Today Photo Friday is Bonus Tutorial Day!

Oh you lucky ducks! Thursday was an especially productive day for me and you get the benefits! 

Do you remember that I told you to hang on to your bats? Well here they are going to good use!

Get your paper mache bats and a few other supplies:

A 9" wreath (thank you dollar store)

Ribbon: in black, white, and orange--that's the same ribbon from the flanner tutorial, and the leftover leaves, too. My house is on it's way to being matchy-matchy.

Leaves: the fake ones with the wired stem. Three of them.

Black paint and a paintbrush.

Florist wire and wire snips

White glue

Scissors

Take your orange ribbon and start to wrap it around the wreath form. Wrap on a diagonal.

Place a line of white glue on the wreath and on the part of the ribbon that will be hidden by the overlap.

Keep wrapping on a diagonal so that you cover the wreath form just a bit with each wrap.

Leave a five inch (or so) tail on your ribbon when you get back to the beginning.

Loosen your last wrap-around just enough to slide the tail through to the other side.

Once you get it through, pull it taut. Then straighten out the wrapped portions so that none of the wreathe form is showing.

This will be the top of your wreath, where we'll attach the ribbon for hanging later.

 Next you'll need to paint your bats. Black is preferable. Set them aside to dry.
(If you don't have paper mache bats, you can cut bat shapes out of black card stock.

Next get out your leaves. Lay one over the other like so:

Then twist the wired stems together. Place the third leaf on top of the others and twist all three stems together.

Bend the stems so that the leaves mirror the shape of the wreath. Then fold the stems towards the back of the leaves to make a U shape.

Pretend your wreath is a clock. Between 5 and 6 tuck the U under the wrapped ribbon--you'll need to wiggle the stems and lift the edges of the ribbon to get it in there. 

Then take some florist wire (about 6 inches) and wrap it around the bottom leaf (right where the stem begins) and the wreath.

Flip the wreath over and twist the wire ends until the loop is snug, then fold your wire tail up against the wreath.

Now you could put a hanging ribbon at the top and stop right here. It's a nice autumnal wreath.

Or you could get out some thin ribbon and make a wreath for your pagan friends

Or you could take 8 inches of florist wire, bend it into a U and duct tape to the back of your bats.

And then wire your bats onto the wreath.

Make sure you fold up those loose wire ends at the back.

Cute, right? Not quite finished though. It needs...something else.....

Ribbon! Get your black ribbon , about 14 inches, fold it in half.

Then loopty-swoop it onto your wreath. Or just tie it.

Next: more black ribbon. 18 inches this time. Make a bow. 

Loop 6 inches of florist wire through the knot of your bow.

Affix bow to wreath like you did with the bats. Over top of that first piece of black ribbon.

Next! Ribbon for hanging! Take a length of white ribbon (about 24 inches). Wrap it three times around the top of the wreath. Tie a knot. Gather your ends and tie another knot--or a bow--to act as the hanging point.

Display your bat-tastic wreath on your front door. Once Halloween is past, you can un-wire the bats and the black ribbon and put on pine cones or corn husks instead.

I hope you enjoyed your bonus tutorial! 

Have a great weekend!