A Fall Wreath Story
September 29, 2011
This is a story of a DIY project that’s kind of like a good chick flick. It opens with the main character – she has a good life, a great idea, and even better intentions, but as a result of her brazen personality and wily cleverness gets herself in trouble and ends up in a miserable position which requires that she completely change her thinking. She ponders her mistakes, comes up with a simpler plan, changes course, makes amends, and in the end she gets her man.
I’m not kidding, the story of my fall wreath is a scary parallel. Sit back, grab a beverage, and listen to my tale. Once upon a time there was a fair maiden who had a grand idea. Let’s call this fair maiden Kate. She had long flowing chestnut hair that glistened in the sun and in this fairy tale, she’s a Size 2.
Kate lived in a town surrounded by rolling hills and fields of natural grasses {cue the slow motion twirling in a peasant cotton skirt to Sting’s ‘Fields of Gold’}. The adjacent fields made her think that a fall wreath crafted out of natural grasses was a totally brilliant idea. Her source of inspiration was none other than this this wheat wreath by the reigning Queen Martha. Inspired, she wandered into those nearby fields of gold and gathered her grasses while she may.
Back at the castle, the maiden took her basket of glistening golden grasses, clipped them and attached them to a basic cardboard wreath form with floral wire, much like she had in the past with this lavender wreath.
So proud of her cleverness, she hung her golden grass wreath on her front door announcing to all the land it was time to behold its beauty.
And it was beautiful.
Kate stood back, admired her work, and smoked a cigarette in ultimate satisfaction.
Actually, that cigarette never happened. It was just a Hollywood producer’s attempt to juicy up the plot.
The wreath was indeed beautiful for a minute or two.
. . .until nature sought revenge.
Much like the bad boy in the chick flick, this wreath looked good on the outside, but in the real world, was a completely impractical choice, one that would bring nothing but pain, despair, and midnight crying on a best friend’s shoulder.
You’d think our leading character would have noticed during the construction of the wreath that natural grasses being real and not faux have a tendency to do what natural botanicals do – they shed, make a mess, and then they die. She had paid little attention.
Our heroine then hung her natural grass wreath with pride . . .
. . . but then reality set in.
Every time that door was opened, the result was a lot of tiny debris. Annoyingly bothersome debris in the form of little bits of grass that would get under any rational person’s skin within mere minutes. Little bits of teensy tiny grass that would scatter everywhere with the buzzing of a fly or an autumn breeze.
A choice had to be made.
Would it be maintaining the grass wreath, or would she choose the one she loved?
* Dramatic pause *
{Just so you know, this is the climax of the story.}
Kate realized the truth, this grassy wreath was a disaster in disguise.
So she changed course and decided if life was worth living, a new wreath was in order. A few clearance 99 cent berry stems at the local Michael’s craft store paired with a wired wreath form was just what she needed to pick herself up, dust herself off, and a start all over again with dignity.
As they say, all’s well that ends well . . .
. . . with this simple DIY berry autumn wreath.
But wait! An unexpected twist!
At October’s end, I’ve got this bat to suspend inside …
. . . perfect for Halloween.
As you can see Kate did get her {little} man in the end, and they lived happily ever after.
May the Force be with you.
The End.
Linking up to Rhoda’s Door Decor Party!
.*L
Tags: fall decorating, fall wreath, wreaths
OMG Kate!!! I love both wreaths- but your story is hilarious! So glad she didn’t smoke that cigarette- dang producers!
I love the natural wreath and would have never thought ahead to the ultimate result. Thanks for sharing your experience. The second wreath was a beautiful alternative.
I was half-expecting a murder of crows to attack the door! Both wreaths are beautiful and now I’m salivating over the photo of the ML wreath, too!
what a great story! and both wreaths were beautiful!
You are hilarious! Best. Post. Yet.
I’m so glad she got her man! Berry wreath reigns!
Love both wreaths, Kate, and you are a wonderful story teller! Maybe a book in your future?
Oh I love that grass wreath…too bad it wasn’t working! The new one is lovely, too.
Perhaps you need to venture into fiction writing????
So hilarious!! (Truth be told, I like the faux one better!)
