Diamond In The Rough: 2 Wreaths down....

...and it's beginning to look like Christmas!

I was so giddy with excitement as I made my Christmas wreaths last night!
I came home from work and stopped by a neighbors yard that was loaded with pine cones. I picked up a few... Surely they wouldn't mind.

Then I thought, "Gee what else can I find for the wreath?"

I had some eucalyptus from a few weeks ago from the Farmers Market, it's since dried out, but perfectly good for wreath making. Then I searched the backyard. Granted it was after 7pm and dark.. so around I went looking at my bushes. I took a few snips from some waxy leaf bush, some red berries off another shrub... Then searched the front yard.. I found some spiky balls, that I think are from a sugar gum tree? I thought they'd be pretty perfect to use.. Then I had a fan like palm sprouting out near the curb... So I sniped that too...A handful of spanish moss and I was good to go!

My supplies looked like this:

So then I went to town... The first thing I did was create a spray paint area and coated the spikey balls in a copper color. I though it'd be a nice contrast and tie in with the birds on the mantel.

They dried quickly and I rotated them a few time to make sure they were covered.

Hangers became my missing supply.

Bent like this and attached to the back of the wreath, it became the wreath hanger.

My evergreens were leftover from the garland used on the mantel. It quickly made the wreath shape and I secured the bunch with green gardening twine I had laying around.

I did a test run of the wreath once the hanger was attached to see how the size worked.

So pretty already!! I love the rustic old window up there too. (Frankly I liked playing with my camera settings too)

After it was complete, it looked like this... Oh so gorgeous!!

Here is a close up of the details of the foliage. Then it was time to hang it in position.

Isn't it stunning?!? Can I let you in on a secret?!.......It was 98% FREE to make. =)

(I hear bells ringing, and angels getting their wings)
*It's a Wonderful Life reference in case you missed that*

I also hung a wreath on the "new" front door... In case you missed it... before it had peeling paint and was just blah. Then life intercepted and I took some time away from any housey projects...

Well finally the door is complete. Here's a picture to refresh your memory on how the door used to look: