Photography by: Roland Bello
Here’s the secret to wreath-making: A wreath doesn’t have to be made with fancy materials to be special.
One of the (many) reasons we love fall is that there are so many things coming into season — pumpkins, gourds, beautiful, rich blooms. You might find small treasures during a walk in the woods, in your fall garden, or even your kitchen. Everywhere you look, there’s a natural bounty — and it’s ready for the harvest.
Over the years, we’ve made wreaths using sweet gum, nuts, cones, and corn husks. For the wreath you see being made above, we tucked clusters of Spanish moss into a grapevine wreath, covering it in a loose layer. Then we added our autumnal embellishments (craspedia, margaritas, globe thistle, nigella pods, and canella berries) by pruning them, tucking them into place, and lastly, securing them with hot glue as necessary. We recommend trimming the stems to 1 inch — this makes them easier to arrange. (We purchased materials for this from teresasplants.com, which is offering a kit with all the supplies needed for this particular wreath.)
But that is simply one idea. Here, we present some more of our favorites from over the years; hopefully to inspire a wreath of your own!
You don’t need many different items. A wreath made with multiples of just one kind can be quite dramatic. Give everything a light spray of paint to elevate the brown sweet gum you may have found. (Tip: Wear work gloves when handling any material that’s prickly or sticky, like sweet gum, evergreen needles, or thorny plants.)
Or choose only corn husks and allow them to keep their organic curl.
Photography by: Aaron Dyer
Or even this striking cone wreath, which we made with fewer than five materials.
This wreath is all about “pom-p” and circumstance. Start with a willow branch and glue on hand-dyed pom-poms as the “berries.” If your pom-poms come in assorted sizes or dry in deeper and lighter concentrations of dye, that’s okay! This actually gives them the natural look of real berries.
Autumn is harvest season for almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, and walnuts. These served as the inspiration for this festive decoration. But you can use any hard-shelled nuts, including acorns found in your own backyard.
We’ve also made wreaths that aren’t round. A swag of branches with dried flowers is just as decorative. A floral arrangement affixed to foraged branches will certainly give you a rustic, yet elegant look. For the one you see in the video below, we used a dark, autumnal palette of blues and greens — blue hydrangea, eucalyptus, blue larkspur, maidenhair fern — with a bright coral-orange pop of craspedia. Play with different color-coordinated palettes to see what you like best. This makes a seasonal statement and can be made in mere minutes.
Now we’d like to hear from you, including tips and inspiration. What’s your take on the rustic wreath?
SOURCE:http://www.marthastewart.com/1130964/how-make-rustic-wreath-your-backyard