DIY Fall Wreath (Pale Blue, Copper, and Purple)

I hope you like this DIY fall wreath – featuring pale blue/grey, copper, and purple, for a color palette that leans into Halloween hues as well.  There are even some sparkly black pumpkins tucked in there, if you look closely, making this such a cute DIY “Falloween” wreath idea…

My Mom and I made this wreath together because I’ve been struggling to use the craft supplies I inherited from my grandmother (she passed away spring 2021).  She was so creative and made crafts (for sale) for many, many years.  When her house was being emptied, I took home a literal truckload of craft supplies (mostly floral picks and ribbons), but I’ve found it difficult to use them.  After I brought everything home, my Mom and I spent two days organizing and putting the supplies into large, waterproof totes.  The totes are stored in my basement and every time I try to use something from those bins, I end up sitting down there for hours, crying.  The craft supplies still smell like her home!  I haven’t wanted to use many of them – but just storing them (especially when I have a DIY blog!) seems like a waste…  So my Mom came over and helped me get over the hurdle.  With her by my side, picking through the craft supplies my grandmother had lovingly chosen felt a little easier.  I’ll admit, I still cried that day, and my eyes are blurry with tears as I write this post.  My grandmother and I were very close and shared a love of vintage treasuring hunting and creating beautiful things.  We could talk for hours on the phone and I miss her so much.  I’m glad I finally dug into the craft supplies and made this wreath, though, because it reminded me of good memories and seeing the wreath when I come home makes me smile.  She picked out everything on this wreath (except for the pumpkins), so it’s almost like she made it for me.  My Mom and I decided that we are each going to make a winter wreath using my grandmother’s craft stash and now I’m actually looking forward to going down to root through those bins.

A Note on Supplies:

I tried my best to link similar supplies – I’m sure quite a lot of these are from Michael’s, but many of them are probably quite a few years old so you might not find the exact same ones.  Craft supplies like these wreath picks can really add up – even with a coupon – so if you’re on a budget, check out thrift stores or use natural foliage like dried flowers, pine cones, feathers, etc (see my chicken feather wreath here).  I’ve been collecting some kind of long seed pod in the ditches that I can’t wait to use for a wreath and my Mom and I picked a huge bag full of pine cones last week.  Next year I’d like to dry some wild flowers for wreath making, but I waited a little too long and now everything has bloomed.  But it’s still a great time to forage and find natural options to replace artificial wreath picks or even just supplement them to cut down on costs.  If you’re choosing from store bought supplies like I did, try a color palette of 3-5 colors for a coordinated look.  I chose a pretty color combo of rich purples, icy pale grey-blues, glittery coppers, and a little bit of mossy green.  A few inky berries and black pumpkins add some depth.  I wanted to enjoy this wreath all fall, through Halloween, so I chose a moody color palette that leans into Halloween hues.

DIY Fall Wreath Supplies:

• Grapevine wreath (mine is oval shaped – scooped from the Good Neighbor Shed at the landfill)
• Wide ribbon scraps (any kind – but wired ribbon is easy to shape)
• Plastic pumpkins (mine are from Dollarama – these pumpkin picks are cute)
• Rust-Oleum Chalked paint in Serenity Blue (optional)
• Copper craft or acrylic paint (optional)
• Small paint brush (optional)
• 22 gauge craft or floral wire
• Wire cutters
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Autumn themed floral picks (I curated some similar picks here)

How to Make a Fall Wreath with Artificial Flowers and Pumpkins:

I’ll share more detailed instructions below, but here’s a quick and easy cheat sheet for creating a beautiful DIY fall wreath.  Basically: work from the back layers forward, affixing all of the picks to the wreath with 22 gauge floral wire.

1. First create a base of foliage to fill out the wreath, affixing the picks or vines to the wreath using floral wire.
2. Next glue the mini pumpkins to the grapevine wreath with hot glue.
3. Affix some nearby leaves to the pumpkins with hot glue as well, to help keep them in place.
4. Create ribbon bows and affix to wreath.
5. Finish the wreath by adding faceted berries and sparkly ferns for some glam.

More Detailed DIY Fall Wreath Instructions:

Affix the Leafy Layer – How to Attach Fake Flowers to a Wreath:

Our first step was to affix the leafier, fuller fall picks and berries.  These picks were very full and provided a really nice base to nestle in more “special” fall wreath picks.  We decided on an asymmetrical placement and just worked on creating a balanced arrangement that covered most of the grapevine wreath.  We “dry fit” this layer in place, took a photo so we didn’t forget!,  and then used 22 gauge floral wire to secure the floral picks to the back of the wreath.  We tucked the wire ends back into the wreath, so it isn’t sharp at the back:

Grapevine wreaths are great because you can tuck in the ends of picks right into the wreath – you barely even need wire, the wreath does all of the work!  But wire helps secure things even more.  We used wire instead of hot glue because then the wreath and picks can easily be repurposed.  I also find that this method is more secure in windy or damp conditions than hot glue.

For interest, we did an asymmetrical arrangement of those little pale green buds.  They formed this “spray” really easily.

Glue on the Mini Pumpkins – How to Attach Pumpkins to a Wreath:

Once we were satisfied with the placement of the leaves and berries, we affixed the plastic pumpkins.  Most of mine are from Dollarama and the copper and black ones come that color.  The grey/blue ones are painted with Rust-Oleum Chalked in Serenity.  I also painted the stems of the blue pumpkins copper with craft paint.

This time I did use hot glue, but you can also buy picks that are wire sticks with pumpkins attached.  If you buy pumpkin picks, you can wire them like the rest of the picks.

I affixed each pumpkin to the grapevine wreath with hot glue and then also glued nearby leaves to the pumpkin with hot glue.  This helped secure the pumpkins even more, and also helped them look more naturally “nestled” into the leaves.

Make & Attach Mini Ribbon Bows:

Next we made some very simple mini “bows” for the wreath, using wired ribbon in two colors to match the pumpkins: copper and sheer pale blue/grey.

To make this ribbon bow, take a piece of ribbon and loop it back and forth, holding it in the middle.  You can make these any size – this is such a great project for ribbon scraps.  Then secure it in the middle with 22 gauge floral wire and twist.  You’ll have created smaller loops, on a “stick,” which can be formed into a bow shape and nestled into the wreath:

Here’s how the finished bows look, nestled into the wreath:

Add the Finishing Touches:

Finally, we added the faceted plastic “berries,” and glittery ferns to the wreath as a finishing touch.

How to Hang a Grapevine Wreath

I used a copper door hanger I thrifted (here’s a similar one) to hang the wreath, but you can also make a loop using the 22 gauge floral wire at the back of the wreath and hang it on a hook or screw.

I hope this DIY fall wreath inspires you to create one for yourself!  I always like to have a wreath on my garage door, where this was photographed, because when I pull into the driveway, I pull up to the garage door and then either continue on to park the car in the garage or, if I’m in the truck (which won’t fit, lol), I make a kind of three point turn and then back up towards the house.  Whenever I come home, and whatever I’m driving, the wreath on the garage door is the first thing I see and it either shimmers in the sunlight or glitters in my head lights.  I just find that so welcoming!  My DIY tinsel wreath is the absolute best for creating a very welcoming glow.  But this one is extra special, because it really reminds me of my Mummu.  I’m really glad I finally dove into the craft supplies to make something.

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