I’ve opened the floodgates and the Halloween is just pouring out! Even my kids have been bitten, the other day while I was working out my 3 year old decided to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas saying “I want the scary one”. I love it! We are just getting into the spirit. Now if only we could all decide on costumes so I could start working on those.
I took my wooden wreath form that I used in my wood & paper wreath and turned it scary with an easy string spider web inside. I love wreaths. They are my favorite way to add instant decor that all your guests see as soon as they arrive.
But what I hate, is expensive wreath forms. I can’t stand to spend $10+ on a form that is just going to be covered (or mostly covered), so I like to get creative with my wreaths.
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I have a lot of scrap wood, and it is perfect for creating an easy to build wooden wreath form. And if you use scraps, it’s free! If not, you will need just over 48″ of 1×3 boards and and 8′ 1×3 is only $2 so it’s still really cheap.
You will need one of these basic forms to make the wreath today, and you can see how I easily put one together with only a few tools here.
Once you have your wooden wreath form built and sanded, you will need to paint. I wanted it to be a little worn out looking (cause it’s Halloween), so I put on only 1 coat of black paint.
It was a little streaky and that is perfect. When it was dried, I sanded down the edges and a few other spots with a sanding brick to give it an even more worn out look. You have to have it all worn out looking if the spiders are making webs on it, right?
Then it was time to add the web. This is by far my favorite part (okay, I really like the fuzzy spiders I found too). I flipped the wreath over and grabbed my trusty light-duty staple gun and hot glue gun. I used a thin nylon or polyester string.
I don’t know exactly what it is, I bought it years ago at a quilt shop. It has lasted forever for lots of little projects. Any small black string will work, you could even use yarn but it will have a different look to it.
Tie a knot in the end of the string and then staple that to the wreath. I started at a corner (are they called corners if they aren’t 90 degrees?).
Then pull it straight across the center of the wreath to the opposite corner. Staple it down. Go half way between the corners, and staple again. Then pull across to the opposite side half way between the corners.
Keep going all the way around until you have stings connecting all the corners and centers of the boards. Do not cut your string!
Now pull the string from the last spot that you stapled toward the line next to it. I pulled it to about 1″ inside the wooden wreath frame. Then I put a tiny dot of hot glue down and held the string in place until it cooled and hardened.
Now continue around the wreath, glueing down the string about 1″ away from the previous string or wooden frame. I purposely made the string go closer and farther so it zigzagged around the web.
I think it’s more realistic, and has more character, that way.
I glued the string down to every string until I got close to the center and they were so close together. Then I skipped one here and there. Again, doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s a spider web!
When I got to the center I cut the string and glued it down into the center.
Seriously, don’t you just love it! For someone who has serious arachnophobia, I sure do love this web 🙂
Now it’s time to add the burlap ruffle. I cut a strip of burlap twice the length of the circumference of the wreath, and if you don’t want to do math and geometry, my strip was about 100″ and 10″ wide.
It doesn’t have to be perfect, if you have a shorter strip of burlap, it will be a less ruffly ruffle, if it’s longer there will be more ruffles. Then I sewed the burlap together at the ends so it was a circle of burlap.
Then I sewed the long side together, with right sides out. I used my serger cause it’s easy and handy, but you can use a regular sewing machine, or skip his part all together. It just made it easier to work in the next step.
Now using my light-duty stapler again, I stapled the ruffle to the back of the wreath form. To make sure it was even all around I folded the burlap in half and then stapled each end of that to opposite sides of the wreath.
Then I found the center of each half and stapled that in the center of the side of the wreath. Then in half one more time. With the excess I just made some underfoot gathers and stapled them down.
They are ruffles so they don’t have to be perfect (I seem to be saying that a lot, but this wreath is very forgiving that way).
Now turn it over and it’s time for spiders. I found the fuzzy spiders I used at Savers. They are in their new Halloween decor. They are about twice the size of the spider on a spider ring. I was originally planning on using spider rings until I found them. Any spider will do.
I forgot to get a picture of putting the spiders on the wreath, but I’m sure you can figure it out. I just hot glued them down! I decided I wanted one hanging from the web and so I hot glued a spider to the end of a piece of string and then stapled the string onto the back of the wooden wreath frame where I wanted it. Easy peasy!
And to hang it I stapled a section of 3/4″ thick ribbon to the top to make a hook. Now I just need to wait a little bit so I can get it up on the door (I have to give my wheat wreath more time on the door, I just put it up).
For now I will just have to work on more fun Halloween projects to get my Halloween fix.
But you better believe I will put this up starting October 1st!
Happy almost Halloween 🙂
I had so much fun putting this together, that I am ready to make something else with these cute little fuzzy spiders. Seriously, don’t you just love them? I do as long as they aren’t real!
I have so many more fun Halloween crafts to get done before the month is over, so don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter so you don’t miss out on anything.
This tutorial was originally shared over at The NY Melrose Family.
Sydney @ Tastefully Frugal
Tuesday 22nd of September 2015
I LOVE these; both the wreath and the book covers! Definitely going to be making both before Halloween gets here. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Dream. Create. Inspire. I'm pinning this and would love to have you join us again tonight! http://tastefullyfrugal.org/2015/09/dream-create-inspire-link-16.html
Kati Farrer
Tuesday 22nd of September 2015
Thanks so much! I've been having so much fun decorating for Halloween :) And thanks for hosting a great party!
Carole
Sunday 20th of September 2015
I love this wreath. It's different, and clever. Thanks for sharing. :-)
Kati Farrer
Tuesday 22nd of September 2015
Thanks Carole, I just love how it turned out too :)
Christen
Sunday 20th of September 2015
Love the wreath! Super cute
Kati Farrer
Tuesday 22nd of September 2015
Thanks Christen :)
Marie
Friday 18th of September 2015
This is super cute! I love it, and I hate real spiders too. :)
Kati Farrer
Tuesday 22nd of September 2015
Glad to know I'm not the only one who hates spiders but calls decor made with fake ones cute :)
Melanie Redd
Wednesday 16th of September 2015
Hey Kati,
I really hate spiders, but I love your wreath. What a cute and fun idea for the door!
I came over on Grandma Ideas, and I'm glad to find your site.
Hope you have a blessed day today! Melanie
Kati Farrer
Thursday 17th of September 2015
I hate real spiders too! But for some reason I love to use them in Halloween decor. So glad you stopped by :)