How-to: DIY fall wreath craft

Happy Friday!!  So, hey, let's address the elephant in the room.  Last night's Penguins home opener was a bummer of a loss, but there are a few good notes: Fleury looked sharp and made some clutch saves early.  The new second line consisting of Malkin, Comrie and Tangradi had good chemistry for early in the season.  Orpik laid out some mean hits.  TK got a goal, so his status as the fans' whipping boy should be delayed at least for a few days.  And that arena is just gorgeous.  Also, I'm going to start keeping a Lizzie McGuire count for the season.  (For those not in the know, newly acquired winger Mike Comrie married the former Disney star this past summer.)  I'm unsure whether it'll be for a mention of Hilary Duff and/or Lizzie McGuire, but so far it's 1.  I bet someone, somewhere, probably in college, is dreaming up a sort of game right now... moving on... :)

Remember when I asked for your opinions regarding a fall DIY (do-it-yourself) wreath for my front door?  After some browsing around in my friendly neighborhood Michael's crafts store, I came away with these humble supplies:

And, with nimble fingers and a little elbow grease, created that gorgeous wreath.  All for $10.68!!! ...and a minor hot glue burn, ha.

(Clarification: I only needed one bag of "fruit" so returned the other, making the grand total for supplies used $10.68.)

I've been looking at fall-themed wreaths for the past few weeks and haven't been able to find anything for under $40.  That's just ludicrous, considering that it'll be hanging outside in the elements for two months, getting wet and dirty.  I still need to attach a piece of ribbon that I already have at the top to loop on the hanger on my door, but for now this will do.

How to?

1. Wrap ribbon (tightly) around wire frame.  Staple the initial wrap of ribbon together until you can get to the end and secure with hot glue.

2. Do a trial run and lay out the fruit or whatever garnishes around the wreath to make sure you have enough and like the placement.

3. Hot glue gun in hand, glue each piece of fruit to the ribbon.  I found that I needed MUCH more glue than originally anticipated, in order to saturate the ribbon and get a good hold on the fruit.  Too little just peeled right off.  Hold in place for about 10 seconds and proceed to the next piece.

4. When finished, lay wreath flat overnight to set and cool completely.

5. Hang (almost) finished wreath on door and delight in the very festive addition to your front (or anywhere inside, really!) door!

Speaking of crafts, I'm off today, heading home for the weekend, starting with lunch and Fort Ligonier Days for a mom-daughter day :)  70 degrees and sunny on a mid-October Friday?  Perfection!  Have a fantastic weekend!