I've Got My EYES On This Halloween Wreath DIY

Is it a little early for Halloween decorations? 

Well, yes. 

Ahh, but is it too early for a Halloween wreath DIY that you'll put off for a few weeks, only to slap together in a panic the week before when you realize you still have that blue butterfly wreath from last Spring on the front door? 

HECK NO.

 So check out what I put together last week for around $15:

That even includes the wreath and lights!

 

I'll get to the tutorial in a sec. First, let's take a closer look, shall we? 

Here's lookin' at you, (screaming) kid.

 

Dapper skeleton lounging like WHAT.

Sparkly-eyed rubber bat! 

And the part sure to catch everyone's eyes [snerk]:

An all-seeing bouquet of eyeball flowers!

I don't know if it shows, but I was aiming for a mix of glitz, whimsy, and abject horror. How'd I do? :D

The secret to this oh-so-cheap craft is your local Dollar Tree, where you can buy everything except the wreath and lights for just $1 each:

 I ended up only needing two flower bouquets, so with the rubber bat (not pictured,) that's $7 in decorations. The twig wreath was $2.50 at Joann's with a coupon, and the battery-powered purple lights were another $6 at Walmart. All told, that's just over $15!

Now, to assemble your wreath, first start with the lights:

Wedge the battery pack into the branches of the lower corner, and wind the lights around so they're all facing forward.

Next cut your "creepy cloth" in half, and wind it loosely around the whole wreath: 

Yank on the edges and rip small sections here and there, to give it an even more tattered feel.

You'll need at least 5 or 6 eyeball flowers, or go nuts and use all 12 eyeballs in the pack. If my ultra-realistic eyeballs are freaking you out, then just use the existing paint job they come with:

This way is a little more cartoony, so it's better at not traumatizing the little ones.

Hot glue the eyes in the center of your flowers (I used both roses and peonies), and you're good to go.

If you LIKE my ultra realistic eyeballs, though, then stay tuned for that tutorial. (It's a surprisingly easy finish, but a bit photo intensive.)

Arrange your Eyeball Flowers as you like by sticking the plastic stems into the wreath - no glue or wire required:

It helps to have the lights ON for this stage, so you can avoid covering the bulbs with your flowers. DO hide the battery pack, though. Just make sure you can still reach the on/off switch behind your flowers.

The Dollar Tree Skeleton isn't jointed at the knees or elbows, but you can still bend them! A little hot glue may help the knee joints stay in shape:

Wedge one foot in to help stabilize him, then hot glue his pelvis and head directly to the wreath.

(I also glued a little plastic bowler hat to the skeleton's head, but if you're short on doll accessories, you could always make a top hat from card stock.)

Add a few more flowers or sprigs as needed, and you're done!

Here it is again without the lights, hanging on our purple front door:

Oh, and the bat was a last minute addition; I just added red nail gems to his eyes for sparkle, then super glued his feet to a branch.

You guys know how much I love orange, but I kind of like having a Halloween wreath with less traditional colors. And the red and purple are pretty dramatic, don't you think?

And finally, here's a better photo of how the lights look at night - taken with a real camera instead of my phone:

The eyeballs are actually creeping John out, so we'll have to hang this outside soon. Ha! At least it's all weather-proof.

Hope you guys enjoyed! And watch this space for that eyeball tutorial, coming soon.

[Update: Here it is!]


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