How to Make a Fall Elements Wreath

The colors and textures of autumn lend a natural warmth to the season's decor. This easy-to-make fall wreath features a mixture of dried and artificial floral elements that blend beautifully to capture the richness of an autumn harvest. But all you'll have to harvest is the compliments.

Start with a grapevine wreath, which you can find at your local crafts store. They come in various sizes; the one pictured here is 14 inches in diameter. Grapevine wreaths are an ideal foundation for this project for two reasons. First, the rustic, intertwining grapevines shout "fall" even before any elements are added. And secondly, the twisted vines provide handy openings in which to insert the floral element stems.

Much of the fun of making this wreath is deciding what to include in it. The elements featured in this wreath – like rye stalks, dried wildflowers and lotus pods – were all readily available in the dried floral section of the crafts store. You can also use elements you might find in your backyard such as pine cones, dried leaves and moss.

If you are starting with a large bunch of rye stalks, divide them into smaller bunches and tie them together with an 18-inch piece of twine. You will then have two strands of loose twine that are about 9 inches long on either side of the knot.

Using the loose ends of twine, tie the first bunch to the grapevine wreath, knotting it in the back.

Tie the remaining bunches of rye stalks to the wreath so that the stalks all face the same direction. In fact, for a more visually appealing composition, all the subsequent elements that will go on the wreath should go in the same clockwise, or counterclockwise, direction.

These dried sponge mushrooms from the crafts store come attached to sticks, and here is where the openings in the grapevine wreath come in handy. Insert the sticks between the vines to attach the mushrooms to the wreath. The sticks are flexible, so you can twist them between the vines. For added stability, tie the sticks to the wreath with twine.

Wildflowers, like these "broom" flowers that resemble a broom's bristles, also come in large bunches at the crafts store. Divide them into smaller bunches as you did the rye stalks, and tie them to the grapevine wreath with twine. Again, these should be going in the same direction as the rye stalks.

Although lotus pods are a classic fall element, they have a unique look that makes this wreath out of the ordinary. Like the sponge mushrooms, they are attached to sticks, which you can use to secure to the wreath.

To secure pine cones to the wreath, wrap wire around them, and twist the wire around the wreath.

Real gourds can be too heavy to attach to the wreath, but plastic ones from the crafts store do just nicely. Apply some hot glue to the bottom of each gourd, and hold it steady on the wreath until the glue sets.

With some burlap ribbon, tie a bow around the wreath for a finishing touch. The bow does not need to be at the top or bottom of the wreath. Place it slightly off center, or on the side.

At the top of the wreath, tie a loop with wire around one of the grape vines for hanging.