The Tori Story: How to make a wreath of leaves

Sometimes Sundays feel like a "last chance" day. I'm cramming in errands, baking, getting a head start on the work week and catching up on things around the house. And of course, we're supposed to relax and watch movies and generally do nothing in between there as well, right?

On Saturday, we went on a hike in Auburn along the river and on the way back stopped for lunch at Ikeda's Market. Out front, they were selling these beautiful leaf wreathes for like $15.99 each. I was tempted to buy one, knowing our front door was sullenly bare, but I resisted, listening to that voice that says "you could make that!" ...or the one that shouts "no more spending money this month!" We all know that last voice.

I was out in the front yard yesterday noticing all the beautiful leaves from the neighbor's maple tree that had fallen to the ground. They were just too beautiful to waste....read on to see how to make your own wreath...

I gathered a bunch of leaves that weren't completely dried out yet, cut out a circle of cardboard and painted it with dark brown acrylic. Just place a dab of hot glue on the back of each leaf and press them onto the wreath in a horizontal position, overlapping as you go. The more leaves you press on, the fuller the wreath will look. I saved some of the best colored ones for the top.

I hot glued a ribbon to the back as the wreath hook, and found some sycamore seed balls in the yard for the finishing touches. Of course, you could use some pretty fabric or paper to cover up the ugly cardboard backing, but I figured no one would be seeing the backside of the wreath anyways. The last step: spraying hairspray on all of the leaves. Yes, hairspray. I read it's supposed to preserve the lifetime and color of the leaves, similar to an acrylic spray. I'm curious to see how long the wreath will last, if even through this season. Time shall tell!