Hello DIY friends!
I know it’s *almost* Halloween, so I wanted to share this super easy quick and CHEAP craft you can do last minute to get your home into the “spirit.” Truth be told, I made this a couple weeks ago but as life happens and I’m still figuring out this blog thing, it’s taken me a while to share it. But, it’s too fun not to share! I found all the materials at my local Dollar Tree and JoAnn Fabrics FOR LESS THAN $8!!
Part of the reason I like to DIY is that you can save some money, and have something unique that will last you for years. I know shopping at Dollar Tree is probably not the most eco-conscious thing to do, but I do think making things that will last is a good way to reduce your impact. And if a holiday decoration is something you made, you are more likely to treasure and hang onto it, or even upcycle the materials later. I am not one to decorate my home a whole bunch with tchakis because I don’t want to over consume, BUT I do make a point of having a wreath for every season or holiday, and they are all hand made by me. It makes a personal statement AND it’s fun!
The best part about this wreath is that it is completely customizable.
First part is the materials. The 14″ straw wreath I picked up on a whim at JoAnn because it was on sale (for $3.59) and I needed a new holiday wreath. I like the texture and thickness and the ‘harvesty’ feel to the straw. Originally I was going to wrap it in yarn and crochet spiders but that was way too time consuming.
I also couldn’t justify spending a ton on the ribbon at the craft store, so I was thrilled to find almost the identical ribbon at Dollar Tree! (check out some of their holiday ribbons here.) You only need two rolls. One thick and one thin, which is where you can get creative with what colors or patterns you like. Here are the ones I picked for a traditional orange and black Halloween color scheme:
Dollar Tree has a selection of bats, rats, and spiders, so take your pick to embellish your wreath. I went with the two pack of medium tarantulas for $1. Dollar Tree total was $3. Altogether the materials for this cost me $6.59!
Now get our your glue gun and get wrapping! (If you don’t have one, you can pick up a mini one at JoAnn for $5. Dollar Tree sells the glue sticks too.) Alternatively you could use some pins but I feel glue will be more secure. Let the glue gun heat up for a good ten minutes, and don’t do it with kids around. Hot glue is very HOT!
You can see the back of the wreath below is rather flat; that’s where you will fasten the ribbon with hot glue. Just a few big blobs per wrap and then hold it in place. Starting with the wider ribbon, glue as you wrap. You don’t need to wrap too tightly. Try to space evenly. The spools have about 3 yards which is the perfect size for a medium sized wreath.
One you have the entire wreath wrapped with the thick ribbon, go around with the thinner ribbon to create a layered effect.
You are almost done! Now grab your spiders or whatever embellishment you’ve chosen and place them how you want on the wreath before you glue. Then load them up with hot glue and hold in place on the wreath until cooled, about 30-60 seconds. At this point, you could make a bow and add it on for a classic look, but I opted not to, to keep it simple looking.
It’s done! Spooky, right? And less than $7!
To hang, I just used a piece of black yard looped around the top and hung it with a pushpin on my front door.
Happy Halloween!
