DIY [burlap and bows]

now that the temperature has been steadily less hot, i actually feel like fall is coming. so what better way to celebrate than by making a wreath??


 i knew what i liked in my head, and after some searching i finally found the look i wanted:

[jenna lou loves you]

it had the branchy look i LOVE, but it was still missing something. if you've ever bought anything from jen & ink, you would know about my obsession with burlap and bows, so i knew it was meant to be when i came across this beauty:

[haute apple pie]

perfection. i still preferred the big white berry look of the first one, so i wanted to combine the two into one. however, hobby lobby fell short in the selection department, so i had to find the next best thing. i was hesitant to get the red, but then i decided that i could last me through christmas, so i bought it.

haute apple pie gives a great tutorial, so i mainly used theirs as my guide, except for the sewing part and some of the materials.

supplies i used:

• medium-sized wreath ($3.99)
• 5 floral stems ($7.50 [half off sale])
• 2 yard burlap ($2.00)
• wire cutters ($0 [had already])
• safety pin ($0 [had already])
• thumb tacks ($2.00)

the total came out to be about $15--a little more than i'd like to have spent, but then again i also think any DIY project over $10 is a travesty--so i had to make an exception considering the high price of buying one already made. :)

it really was one of the easiest tutorials i found and didn't require any hot glue or specifics. all you had to do was just stick in the stems in places where you wanted--all in the same direction of course.





i also love the unfinished look of burlap so i played with the ends to get it just how i wanted. i was excited to see how katie cut the ends of her bow too, because my mom always taught me that a bow is never finished until the ends are cut. (p.s. any bit of creativity that i have, i owe it ALL to my mother. )


finally, being a first time wreath enthusiast, i wasn't sure how to hang it since i didn't want to have anything to do with a plastic wreath hanger. so i used two thumb tacks and attached the burlap hanger to the top of the door frame, so it would still shut and not hurt the door.


ah, here she is in her branchy, burlap beauty.


also in the honor of wreath season, i decided to share some of my other favorites i found while browsing.



[where the heart is]

paper wreathes are gaining quite the popularity as well. take some pages out of an old book and voila!

[mustard seed interiors]


[art and copy]


[simple joys paperie]


some oldies but goodies:

[the long thread]


[elizabeth anne designs]


a coffee filter wreath!

[centsible savings]

and i especially love this one for inside the home with all your holiday cards.

[marth stewart]


i almost want to make one for every room in our house, but i'll resistant the urge. :) which one is your favorite??

also, if you like the idea of having one, but DIY is not for you, my friend ashley is having a fall wreath giveaway on her blog this friday! go over and sign up by leaving a comment!

happy fall!!