Agreed Elain and Susan, I like the second one better, and it’s much less of hassle…. definitely one I can use again.
Kate
So awesome! Love both the ‘old’ and ‘new’ versions… sorry to see the old had to go! Maybe an outdoor location? Ah, too cute of a Halloween costume.
Both wreaths look fabulous!! It is a shame about the wheat wreath:( I wouldn’t have thought of the shedding aspect either!
Both wreaths are beautiful…but I am with you…less mess beats natural beauty! We have enough to do!
Great story Kate! I am glad to read that it all ended well. Both wreaths look really nice.
Hilarious. Lurve the ending. Thanks – I needed that.
The berry wreath is fabulous! Good work. I’m going to attempt my Fall wreath soon! :)
Do the stems stay in place even though you just wrap the wire around the frame? And what do you have them hanging from? Thank you for the tutorial!
I am trying to attempt this myself. How many stems did you buy at Michael’s? I just accidentally bought vines which were more expensive. So I need to go back and get the stems like you did. I just don’t know who many. Thanks for the cute idea!
Hairspray. Lots and lots of hairspray would keep that natural wreath from shedding so much.
Kate,
I believe you could use a spray, clear lacquer on your grass wreath to preserve it. Try several light coats. The lacquer adds a bit of a shine which is nice.
HAPPY TGIF to ya!
Barb~
Oh I am so glad it was just dying leaves! As I read the story I thought this would involve bugs. Why? Because the boys and I made a Shaduf (ancient Egyptian farming tool) for school a couple of years ago. Long grass and braiding were involved. Later that night I discovered the chiggers. TWO weeks of torture later I vowed to never get in long grass again. :)
HA! This is why you are #1 on my blogs to read list! Great story, even better design!
LOL I thought the wind would get the wreath. What a funny story. It was beautiful while it lasted and you are so organized to have a picture of it before it sadly died.
On a better note…I love your newer wreath. so pretty!!!
lol, although the wreaths were beautiful I was definitely engaged in your story. Great stuff!
Thanks for the huge laugh, I almost had an accident… It reminded me of my mom’s attempt to include nature into the ambience of our “mobile home” when I was a kid. She had seen some cattails in a display at a hotel and decided we could not live without cattails in our living room. As you so nicely put it, nature has it’s way. A word to the wise, never leave dried cattails in a room with active 8- & 10-year olds. I am sure the next owner of our home is still finding cattail fluff coming out of cracks and crevices. You would have thought that Mom had thought twice about this when the original batch exploded in the car on the way home from the swampy area where she collected the first stems. No classic rock song could fit that experience. For the uninitiated, cattails, when dried, become a literal bomb of fluff similar to a down pillow. Envision a ’62 Dodge Dart rolling down the road with billows of fluff flying from the windows and that was number one reason I leave taming nature to the experts like the perfect Miss Martha!! I was traumatized for life!!! I loved your wreath (#2) though.
Both are beautiful. Wonder if you gave the natural wreath a coating of clear acrylic spray paint if it would be less messy and stay together better?
Oh my gosh! This is just like my real evergreen Christmas wreath of last year. I was vacuuming up spruce needles for months! And… I have so many pics of my own little stormtrooper… too cute!
Dear Kate,
I pin most all of your projects on pinterest. I’m addicted.
Too funny! Great idea, but now we know why people buy the “fake” stuff. I did a fantastic fall folliage display with free items from my yard. I creatively arranged the folliage with a glass pumpkin filled with fall colored ribben. It was beautiful — but by night it was wilted and the following morning the leaves were all shriveled up. I ended up going out and buying some of the fake stuff.
Love this post, and this project! I was so inspired, I went to Michael’s yesterday and re-created your wreath! I added a small cluster of pinecones instead of a bow, and wrapped jute around an old wreath door-hanger for even more texture. :) Thanks, Kate!
ha — when you said Kate (what a lovely name!) stepped back to smoke a cigarette I thought you were going to tell us she set the wreath of fire!
they are both lovely wreaths. i wonder if the wheat one could have been sprayed with something to make it less . . . flakey.
[...] was especially inspired by her fall wreath story not only because of the beautiful wreath she created (the second time around) but because her blog [...]