Glitter & Glam: A Halloween Wreath Tutorial

I must be in a wreath-making mood.  Just after finishing my beautiful Abundant Autumn Wreath, I decided to take on my next seasonal offering: a super sparkly, fluttery, fun Glitter & Glam Halloween Wreath (and door knocker!).  

Below, the tack I took.  

Components:  (Michaels always has great coupons that you can pull up on your smartphone!  New ones come out every Sunday!)

1 Grapevine wreath
2 Black Glitter Fern Halloween Bushes
2 Black Glitter Halloween Berry Accent Bushes
3 White Glitter Curlicue Accent Stems
2 Black Feathered Picks with Glitter Ball Accents in Purple and Orange (Notice a glitter theme at all?)
Lots o' Ribbon (I used 1 roll of 2" wired ribbon, 2 rolls of 1/2", 2 rolls of 1/4" and any additional coordinating pieces I had lying around)
Hot Glue Gun 
Florist Wire 
Wire Cutters
Skeleton Hand 
Skeleton Key
Black Spray Paint 

1.  First I gave the grapevine wreath a quick coat of black spray paint and allowed it to dry (again, this is one that I got by disassembling an old wreath that I didn't love.  Always a savings.). 

2.  Using wire cutters, I snipped all of the fern stems from each of the bushes.  I also snipped off small sections from the picks and stems to use in pieces.

3. From here, I began laying out the fern stems along the wreath form, starting in opposite directions from the bottom center and meeting at the top center.  You certainly can stick to one direction, but I wanted to emphasize the central aspects of the design. Once I was happy with the layout of the ferns, I began securing each of them by winding the stems into the grapevine and adding a touch of hot glue to the top of each piece.

4.  After the ferns were in place, I began adding the glitter berries at various points along the right and left side, securing the same way. 

Once I had the main structure of the wreath to my liking, I added florist wire every 6 inches or so, pulling the ferns and berries tight, to ensure their stability. 

5.  The next step was to design the bow.  I started with the 2 inch black and silver chevron ribbon and made a giant 8 loop bow, tying it off with florist wire in the center. I made sure to leave significant tails on each side.  Next, I worked with my secondary ribbon - 1/4 inch orange glitter ribbon - twisting another 8 loop bow about 1/4 the size of the first bow, again, leaving long tails on each side.  Using florist wire I attached it to the center of the Chevron bow, giving it a starburst center. 

The rest of the ribbons simply were cut into varying lengths (anywhere from 2' - 4'), gathered together, folded in half, and secured in the center.  Finally, they were added to the large bow with another piece of florist wire. 

6.  Once I had my bow completed, I attached it to the bottom center of the wreath (florist wire) and "floofed" the wire bow a bit until I liked the width and style. 

7.  Working with the hot glue gun, I began adding white curlicues to the wreath on either side of the bow.  I also added black feathers and purple and orange glitter picks. 

8.  The final touch was to hot glue a white skeleton key to a resin skeleton hand and let it dangle from the top center of the wreath (like an offering from "The Beyond").  Along with adding a small "Creep" factor, it also serves as a pretty handy door knocker. (Get it? "Handy??" I'm hilarious.)

Now I have a beautiful, glamorous wreath at the ready!  I also have a dining room that looks like it's been assaulted by a Rebellious Teenage Fairy, but, hey - tis the season!  Off to find a vacuum and, possibly, a blow torch...

Additional Notes: 

-  Sometimes when I design wreaths, I want the colors and textures to be evenly distributed (as in my Abundant Autumn Wreath).  In this case, I wanted to feature sections of the wreath such as the ribbons and the Skeleton hand, so I kept the majority of the wreath monochromatic with just some variations in textures. 

- Instead of using wires and hot glue I could have used a lot of hot glue to secure the individual pieces and would have had a wreath that was just as sturdy.  That said, I tend to get bored with things and want to rip them apart and redo them from time to time, and using less glue and more florist wire allows me the flexibility to do that without damaging the components.  Fickleness thy name is woman. 

- When choosing your ribbons, look for coordinating ones with a variety of textures.  I used everything from wired, to mesh to grosgrain.  When designing your bow and tails, try NOT to make them even on each side.  The variations in length give it a much cooler shape when the breeze blows.