Did I say that the Halloween decor I’m most obsessed with is DIY wreaths? I did. I still love my notebooks, but for welcoming trick-or-treaters, the spooky or even just autumnal wreaths have me checking my craft drawers and the front garden for the perfect accents.
What is a Halloween Wreath?
Halloween wreaths can be anything from a fall-inspired wreath with a sign across it that says “Boo!” to a black and dark, hunter-green leaf with small bats strung above and below it. Better Homes & Garden suggests an easy-to-make “Mummy Wreath” that even the kids can help you make, while their “Take My Hand Wreath” is so creepy that you’ll love having it out every year to pair it with your more elaborate Halloween decor.
Do you have embroidery skills? Better Homes & Gardens has this fun idea for a black and white embroidered hoop wreath finished with succulents that make for the perfect Halloween décor without being scary.
DIY Halloween Decor Basics
You do not have to run out and buy things to make your Halloween wreaths or other decor. Do you have clothes pins? Take some leftover craft paint or magic markers and add orange, yellow, white, or black paint to give them a thematic makeover. If you have leftover wire frames, you can create your circle from those and then clip on the colorful clothes pins. If not, do you have any wire hangars in your closet that you can spare? Make our circle frame from that and attach the clothes pins. Experts at BHG recommend spraying your painted clothes pins with polyurethane spray to keep them looking fresh for outdoor use. But if you are only going to have your Halloween decor up for a short time and your door is protected from rain or snow by eaves or a porch, I wouldn’t stress about it.
Personally, I love the idea of attaching dried spiky twigs to a wire frame. We have plenty in our yard right now, and if we leave them sticking out rather than wrapping them in a circle, the project is quick, and the spiky look is reasonably creepy. We can add little pulled pieces of cotton balls to simulate spider webs (although the spiders have been very active this year, do we really want to add more webs to our front yard?)
Reuse What You Have
We have a heavy wire-framed Jack-o-Lantern I have had since I was a little kid. Last year was our first October in the cottage, so our Halloween décor relied heavily on what we already owned and nostalgia for the simplicity of youth. I’ll do the same this year but with a slight twist. I have a black ribbon in the craft box, and I’m thinking of wrapping parts of the pumpkin (maybe the eyes or the outline) with it to give it a little extra Halloween flare.
What about you? Do you have anything that you can reuse or rework for your Halloween decor? Feel free to share in the comments if you have Halloween wreath ideas for your front door this year.