Fall Wreaths You Can Make With the Kids

0

Nothing says home like a seasonal wreath hung from the front door. Even when I don’t do any other decorating, I make sure we have season-appropriate wreaths. My daughter, Karys, has been helping me make wreaths since she was tiny, and my youngest Saryn will soon be “helping” too. Wreaths are the perfect craft: simple, quick, and impactful. Here are our three favorite fall wreaths that you and your crafty kids can make at home.

Note: You can use a heated glue gun, or white glue if you are worried your little one might get burned. If you use glue, make sure you leave time for it to dry before hanging it up.

Picture of Fall Wreath with PumpkinsWitch’s Hat Wreath

We made this wreath for the first time this year. At the dollar store, I gave Karys a budget of ten dollars. She spent five dollars on the wreath (and the rest on candy). Speaking of candy, you could use Halloween candy wrappers or boxes to accent your wreath as well!

wreaths

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 witch’s hat
  • 1 roll of orange ribbon
  • 1 bag of plastic eyeballs
  • 1 set of plastic skeletons
  • 1 “Happy Halloween” sign
  • Cobwebs
  • Glue gun or glue

Using the witch’s hat as a base, glue the point of the hat to the hat’s rim. Form the orange ribbon into bows or pom-poms, and glue them in six places around the rim. Add the eyeballs between the ribbons then add the skeletons. Glue a loop of ribbon to the underside of the hat to make a hanger. Add a Happy Halloween sign and cobwebs to up the spookiness factor.

Rag Wreath

I always have a bit of extra fabric on hand, usually leftover from completed sewing projects (or projects I thought I would complete). Versions of this wreath are endless, because you can use just about any type of fabric or ribbon for any occasion in just about any color combination. 

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 wire hanger or metal wreath form
  • 1-1 1/2 yard of fabric, torn into strips (scraps will work as long as they are long enough to tie in a knot)
  • Ribbon or other embellishments
  • Glue gun or glue (optional)

Form the wire hanger into a circle, leaving the hook at the top. Tear the fabric into 1″x6″strips and tie the strips around the wire circle, bunching all the fabric knots together. Continue adding fabric until the wreath is as full as you would like. Tie on ribbons or glue embellishments to complete the look.

Foraged Wreath

From the evergreen trees and the moss, I love how Portland is green year-round, even in the fall! Mossy sticks give this wreath a rustic look, and if you use natural twine or vines to fasten it together, the whole thing can go in the compost bin if you don’t want to store it until next year! The leaves won’t stay bright forever, but they’ll put on a show for a while. If you want to help the leaves keep their fall color, you can coat them in Mod Podge or make your own decoupage with white glue and water. 

wreaths

What You’ll Need:

  • Sticks collected from your backyard or a nature walk
  • Twine or vines
  • Pine cones
  • Leaves
  • Brightly/autumn colored raffia ribbon or bow
  • Mod Podge or white glue (optional)
  • Brush (optional)

Lay the branches out in a roughly circular pattern. Be sure each branch touches at least two other branches. When you’ve got the shape you want, firmly wrap the twine or vines around the branches and tie the ends in a knot. Tuck the leaves behind the twine to secure them in place. Using small lengths of twine, tie the pine cones around branches in your desired pattern. Finish your wreath with a raffia bow and a twine loop to hang it on your door.

Kids get a sense of pride from seeing their work on display, and with kid-crafted wreaths on the door, you’re sure to see smiles each time you come and go through your front door. We’d love to see your wreaths! Post your pictures in the comments.

Previous articleThe 2021 Guide to Portland-Area Pumpkin Patches
Next articleFive Firsts for an Autumn Baby in Portland
Kendra
Aside from being a writer, Kendra is a Birth Trauma Doula at KarysMa Birth, where she helps moms find their joy after birth trauma. A former middle school English and theatre teacher, she has an insatiable love for learning and a flair for the dramatic. Among the best moments of her life, she counts marrying her husband Steve during a dream rainbow wedding, planning a princess picnic on the beach with her eight year old daughter Karys, giving birth to her one year old daughter Saryn in the middle of a blizzard, and sitting on stage with Glennon Doyle. A Navy brat for the first 13 years of her life, Kendra settled in Virginia for eighteen years before she was finally ready to move again, relocating to Portland in 2014. You can find her work on Portland Moms Blog, The La Leche League Blog, and The Not Your Average Mom Project, as well as the hard drive of her computer.