Easy as 1-2-3 Custom Look Wreath

It's September, and you know what I'm doing...

This last week I started decorating for Fall, and one thing I wanted to do was put together a new wreath for the Dining Room mirror. I love a lush twiggy grapevine wreath with lot's of naturals and florals, but I don't want to pay a "custom" price for it. So, no matter what the season, I have an easy method to get a custom look.

Here it is out on the Sunporch. I'll be showing you the Dining Room a little later, but for now it's on one of my old "Fall" quilts on a wicker chair.

As you can see it's pretty wild, and pretty big;

Fall berries, leaves and Hydrangeas.

I've been making my own wreaths for years, and I almost always use this quick method.  One of the best things about it, besides that it's quick, is that this method is easy to take apart, redo, refresh, or reuse at another time.

 Start with your basic grapevine twig wreath. 

The more crazy twigs the better...

I like a wild, natural, just picked look.

Since I'm a bad DIY blogger, I didn't even think to get pics until I had that wreath hanging up on the mirror, and at that point I wasn't going to take it apart again to show the steps.

sooo...

I just used a few other elements to show how easy it is..

please don't get confused because there are two different wreaths.

I know...I know....

bad blogger.

End of Season sales are a great time to pick up those basic garlands and candle rings. I think this one was a large candle ring that came from Michaels a few years ago. The basic garland ring is of just little Lady Apples. I added the sunflowers a while back so I could use it on my front door, which requires a "skinny" wreath.

Then start layering. I left the Sunflowers and Black-Eyed Susans on the basic apple wreath then added in some Hydrangeas. You can add any blossom mix you like for your season. A Spring wreath might have Tulips and Lilacs on a Forsythia garland. This one I used faux Hydrangea stems, but on my Dining Room wreath I used real dried Hydrangeas. With faux Hydrangeas I sometimes trim the large blooms down.

Now you can see we're adding layers and depth and a lot of interest

 with the Apples, Sunflowers and Hydrangeas.

This grapvine twig wreath is actually a little small for this garland, but I wanted to show you how it all goes together. Just use some gardener's twine or floral wire to secure the garland wreath to the twig wreath. 

Here's the finished product. I just randomly put this together because

I'll be taking it apart again, but you get the idea.

1. A grapevine wreath for the base.
2. A garland or large candle ring on top, just tied on with gardener's twine.
3. Florals to tuck in for added interst and depth. Sometimes I hot glue them on, other times I just tuck them inside and through the vines.

This one is a little wonky since I didn't secure all the layers... just wanted to show you how easy it is to put a wreath together. I didn't need any special tools, and it doesn't make a big mess.
So here's my original again. It's a little more "Fall", whereas the "step by step" version is a little more "Summer".

You can put together a wreath like this in about 15 minutes.

Super quick and versatile.

If you want to change up your basic wreath each season it's easily done.

Just 1-2-3!

Now, have some fun making your own!

I'll be joining in on these great weekly parties:

Whipperberry
A Stroll Thru Life
Tuesday Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

WOW Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Inspiration Exchange at Ella Claire
DIY by Design
Homework at The Everyday Home
Stone Gable Blog
From My Front Porch to Yours
Share Your Cup Thursday
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Shabby Art Boutique
Jennifer Rizzo
French Country Cottage
The Charm of Home
Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

xoxo,

Around the house...

Hey you all...

hope you're having a good weekend!

I thought I'd just share some of the sunporch tweaking that's been going on this week. There's been a hint of Fall around here, as the weather has cooled off a little this week, and the "light" is changing. You know what I mean...the angle of the sun shifts just slightly and the light starts to change. Shadows and colors and even the blue in the sky takes on a subtle difference from Summer. 

This week has been a little slower and I've had time to think about a few things out here. One in particular is this basket hanging on an old screen door that I've had probably for about 10 years. It was a dark sage green and it really needed to be freshened up, so I gave it a coat of some taupe/gray "test" paint that I'd bought last year when painting the master bedroom.

then I did a wash in a darker gray craft paint mixture...

then highlighted it again in the taupe.

...an easy fix for something that was dusty and a little blah looking.

Some faux sunflowers brought it up to season.

I don't show this corner of the sunporch often 

as this little wicker tea cart has a habit of getting too cluttered.

hmmm... that might be why you're only seeing the top part...

(you might laugh at a funny story from my first few months of blogging.

and you'll also laugh at the photos.

 I think that was 3 cameras ago.Just click here)

But I have a cute little vintage metal shelf

 that holds a few of my English Cottages...

that I haven't shared for awhile.

sugar and creamer and salt and pepper.

a candle and another salt and pepper.

Here's an old celluloid thermometer and butterfly print

 that was a salesman sample for advertising...

is tucked into my wicker floral basket along with an ivy.

...and here are the last of the hydrangeas that

had already started to wilt on the shrub.

these purples are so pretty.

That bush started out white, 

then the tips started to change to pink

and now this deep magenta.

The blooms haven't been big this year,

 but the color has been spectacular.

You might have noticed that I've already changed out the quilts and pillows to more of an Autumn palette. I'll share more of the "Early Fall" sunporch changes this next week.

so tell me...what are you doing this weekend...?


Joining in on these great parties:

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
A Stroll Thru Life
The Scoop at Cedarhill Ranch

xoxo,

Late Summer Sideboard...

Now that it's the middle of August it was time to change up my Hallway Sideboard. I'm bringing in the colors of Nature's late Summer palette, in exchange for my little wheelbarrow full of garden produce. Golds and muted colors of late Summer are evident in the dried hydrangeas, breadboards, basket, and the little English Cottage tray. 

I've been collecting these rattan lunch hampers for the last several years. I've stacked them on an old white bench to add some height and balance to this long stretch of wall.

We hung this old window a couple of years ago, and I've enjoyed having it as a backdrop for my other wall decor. I love the look of layering vintage pieces, especially mirrors and prints. I found this great Sunflower botanical print last year at Robin's Vintage Suitcase.

My white antique French Ironstone tureen has been pretty much a staple here, finding it's way into whatever season it might be.

The little paper mache tray fit right in to the back of the hamper filled with old china.

Some dried hydrangeas with just a hint of lavender and green are sitting inside this old pottery canister. Anyone know what language this is and what it says?

This pedestal is Staffordshire, entitled "The Meet".

This other little pedestal plate is Johnson Brothers.

The big breadboard is from Antique Farmhouse

 and the smaller ones are vintage.

I think this ought to hold me until September. 

That's when the pumpkins come out...

...and for those of you that think I put things together like a breeze...

this little display took me three days and several renditions before

I finally settled on this one.

what can I say, the pumpkins were wanting to come out.

Sweet September

A turn of the calender page,

a few days of rain from Isaac,

and I'm in Full Fall Mode.

I've been bringing out the Fall and it's found it's way to this old train case. A 3 dollar find from the flea, whose mirror was broken, so I mod podged a calendar art page on the inner lid.

 I'm feeling the more muted hues this year.

Silks and natural hydrangeas share the space

on my wicker trunk in the Entry.

A velvet pumpkin from last year;

I'm hoping to add a few more soon.

( a few of you have asked if I made this, but no, sorry to say

I saved my pennies for it. Love them, but they are a little pricey.)

Hope your first weekend of September is wonderful,

even if the sky is gray...

xoxo,

I'll be joining these parties:

Thrifty Finds at Southern Hospitality

Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Knick of Time

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Nifty Thrifty Finds at Coastal Charm