Faux succulent wreath for the front door

I want to talk about how to make this super simple faux succulent wreath….

…..but first I’m totally going to go all Paul Harvey on you.

And tell you the rest of the story…..

Fun, outdoor decorating ideas for your home

…..behind this picture. 🙂

There’s nothing faux about this greenery.

It’s the real deal.

I chose this spot for the secret garden because it’s set in the forest….

……in the middle of dense, beautiful, amazing foliage with it’s trailing vines and carpet of green underfoot.

How to decorate outdoors with flowers

It was a little challenging setting the tent up.  I stood up on a ladder and hugged a huge old tree covered in vines and then precariously balanced with one arm around the vine-covered tree and one hand on the ribbon and after several attempts with vines swinging in my face….

….I managed to tie the ribbons to create the tent.

Then I created the rest of the project and the secret garden.

Two days later it was going to rain….so I asked my husband to go outside and take the tent down.

He emerged 10 minutes later with the ladder in one hand and the tent in the other…..

…..with a grin on his face.

How to make this fun, and unique tent

“Love the whole tent thing you have going on back there,” he said.  “Except…..”

I glanced up from painting and looked at him.

“Except what?” I said curiously.

“Except next time you want trailing vines and a garden tucked away in the woods….

….try not to choose one covered in poison ivy.”

*sigh*

Leaves of three….let them be.

And only faux greenery projects from now on. 🙂

How to make a faux succulent wreath

How to Make a Faux Succulent Wreath

Supplies

metal wreath form

faux succulents (I purchased mine from Hobby Lobby)

hot glue

Up close look at the faux succulents

Step 1:  Purchase faux succulents

You can buy these at any craft store.

They come in so many different shapes and colors and look so real.

I chose four different succulents to work with.

I started by cutting off the stems and separating all the succulents into groups.

Start with the heaviest succulents first on the wreath

Step 2:  Start with the heaviest succulents first

These succulents came in groups of three.

(total aside:  don’t they look so real).

They were too heavy to cut apart….so I just wrapped the stem around the wire and secured with hot glue.

This was my foundation.  I repeated this step with 5 of these bunches.

Repeat the steps with the rest of your faux succulents

Step 3:  Continue gluing

I continued hot gluing the succulents around the wire wreath in a random pattern…..

Continue to hot glue the succulents in a random pattern

…..until it looked like this.

If there was a place the wire wreath was showing….I cut several smaller pieces of the succulents and hot glued in place.

The completed faux succulent wreath on the front door

It truly was so easy.

And a great way to add a little summer to your front door.

The entire project took me 43 minutes from beginning to end.

The wreath is hanging on the gatehouse door in all its faux glory…..

….without any trailing vines or leaves of three in sight. 🙂

Summer at Home Tour

I’m so happy to be showing off the faux succulent wreath as part of the Summer at Home series.

Be sure and stop by these bloggers to see how they are celebrating summer!

 

Wednesday,  June 18th

 On Sutton Place

Stone Gable

My Soulful Home

Thursday,  June 19th

 Country Design Style

Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Lilacs & Longhorns

Friday,  June 20th

 Thistlewood Farms

At The Picket Fence

Jennifer Rizzo 

Saturday,  June 21st

Our Southern Home

Southern Hospitality

Debbie Doos

Veronica Roth

Finding Home

How to make a faux succulent wreath

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Posted On: June 20, 2014

Written By: KariAnne Wood

Comments

  1. Image for Michele/Finch Rest Michele/Finch Rest

    OMGolly poison ivy????????????? How ARE you? Oh that takes the cake, lady! Your succulent wreath is AWESOME - great project and so summery. Love it. Well done. Have a fabulous weekend with your antihistimines and calamine lotion. :- /

    Reply
  3. Image for Jill Jill

    Love your wreath! Loved your tent! Poison ivy? Not a friend of mine. I am super allergic and end up looking worse than any of the pictures online. But I have found that Zanfel is the answer to help. And yes, I actually heard about on Paul Harvey! It is available at most drug stores and Walmart. You may have to ask the pharmacist. It is very expensive little tube, but worth every penny for the relief. I hope no one needs it, but just in case! Have a lovely weekend and enjoy! And breathe! You have been one busy bee!

    Reply
  4. Image for Yvonne @ StoneGable Yvonne @ StoneGable

    KariAnne! What a fabulous, easy and so trendy project! LOVE how big and bold and colorful it is on your door! This is a great way to welcome people to Thistlewood! You have the most inspiring ideas!

    Reply
  6. Image for Sheila Sheila

    Oh my gosh. Poison ivy...did you go through the rash and doctor visit too? I went to our fence row when we lived on our farm....to gather sticks for my son's school project. I spent the next two weeks in agony, then in hospital for unbelievable reaction to the leaves of three. I touch NO leafy green stuff in nature!

