Fall Fever...so let's create!

Hello Crafters! I wanted to share a wreath I made to celebrate my favorite season....FALL. I love everything about Fall. Fall has always been memorable for me because this is a time a year when my family gets together for chili dinners or just spending time together with a hot cocoa. I was inspired to create a wreath using my Cricut Explore and Cricut Design Space. I was amazed at how simple and fast this process was. I was a little ambitious and cut out 225 leaves. I had no idea how many I would need because I wanted to make a large rectangular wreath. I did not quite use all the leaves but I used most of them. So let me show you the steps to this process.

Here is the completed wreath. The bow was the most challenging for me...I have a love/hate relationship with bow but I succeeded. The ribbon is from Michaels by Celebrate It "Harvest".

 I used Cricut Design Space to cut my leaves. I used the search function for leaves, leaf, Fall, and Autumn. Here are the measurements and cartridge from left to right: (green) 2.54" x 3.5", (pink) 1.81" x 2.5" I am sorry I don't know the name of the cartridge for these; (red) 'Home for the Holidays Fall/Winter' 1.118" x 2.5"; (dark red) 'Straight

From the Nest' 3.64" x 4" and (yellow) 'Straight From the Nest' 3.18" x 3.5".

 

This is what the leaves look like after cutting them out...BORING! So, I decided to do some inking and misting. Yes, that is 225 leaves. I used Recollections cardstock...it is a pack of Autumn colors. I was impressed how durable the cardstock is.

 

Before Misting.

 

After Misting.

 

 

I used Ranger Perfect Pearls Mist....LOVE this stuff!

 

A close up of how these leaves transform after a little misting is done.

 

 

 

After misting I decided to ink the edges and this just added more dimension to the leaves. On most I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink 'Walnut Stain'.

On the yellow maple leaves I decided to try some red ink and love how these looked.

 

After all the misting and inking I felt they still needed something else. So, I waded them up in my hand to create this crinkle effect. I did this with all of them except for the smallest leaf.

 For my base I used a foam board by Elmer's. The board measures 16" x 20". I cut out the center leaving a 4.25" frame. I then covered the front of the foam board with kraft cardstock so that the white would not show through. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the foam board after it was cut.

 

I used a hot glue gun to apply the leaves and I layered the leaves in a counter clock wise around the foam board. I did not apply the smallest leaf (the red one in the image above) until the end. This small leaf worked great as a filler.

 

 

My welcome sign is from Lacy Labels and Measures 5.25" x 10". I used my Crop-A-Dial to punch holes in the sign and the edge of the wreath. I used raffia to hang the welcome sign.

 

 

Again, here is the finished wreath. It did not take long at all. I thought applying the leaves to the foam board would take me forever but it was actually the fastest of all the tasks. If you have any questions I will be happy to answer them. I would love if you would follow my blog and share with your friends. I do have a blog hop coming up next week that will feature Halloween home décor. So be sure to come back.  

 

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Happy Crafting,

Kimberly