side of the pendents.  Then flip the pendants over and reverse the order of colors.  The B for BOO! went on my silver pendent which was the back of my last L in FALL.  My ! went on the back of my F and so forth.  Place any Halloween stickers on your pendant to spice it up a little.  I found these really cute spiders at Michaels. 

Step 3:  Then you will hot glue your twine on the tops of one side of your pendant.  I chose FALL.  If you look at the photo carefully you will see that at each corner I made a small loop to help give more surface to glue.  The trick will be to glue the twine on top without it showing on the BOO! side (except in between each pendant of course).  

Step 4:  When attaching your pendant you will want to wrap each side around a few straws so as not to put all the weight on any single straw.  The banner does weigh quite a bit.   

Then you just enjoy your work of art for three months:)  I love that this wreath is so versatile.  It would look great without the banner but also transitions nice from fall decor to a Halloween wreath.  As it is made out of mostly paper is should be kept out of the elements. 

When taking photos I wanted a white background and since our front door is brown that meant bringing my lovely wreath inside and there it shall stay.  I decided that I think I need one indoor wreath and one outdoor wreath for each season. 

I also discovered I  love making decorations one season ahead because now I actually get to use my Halloween wreath for more than just a couple of days. 

What kinds of projects are you working on?  Have you stared working on any DIY Halloween ideas?

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