Can you believe Halloween is only about a month away?! If you’re like me, you like to change things up without spending a lot of money. So this year, I’m keeping with the Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead theme I did last year, but brightening up the colors AND repurposing some of the old decorations.
Since I always try to have a front door wreath, my first spooktacular project is a Day of the Dead Halloween Wreath. For this wreath, I used a few items from last year and added Dollar Tree flowers to add some color and brighten up the look.
Read more about this celebration on the University of New Mexico’s website.
Day of the Dead Halloween Wreath
Supplies:
- Tinsel wreath form* (I used a purple/black combo from Michaels)
- 5 different flower sprays (I used purple, orange, red*, white*, and yellow)
- 2 glitter branch spray (Optional – I used orange)
- scissors*
- ribbon*
- decorated sugar skull* (last year’s Dollar Tree skull decoration, but is optional)
- hot glue/glue gun*
- wire*
- drill*
*Decorations from last year or items I already had in my craft supply stash.
Putting It Together:
Not all supplies shown
Gather up the supplies. I used several items from my craft stash – red roses, white flowers, a tinsel wreath form, purple wired ribbon (came from a wrapped gift), and last year’s Dollar Tree decorated skull. New items bought for this wreath ($5 total) – orange glitter sprays, yellow flowers, orange flowers, and purple flowers.
Fluff up the wreath.
Cut each flower off the spray at the bottom of the stem if you want to reuse the flowers for other crafts. If you don’t plan on reusing the flowers, you can cut the flowers off the stems and glue them directly onto the wreath.
Dry arrange the flowers onto the wreath, leaving an empty space for the skull/ribbon placement.
Once you have a flower arrangement you like, wrap the flower stems around the wreath form. You will have to hold the flower in place with one hand and wrap with the other. Do this until all the flowers are attached to the wreath. Set aside.
Make a large ribbon bow to fill the space between the flowers. I made six loops (three on each side). Take a wire flower stem or wire and glue it to the back of the ribbon bow. Once the glue is dry, attach the bow to the wreath form. You can stop here or continue on to add a skull, white flowers, and glitter branch spray.
To prep the skull for a flower crown, I removed the stems and the plastic back from a large yellow flower, two purple flowers, and two orange flowers. To ensure the flowers did not fall apart, I also placed a dot of glue between each petal layer. Next, I glued the yellow flower in half to create a fuller look for the crown.
Glue the large yellow flower on the top of the skull. Glue two orange flowers directly behind the yellow flower and add purple flowers onto the side of the skull.
Drill two holes in the back upper portion of the skull (holes too low will make the skull tip forward). Thread a wire through the holes. Attach the skull to the wire form over the ribbon by twisting the wires together to keep the skull in place.
Final touches – add small white flower accents and orange glitter twigs. The white flowers are individual groups of flowers cut from a hydrangea spray and hot glued into place. The glitter twigs were sprayed with hair spray to control flaking. Then individual twig stems were cut off the spray and hot glued into place behind the center skull (6 stems total).
And now I have a totally new look for my Day of the Dead Halloween Wreath. What do you think? Do you use flowers to decorate for Halloween?
More Day of the Dead Ideas
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Lacie Ring says
Hey Erlene. It’s your pal over at Easy Peasy Pleasy. I love your wreath and the use of the candy skull. Halloween Blog Hop in the house. LOL!
smiling notes says
Lovely DIY!! I recently made a Halloween wreath too and it was really fun making it 🙂 Thanks a lot for joining us at the Family Joy blog link up party. Pinned your post to our Pinterest party board 🙂
-Shamira
TouchedPainter says
Great holiday, great wreath
Lou Lou Girls says
This looks absolutely amazing! Pinned and tweeted. You always bring the most amazing creations to our party. Thank you! I hope to see you again, this Monday at 7 pm. It wouldn’t be a party without you! Lou Lou Girls
Liz says
GREAT!!! Wow, I really love your wreath!
sandy sandler says
This is gorgeous and you are so creative and talented!! Thanks so much for sharing them at the Bowdabra Saturday Crafty Showcase!!!
Deedra says
I dig this idea a lot. The day of the Dead is also my birthday and it is so hard not to just decorate my place will all different skulls. Thank you for the inspiration.
Lela says
This is a great wreath! I love the fun bright colors. It’s a great alternative to a typical Halloween wreath. Thanks for sharing at Inspiration Thursday!
Lela recently posted…Industrial Farmhouse Bathroom Reveal
Jennifer says
Erlene, I love this! I’ve never done a halloween wreath before… I think I might try this!
