DIY Fall Wreath: 4 Designs Using Stuff From Your Yard

Every fall, my neighbor puts out this insane orange-and-black wreath that looks like it escaped from a craft store. Every fall, I think about making one. Every fall, I remember I don't want a plastic wreath. Last October I finally went for a walk with pruners and came home with enough material for four different fall wreaths. Total spend: $6 for a plain grapevine form. Here are the four I liked.

Start with a good base

Buy one thing: a grapevine wreath form from Michael's, Dollar Tree, or the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby. $4-7. They last forever and can be re-decorated every season.

Skip foam or wire forms — they're less attractive under lighter decorations. Grapevine already looks like a wreath even naked.

You'll also want:

• Floral wire (28 gauge) — $3 for a lifetime supply
• Wire cutters or scissors that you don't mind abusing
• Pruners

Wreath 1: The Eucalyptus + Dried Grass one

This is the most versatile — reads autumn without being heavy-handed.

Forage: a few stems of eucalyptus (if you have it growing; I don't in Charleston but a $3 bunch from Trader Joe's lasts months), some pampas or tall dried grasses from your yard, a few dried seed pods, and one or two late-season flowers (hydrangea that's gone papery works perfectly).

Wire bundles of 3-4 eucalyptus stems together, then wire each bundle onto the grapevine going the same direction. Add pampas sticking out at angles for texture. Tuck dried flowers in last.

The whole wreath should look like it grew that way — not symmetrical. Natural fullness on one side, sparse and grassy on the other.

Wreath 2: The Pinecone + Acorn one

Pure texture. No color beyond natural browns and tans. Looks expensive, costs nothing.

Forage: pinecones (any size), acorns (with caps on — they fall off easily, glue them back if needed), small dried leaves, cinnamon sticks if you have them.

Hot glue gun or wire pinecones to the grapevine, clustered on the bottom third like a bouquet. Tuck acorns and small leaves between. Add a burlap or velvet ribbon at the top for a hanger — brown or rust color.

Pro tip: bake foraged pinecones at 200°F for 30 minutes before using them. Kills any bugs living in them. Yes, bugs live in pinecones. You do not want these bugs indoors.

Wreath 3: The Magnolia Leaf one

If you live anywhere with magnolias, this is the wreath. Magnolia leaves are glossy dark green on top and velvety copper-brown underneath. Flip some leaves over and you get a two-tone effect that's stunning.

Forage: about 30-40 magnolia leaves in varying sizes. Trim the stems to about an inch.

Wire or hot-glue leaves onto the grapevine, overlapping like fish scales. Alternate green-side-up and brown-side-up for contrast. Work your way around the whole form, or go asymmetrical and do three-quarters of the wreath.

I grew up around magnolia trees — there's a big one in my Charleston backyard that Biscuit considers his personal realm. Magnolia wreaths last 2-3 weeks fresh, then dry beautifully for another month.

Wreath 4: The Mini Pumpkin + Wheat one

Straight farmhouse. Not my personal style every year but genuinely pretty for a porch.

Supplies: 3-5 small plastic pumpkins from the Dollar Tree (yes, plastic — they survive weather), a few stems of wheat or dried grass, a burlap bow.

Hot glue pumpkins to the bottom of the grapevine, clustered asymmetrically. Tuck wheat stems behind and between them so they stick out. Add the burlap bow at the top or the side.

This is the wreath the suburbs love. Respect it.

Things that make any fall wreath look better

• Natural variation: if you use three pinecones, make them different sizes. Matching = craft-store look.
• Asymmetry: the most popular Pinterest wreath style is 70% of decoration on one side. Don't spread evenly — pile it up.
• Texture over color: fall doesn't mean pumpkin-orange everything. Dried grasses, seed pods, papery leaves, bark — texture makes a wreath.
• Height variation: some things should stick out farther than others. Pampas going 10" out the top, eucalyptus curving back in. Movement.

Where to forage legally

Your own yard is always safe. Public streets, sidewalk trees in residential neighborhoods, and roadside ditches are usually fine. Don't strip a neighbor's azaleas. Don't forage in national parks. Your city's parks often allow foraging of fallen material — but call the parks department if unsure.

Good fall finds on walks: pinecones, acorns, fallen small branches, pressed leaves, seed pods from crape myrtles and sweetgums.

Storage for next year

Take the grapevine base off the door in January, pull off anything that's decomposing, and store it in a cardboard box in the garage. Next fall you can redecorate the same base — the grapevine lasts forever. I've redone mine for four years now.

The whole project fits in a Saturday afternoon and costs about the price of one coffee shop latte. Plus you get to say "oh, that? I made it" when people compliment it, which is a pleasure that never gets old. Unlike, say, the plastic neighbor wreath, which I try to avoid looking at directly.

If you're getting into seasonal decor, my post on holiday table centerpiece ideas is the next logical step — same foraging + dollar store approach, just with Christmas instead of fall.