How to Make a Nature-Inspired Fall Wreath

Jeanne Sammons keeps a ‘futures file’ of ideas she’d like to do and when she found a craggy branch in her woods, she got inspired! You can bring in the best of nature’s beauty by using natural objects, bringing their beauty up close.  Jeanne decided to cut thin slices from the branch, showing the rings of the wood inside. See how she did it and how the idea spread in Flea Market Gardening style.

First, Jeanne found this three to four foot long branch while out walking in her wood. She picked up a few pine cones and the idea started gellin’

The inspiration branch

Jeanne Sammons says,”I wanted to make an outdoor wreath with natural materials. These wood slices are cut from a ‘cottonwood’ branch I saw out in the woods. This is my planning stage.” Jeanne sliced the wood with a power saw and laid out the rest of the materials, wire, pinecones, wire and glue. GE Silicone II clear

Materials, wood form, wood slices and wire

“I traced the outside of a silver platter onto paper and made it a 15″ inside diameter.  My hubby then cut out a ‘wood’ form 2″ wide.”

Jeanne’s planning stage

“I used GE Silicone II for attaching the ‘branch slices’ onto the form, plus used Larry’s nail gun which worked like a dream! I was afraid the cottonwood branch slices would ‘split.’ But only one did!”

Gluing and nailing

Here’s what it’s looking like …. but to make it last longer I’ve now brushed on a coat of Marine poly … so it will need to dry for awhile before I can finish it. Looking good though … I really like this ‘natural’ color, darker after the Marine coat, but it will lighten again as it ages outside.

Jeanne’s nature inspired wreath

I finished my ‘wreath’ to hang on the potting table door … it was fun and I may want to ‘tweak’ it a bit with some twigs or something … but I love it! My inspiration was a picture I saw online, then I made a larger ‘Winter’ version. Thanks also to my hubby who helped me.

Jeanne’s inspiration spreads…

Toni Visconti set out to try her version, just like Jeanne’s but with a twist. She says, “You inspire me! Here is my version- a nice Fall or Winter project.  I used a separate wood piece with velcro on the back so I can interchange the flower/bow for each season . This is my winter version

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Toni Visconti’s wood slice wreath, in progress

Toni Visconti’s finished wreath

“Thanks for this idea Jeanne! Here is my wreath – there is an extra wood circle that the flowers and bow are attached to, that piece then Velcro’s onto the wreath. I’ll make spring, summer and fall pieces that will be attached to their own wood circle and then just change them out!”

Linda Gladman’s Christmas wood wreath

Linda Gladman says, ” I finally decorated the wood slice wreath I started a few weeks ago. My dear hubby cut the wood for me. ❤   I baked the slices at 250°F for 1 hour then coated the large slices with a homemade wood preserve.