Warm Your Welcome

One of the best ways, and my favorite way, to make a home welcoming and ready for the fall holidays and visitors, is to add a seasonal wreath to the front door. The warmth and cozy comfort it conveys is worth the effort and, quite often, costs next to nothing at all if you take the time to use things you already have or natural elements from your own yard.

The wreath you see above on the gorgeous red door was created by crafter, editor, blogger, designer and proprietress of vintage goods Heather Bullard. She blogged about the serendipitous way this beautiful wreath came to be last fall, not on her own site but on HomeGoods' Openhouse blog. As she tells it, Heather purchased two garlands to hang on her fireplace mantel but decided they were too much for that space. So she devised a new way to use them. Wired together, the garland of berries and another of pine cones and fall leaves became a lovely wreath. A few strands of raffia complement the loose natural look and a pretty bow adds the finishing touch. Of all the images I collected for this post, I like this one best, and may just try it myself. On purpose, thanks to Heather's happy accident. You can read her HomeGoods post by clicking on the wreath. To learn more about her great vintage style, click here to go to her blog.

Following, are a dozen more ideas. I hope there's at least one here that will work for you!



Another pretty berry wreath, above, is fashioned from branches gathered on the homeowner's property. You may have something similar growing in or around your own yard. Go take a look. Gather some vines and branches, twist them into a circle, secure with twine or wire and voila!—your new fall wreath.


If you have twigs and berries, it's entirely possible that you might also have dried flowers or seed pods and rose hips on hand. If not, they're easy to find at craft stores and florist suppliers. Wire your finds in bunches to a grapevine wreath. When designing or choosing a wreath to purchase, you should also consider where it will hang. Don't these fiery fall colors look great against a jade green door?

And on a sunny yellow door, pheasant feathers and chocolate brown satin ribbon add warmth and depth and beautiful textures.


A very traditional wreath of leaves and wheat and berries even has tiny pumpkins wired to it. Gourds or small ears of Indian corn would have the same effect. Against the creamy white door, the fall colors really stand out.


I love this fat little wreath, above, stuffed full with leaves and dried florals and wheat. The twigs sticking out all around soften the look and add a bit of whimsy to an otherwise very traditional look.

A very rustic wreath hung on an equally rustic gate is crafted from seed pods glued to a styrofoam base. Berries and vines are tucked in all around to add color and even more crunchy texture.

This simple yet stunning wreath, above, is made from a single element—leafy twigs full of turning leaves snipped from neighborhood trees.


Square wreaths make a more contemporary statement than the usual round. Modern in shape but made with traditional materials, this example, above, offers the best of both worlds. And I'm not entirely sure, but it looks like the brown leaves could be metal. Rusty metal garlands can be found in country decor stores.


If fall at your house feels more like summer, you may want a lighter, brighter look like the wreath above. Frothy with dried summer flowers, vibrant green leaves and just a few fall berries, it bridges the seasons beautifully.


Another wreath suited for both late summer and fall is this square wreath of dried herbs available at Williams-Sonoma. Perfect for cooks and foodies, it would also look great in your kitchen.


Choose a wreath like this one, above, and you can enjoy it during the fall and and on into winter. The graying, cool shades of oak leaves look especially beautiful against this stripped and faded wooden door.


Another fall to winter wreath features evergreen branches and citrus fruits. The striped wired ribbon adds a crisp finish.

One last wreath caught my eye and I just had to include it. Does your college-age son resist your attempts to decorate his apartment? Does the "man cave" in your own home lack holiday charm? Is Oktoberfest the number one holiday in your man's life? Craft a wreath with dude appeal using pub coasters! Go on, I dare you!

Beginning after Heather's wreath: #1, #2 and #12 found at bhg.com, #4 at 1-800-flowers.com, #5 at driedfloralshop.com, #6 at southernliving.com, #7 at sunset.com, # 9 and #11 at countryliving.com, and #10 at williams-sonoma.com. #3 and #8 sources are unknown. And I wish I could give its clever creator credit, but the colorful pub coaster wreath (love that blue door!) is an image I've had in my file for some time now. Please don't ask me why.