A Fall Wreath Tutorial For Your Dollhouse

Happy weekend sweet friend! I’m so glad you’re here to spend some time sipping some coffee or tea with me while we do some fun fall creating around my big wooden dining table here at the cottage.

I’ve got all of our supplies ready and laid out for you, all we need to do is get cozied up and situated. Ready? Got your hot drink? Comfy? Good, let’s start.

First, let me share my supply list. Everything that I used here minus the sandpaper was found at Hobby Lobby, but feel free to substitute anything you have that would work similarly. My projects are always “use what you have,” so put your mind at ease if you want to use anything different than what I’m using here. It will still turn out beautifully! I’m teaching you the technique, our specific materials can be flexible.

Anyway, here we go! Supplies list:

• Decor Art Americana acrylic paint in “Cinnamon Stick” and “Traditional Burnt Sienna,” but you could substitute any rusty colored acrylic paint you have. Oranges would generally work if mixed with brown.

• Folk Art’s chalk paint in “Java” (for a base coat on foliage) I used chalk paint because I like how grippy this paint is. I’m using it as a primer basically. Any acrylic dark brown or black paint would also work.

• Folk Art’s chalk paint in “Cottage White.” It is a warm white. You could substitute cream acrylic paint here for the same look.

• Cotton crochet ribbon (see product pic in my directions)

• Wooden dollhouse shutter (found in the dollhouse section at Hobby Lobby)

• “Baby’s breath garland” faux foliage garland (please refer to my directions for the pic of the exact garland as well as store SKU for your reference). This garland is found in the faux plant/greenery section at Hobby Lobby, not in the dollhouse section. This garland is my favorite greenery to make mini plants, window box filler and wreaths from. Worth buying for future mini projects!

• Thick cream colored thread

• Aleen’s Original Tacky Glue

• Small craft paintbrush

• Brown paper wrapped floral/craft wire

Step one:

Paint your mini shutter. I used three coats of chalk paint. It dries quickly so you can pretty much do your next coat as soon as your last is finished!

Step two: After paint is dry, sand your shutter to give it a weathered look. I used 120 grit and did a general light sanding and then focused on the edges and areas that would naturally show wear.

Here’s how mine looks after it’s sanded.

Step 3: Take your floral wire and make a circle. Choose what size you’d like your wreath to be it to be, then wrap your floral wire three times. Cut your wire.

Step 4: Cut a short length of floral wire. While holding your three loops in one hand snugly anchor cut piece onto your wreath by doing a snug wrap or two, and then continue wrapping your cut length around the circle until you reach your starting point. Finish off with a snug loop and hide your ends at the back for a neat finish.

This is what mine looks like once wrapped.

Step 5: This is a pic of the garland that I’m using. You will be using two pieces from it.

After you’ve removed your two pieces you are now ready to transform your green foliage to a more fallish look! I started with these two colors.

Paint both stems their base color, Java brown. Let dry. I used a hair dryer on low heat to speed up the process! I did two coats, cover up that green!

Next, let’s add some rusty highlights in Cinnamon Stick. Just dab them on thickly here and there as desired. I covered most of my brown up. Here’s how it looked after I added Cinnamon Stick.

Next, let’s warm things up a bit and do a quick coat in burnt sienna. I just did a light selection of leaves here and there in this color. Play with it until you like it! Use a blow dryer in between coats or you’ll be waiting FOREVER for paint to dry🤣

Step 6: After your paint is dry and you’re happy with the result, cut your stems into two pieces. Don’t put your paint away… you’ll need it again in 5 minutes.

Place one stem along the top of your wreath, and another along the bottom. Gently twist them onto your wreath as much as possible, just to hold them lightly in place while we wrap our wire.

Step 7: Cut another short length of floral wire. While holding your floral piece on in one hand, lanchor your wire onto your wreath and then snugly wrap your floral wire over your floral stem and around your wreath, snugging it up against the wreath and wrapping it as you go until you reach your starting point. Anchor your floral wire with a final tight wrap at the end. Trim excess floral wire.

This is how mine looks. The leaves look a bit spotty to me at this point so I’ve decided to add more. If you’d like to add more also just go back to your garland, snip off one sprig, paint it up, dry it, and meet me back here when you’re done.

Here I’m just holding it up to my shutter. Don’t want to make it too big! This is before I added more leaves.

Ok, here’s the last bit. We’ll add a few more leafy bits to fill it out. After snipping your bits dip them one at a time into your tacky glue, and then apply them where desired. They take a few minutes to stick on well, so handle gently at this stage!

Step 7: Lets make our bow and wreath hanger!

Here’s the ribbon I’m using. You can find it in the ribbon section at Hobby Lobby.

Decide what size you’d like your bow and cut your ribbon.

I don’t tie my ribbon, I use thread to do that. Here I’m using a cream bit of thick thread that I have on hand. Use what you have! Cinch a nice tight knot, and trim your ends off.

Step 8: Make your wreath hanger.

Cut a short length of ribbon to length. Make sure you leave it long enough to flip it over your shutters edge. Glue the ends of your ribbon together, then flip your shutter and glue your ribbon down to it so that your wreath hangs nicely from the front.

And you’re done! What do you think? I love this wreath for a seasonal focal point in my dollhouse living room above my sofa but it would also be adorable on your front porch wall as well! Where will you hang yours? I’d love to know!

Thanks for hanging out with me! I really enjoyed making this wreath with you.

Until next time,

Love from the cottage,

Jenna