Fall Wreath Country Style!

I have the blessing of living in the Deep South, in Sweet Home Alabama, near miles and miles of cotton fields. Since I don't own the fields, I asked for and received permission to cut a few branches off their crops just before harvesting (but if you don't have cotton fields near your home or if it ain't cotton pickin time, they do sell cotton bol twigs--real and faux--at Michael's and Hobby Lobby, etc.) My friend had been pheasant hunting and generously shared a handful of "pheathers"; and the deer antlers can be purchased --but are often given away for free--from the local taxidermy shop! (Tip--if you don't know anyone who deer hunts, go out to the nearest forest (way back in the woods) during springtime and scour the woods for antlers. Deer shed them in the spring time, so look for trees with fresh scrape marks on the trunks, and you're likely to find them very close by!)

The wired burlap ribbon I used was heavily wired, causing the knot in the bow to be scrunched up. So I used the smaller feathers around the knot to give it more impact. A small, virtually unnoticeable detail, but they're really cute!

I'm not a fan of glue guns (too many blisters, and it damages the wreath and the decorations if you want to reuse them elsewhere) so I used brown pipe cleaners threaded through the pinecones and threaded the ends through the grapevine. >(Pinecones--also found in the woods, and in my yard--were bleached to achieve the aged look>>soak for 24 hours in 2 parts bleach, 1 part water, then remove and dry in the sun for several days. They close up when wet but open and bleach out in the sun! Or dry them in the oven for a few hours at 175 degrees).

> The two separate antlers We're secured to the wreath with fishing line my neighbor kindly shared with me.

> I stuck everything else in through the grapevine twigs and they stay in wonderfully--nothing has fallen out!!

> I even added a few fallen maple tree leaves at the last minute for a pop!

> Bottom line, as you see all the beautiful examples of wreaths and other fall decor, resist rushing out to the local craft store to make yours and see what you have in your yard, alongside the road and in your community.

Through the many creative and resourceful members of the HomeTalk community, I have learned how repurposing and using renewable resources is so rewarding! It adds such depth of pride to the finished project, dontcha think?!

Have a Happy Fall, y'all! Now, git on out in the woods and embrace your inner redneck!