Better & Homes Gardens

http://www.bhg.com/holidays/halloween/

Fall Mini Pumpkin Wreath

This fall wreath is such a fun way to use miniature pumpkins to decorate, and using them on a wreath will add a great Halloween touch to your home.
From the magazine, Holiday Celebrations




This is one of the easiest wreath you can make. Let's see how to do it!
Note: If you use fresh mini pumpkins they can begin to decay after a week or two. You might also make this wreath using artificial materials.
The artificial mini-pumpkins we used came with a beaded, sparkle coating on them which is pretty -- but probably not for outdoor display. You'll probably also find plain orange artificial mini-pumpkins or even other colors like white or green -- so it's your choice.



Supplies
Twig wreath form
Mini pumpkins to cover the form
Hot-glue gun
Floral Wire
Black Pipe Cleaner
Black ribbon (grosgrain, satin, or raffia)
Plastic Spiders
Instructions
Start with an 18-inch twig wreath. You'll want to find one that has a fairly flat top section, so there's enough surface for the glue to secure the pumpkins. This size wreath took 13 pumpkins, but when you buy your materials at a craft store, be sure to lay out pumpkins around the wreath to see how many will fit.
Once your arrangement is set, start gluing each pumpkin in place and let it dry. We're gluing ours on so each one touches the next, but at the top we left about a 6-inch space for our bow.
Little plastic spiders are a fun addition as well. Just dot the legs with a bit of hot glue and set down on one of the pumpkins for a spooky Halloween touch.
Finally, you'll need a bow and I've got a great simple technique for that. You'll need to find wired ribbon in a 2 or 3 inch width. The wire helps you arrange the bow and the streamers easily and will help too, if you keep the bow from year to year -- you can just fluff it out as needed.
Lay a 24" strip of ribbon down on the table. Now, take about a 36" piece and leave a 15 inch streamer. Begin to loop the ribbon from side to side, beginning with smaller loops, gradually making the loops wider. End up with another 15 inch streamer. Lay down a black pipe cleaner or a 12" length of floral wire. Now you can pick up the ends of the 24" strip and knot it securely around all of the loops and the wire. There's your bow!
Use the wire to attach the bow to the wreath, or if you wish you can hot glue it onto the front. I know you -- and your guests -- will enjoy seeing this wreath. Happy Halloween!

For the Front Entry: "Beware" Sign

Outfit your front door with a warning to all who enter. Start with a weathered board and sticks. Shape the sticks to form letters that spell "beware." Lay the twigs onto the board and hammer insulated staples (available at home centers) around the twigs to hold them in place. For the hanger, attach a piece of jute to the front of the board with nails.

For the Front Entry: Witches' Brooms
Designate a spot on your front porch as a witches' parking lot. Wrap twigs and grasses around wooden dowels and bind with rope. Hang a sign to warn those who may be tempted to park illegally. Our sign reads "Witch parking only! Violators will be toad!" Type your sign on the computer using fun fonts. Print the sign on iron-on transfer paper and iron it onto a painted artist's canvas.

For the Front Entry: Ghosts & Shadows
Adorn your front stoop with a tangle of lifeless branches and vines hung from porch rafters. Paint gourds white and add ghostly expressions with black paint. Suspend gourds from the rafters so they hang down among the vines. When darkness comes, the apparitions will be illuminated by shifting shadows, a scene guaranteed to frighten and chill.