    Reply
  8. Image for Donnamae Donnamae

    Oh wow...poison ivy??? You've got to be kidding me! How ARE you and hubby??? Total aside...but, great wreath! Try and stay out of trouble this weekend...K??? ;)

    Reply
  9. Image for Cindy Cindy

    LOVE the succulent wreath! I have 4 pots I wanted to fill with I'm not sure what, but after seeing your lovely fauxs, I think I'll head out the door and go get some. Thanks for the inspiration! Cindy

    Reply
  10. Image for Jill Flory Jill Flory

    Sigh. Oh KariAnne, I really hope you don't have a terrible case of poison ivy! If you do - pure lavender essential oil rubbed right on it should help dry it up! your succulent wreath is gorgeous and looks so real! i have a project i was hoping to use real succulents for but was concerned about them needing watered occasionally. Think I'm headed to hobby lobby soon for some faux!

    Reply
  11. Image for Rebecca Rebecca

    As I was looking at your pictures I wondered how you managed not to get poison ivy from those nice, thick, hairy poison ivy vines. (I'm really allergic and basically constantly on the look out for the pesky plant). Poison ivy vines are always hairy like that, even the little vines have lots of aerial roots holding them onto other plants. I think thats an easier thing to look for than the whole "leaves of three". If you realize you've been exposed to the plant, Tecnu can remove the oil and stop or minimize your reaction. Granted you need to realize that you've touched the plant for this to work. At our old house I would literally take a shower with the stuff as soon as I was done in working in the yard.

    Reply
  12. Image for Jeanette Jeanette

    I remember walking around when I was about 10 on a camping trip singing "Leaves of three...let them be" and then looked down at "leaves of three!" Fortunately I was a child of hives and the poison ivy around my ankles didn't seem so bad. I hope you're feeling better soon. The tent is stunning deep in the forest with all the poison ivy! Thanks for the tips on making a faux and safe succulent wreath. It's incredible on your black door! So much fun to be on the tour with you and all these spectacular bloggers. ~Jeanette

    Reply
  14. Image for Regina Regina

    So, did you start itching BEFORE, or AFTER he told you it was Poison Ivy? LOLOL! These days it's not the poison ivy that gets me, it's the biting insects! I can't walk out the DOOR without ending up with bumps all over me! I guess some of us are just too sweet for our own good . . . ;) Love the wreath! Now that's MY kind of wreath! Fake greenery! :)

    Reply
  15. Image for Kimberlee Kimberlee

    When I saw your original secret garden post, my first thought was that I'd be so worried about poison ivy and snakes that I'd never be able to enjoy the beauty! We have a little bit of poison ivy that creeps through our fence from the neighbor's yard each year, no matter what my husband does to attempt to eradicate it! I'm miserable for weeks if I get within 2 feet of it! I hope you're not allergic!! It certainly was beautiful though, everything you create is!! And I love your fearlessness! Love the wreath, too!

    Reply
  16. Image for Marisa Franca @ All Our Way Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

    You are certainly brave to hug a tree-- up high-- for a project. A wonderful project nonetheless. The best part about the succulents is that you NEVER have to water them. I've had quite a few oopsy moments when I had live plants in the house. Hope you're not itching.

    Reply
  20. Image for Ann Ann

    I had poison ivy one time in my life and I thought I was going to die...hope you are OK. Your wreath is beautiful and if you ask me it looks pretty dang real!

    Reply
  22. Image for PC PC

    Love the wreath -very summery. Succulents thrive with benign neglect. Unfortunately, our southeastern woods are plagued with snakes, poison ivy/oak, and deer ticks(and other ticks) in the summer. I am a cold weather woods walker for that reason. I have killed too many copperheads in woodsy areas. Hope you weathered the poison ivy ok. We see lots of that in the ED.

    Reply
  24. Image for Julie {Lilacs & Longhorns} Julie {Lilacs & Longhorns}

    I had a feeling that vine that swept across your face might be the dreaded poison ivy! Hopefully you didn't break out in a terrible rash...it never seems to give me a rash (although I don't think I've hugged a tree with it!) but my husband has a terrible reaction! The important thing is you got the beautiful picture!! lol Such a gorgeous setting and beautiful styling...I just want to hang out there and enjoy some quiet time! I also love the succulent wreath...gorgeous! Happy to be touring with you! Julie

    Reply
  29. Image for Laura Laura

    I love your succulent wreath! I am definitely going to make one for myself :) Hope you didn't get any poison ivy on you!

    Reply
  32. Image for Anna // Gone Banannas Anna // Gone Banannas

    I LOVE this. I have been trying to figure out what type of wreath I wanted to make for this season and this sums up everything I've been thinking of. Thank you! :)

    Reply

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