The Potting Shed

Leonie2

This is a fun autumn activity especially for the children.

First, collect lots of autumn coloured leaves, all shapes, sizes and colours. Seed pods, little pine cones and other "autumn treasures" will be useful too.

What you need to make an Autumn Wreath:
Cardboard
Scissors
Glue (copydex is good)
Stapler
Leaves
Raffia or string

Cut a ring shape out of the cardboard, it can be any size depending whether you want a large wreath or a mini one.

Using the raffia or string, loop it around the top of the cardboard ring and tie. This will be the cord that you hang the wreath from.

Starting at the bottom of the cardboard ring, staple the first two leaves into place. Put the staples at the bottom of the leaf, where the stem joins onto the leaf.

Add more leaves to the cardboard ring, overlapping them so that the top of the previous leaf hides the staple at the bottom of the next leaf. See picture below.

When you've finished stapling all the leaves to the cardboard ring, use the glue to stick down the tops of the leaves. If they're very dry leaves they may stand in place on their own, but if they're not so dry they will flop down when you hang the wreath. Glue, staple or tie on other decorations like mini pine cones, twigs, seed pods etc.

Allow the glue to dry and then hang. If little ones aren't confident with using a stapler they can use glue, put some newspaper down as it will get messy!

Here are some me and my two sprogs made earlier:

Becki · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 2:12 pm Post subject:

Ooh, they are pretty Very Happy

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The Card Bee

Kathy · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 3:14 pm Post subject:

What a great idea and a step by step on how to do it, thanks Leonie! Very Happy

Cabbagepatch · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 5:45 pm Post subject:

They are lovely, feel inspired to make one myself now!

Leonie2 · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 6:49 pm Post subject:

lottie · Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:18 pm Post subject:

Great. If you don't have a cardboard ring, you can make a ring out of soft shrub stems - dogwood, contorted or ordinary willow, and tie on the leaves, or glue or staple them in the same way. Adding cones and dried seedheads from the garden and the hedgerows looks wonderful too. They will last ages and can be adapted for Halloween with the seed pods from 'magic lanterns' plants or of course dried gourds or squash or artifiical ones. Or Halloween pumpkins cut out of orange card - witches - broomstick etc.

Or and also - after halloween remove those pieces and save the ring and leaves for Christmas. Tie on holly, ivy, cones, berries, ribbon - and you have your Christmas wreath.

Then for spring.................
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Lottie the Allotment Lady

Leonie2 · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 9:26 am Post subject:

I like the idea of adapting them for halloween, I think we'll do that, thanks Lottie Very Happy

Becki · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 10:07 am Post subject:

Thats a great idea Lottie Very Happy

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The Card Bee