Country Living Inspired Faux Birch Bark Wreath

I’m excited to share my first project for fall…my Country Living inspired faux birch bark wreath! I love the way it suggests fall without being overwhelming! And…I was able to make it without stripping my neighbor’s tree of bark in the process! ;-) Yes…you read that right…the leaves are made from faux bark!



I was inspired when I saw this wonderful wreath from Country Living…but the cost of the sheets of birch bark to create this beauty is $40! Yikes! So if you know me, you know I took that as a challenge to find a way to do it cheaper…and I did!

Here’s what you will need:

• 12 sheets of birch bark look scrapbooking paper (Hobby Lobby)
• 17 1/2 inch Styrofoam wreath form
• Strips of burlap
• 2 packages of 1/2 inch wooden furniture plugs (Hobby Lobby)
• Strong coffee
• Jute twine
• Scissors, stapler, hot glue gun

  And here’s what you will do:

1. Wrap the wreath form with the strips of burlap, securing them with hot glue. Then make a loop with jute twine and hot glue it to the back of the wreath as a hanger. It’s better to do this before you start adding the leaves since it’s easier to turn it over.
2. Using the patterns found here, cut 75  leaves from the scrapbooking paper, 25 of each pattern. I cut three at a time to make the process go faster. Then follow the directions found here to dye about 12 of each pattern using coffee. Repeat the directions with the rest of the leaves using water instead of coffee. This will give them a natural look without making them darker.
3. Place about half of the leaves on the form in a pattern that pleases you, mixing light and dark. Staple them in several places just to hold them in place. Then gently lift them and secure them with hot glue.
4. Add the rest of the leaves by first hot gluing a wooden plug in place and then adding more hot glue on the plug and securing the leaves. Repeat this process for each leaf as you add it. This will give some height and dimension to the upper layer of leaves. I tried to finish with mostly lighter colored leaves.

I used hazelnut coffee just because I like the way it smells since the coffee smell will stay with the leaves for a few days. Baby Kitty is a big fan of it as well as you can see!

And here is the result! I think it looks pretty realistic and the scrapbooking paper was on sale for only 28 cents per sheet. That means I spent under $4.00 for my “birch bark” as opposed to their $40! Woo hoo! And of course, you would want to use the wreath indoors since it would be ruined in the elements.

And just in case you are still in the mood for looking at fall wreaths, here’s my Pottery Barn inspired wreath…and this one was free for me since I already had everything I needed!

And here’s the faux bittersweet grapevine wreath that I created for my mantel last year. You can get a closer look at my mantel here.

And finally, one of my favorite fall creations for my front door…my basket and dried corn garland. It was a fun substitute for a wreath for a change!
I always like to start with a wreath each season since it just sets the tone for me! What about you? Have you started your fall décor?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed seeing my faux birch bark wreath! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants. 

Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party , Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday , Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday , The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday , Coastal Charm for the Show and Share Party , A Stroll thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Inspire Me Monday, Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays ,   French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday , Common Ground for Be Inspired on Fridays , The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday , Craftberry Bush for the Inspiration Gallery on Friday

See you next time! À la prochaine!

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