Lisa @ Drugstore Divas says
I love this post, but I especially love that you broke down the colors and their meanings. I never knew that they even had meanings, so this was so cool to me.
I’m glad you added this post to the Tips & Tricks party so I was able to find it. I hope you’ll join the party again next Monday!
Sarah R. says
This is great, Erlene- colorful and fun, and such a nice departure from the typical door decor at Halloween! Thanks for coming by the 100th Snickerdoodle Sunday- hope you entered our Amazon Gift Card contest!! And please come back this weekend with your latest makes & bakes. 🙂
Sarah (Sadie Seasongoods)
Sarah R. recently posted…Autumn Pumpkin Trinket Box…from Salad Bowls!
Corinne Rodrigues says
It looks wonderful. Boy! Do I wish I was half as creative as you!
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted…Inspirational Mary Oliver Quotes
204 Park says
What a fun DIY, I LOVE this! I just worked on a “day of the dead” manicure for the blog coming soon 🙂
Maureen says
How fun is that?! It sure puts a colorful spin on the basic black and orange of halloween. Love it!
Maureen recently posted…Caramel Apple Crisp
Renee says
You are very creative and job well done on the tutorial. I love your bright and cheerful colors. Like some others here, we don’t celebrate these holidays but this is a great idea for other things!
Kayla Shown-Dean says
Wow! You are so creative!
Katy says
You are truly creative, what a neat way to celebrate. I love how you included the meaning of the colors for the day. I love to learn about other traditions and celebrations. Thank you for sharing your talent. I think making your own decorations adds a personal touch to your home, and this one is quite nice.
Kelsie says
How fun and creative! Thanks so much for sharing with us less-creative folk! Looks great.
Kelsie recently posted…A Moment with Rebecca: Technology & Connecting with God
Amanda says
Great colors and ideas!
Ms Orange says
So cool! You are super creative!
Just Plain Marie says
You’re very talented, and it’s interesting learning more about the Mexican traditions. We don’t celebrate Halloween, nor do we tend to decorate for other holidays, but this would definitely be an interesting and different idea for those who do.
Kelly says
Thanks for sharing your idea. I love the explanation of the colors. I found that very interesting! Fun idea for halloween.
Kelly recently posted…One Life Changed
Lori @ Frog's Lilypad says
While I don’t celebrate Halloween or the Day of the Dead, you made this wreath tutorial seem very easy.
Nicole Tugrul says
Your wreath is definitely SPOOKTACULAR! I have never tried to make a wreath, but you made it look easy! Might have to give this a try!
Princellar B. says
Okay, this I have to do for Halloween, I love it and it’s so easy, but question can I use other colors and still maintain the look?
Erlene at My Pinterventures says
I think you could definitely use other colors. This technique would work for any season, but if you want to keep a Halloween theme, I would stick with oranges, purples, black, silver, and reds.
Shani says
This is quite creative and a great tutorial! I am not organized enough to make Halloween crafts. By the time I made them, the holiday would be over
Shani recently posted…Where to Find Free Crochet Patterns
Betsy @ Happily Ever After, Etc. says
I love how colorful and cheerful it is! Love the bright flowers! Plus I love that you were able to be so creative with your supplies and budget!
Betsy @ Happily Ever After, Etc. recently posted…Fantastic Finds: 5 Furniture Makeovers!
Amberjane says
I loved learning about the colors I didn’t realize their symbolism. Thanks for linking up to Pin Worthy Wednesday, I have pinned your post to the Pin Worthy Wednesday Pinterest Board.
Amberjane recently posted…Ten things I love about Autumn
Autumn says
I love this post! I didn’t realize how much symbolism there was behind the colors in the Day of the Dead. Thanks for the wreath tutorial!
Autumn recently posted…hello fall!
Anne-Marie says
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use flowers and such an assortment of colors for Halloween before. I don’t celebrate that holiday but if I did I would want to do something like this.
Alexandrea Perez says
Definitely interesting to learn about the meanings behind the colors! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Maegan Dockery says
I had no idea the colors had significance; that’s so interesting! This is such a cool wreath. I love that it’s spooky but still cute. This is an awesome tutorial; you’re so talented!!
Maegan Dockery recently posted…#WeAreMore
Michanda says
Good stuff!
Georgia Lynne says
Your wreath looks beautiful and I especially like the addition of the flowers.
Jeremy says
Good ideas for making wreathes for anytime of the year.
Chicki says
You are definitely very talented. I don’t celebrate Halloween or Day of the Dead but I’m sure you make amazing wreaths for Christmas.
Christine says
Erlene, Brilliant idea and so creative to go non-traditional with your Day of the Dead wreath, it’s so colorful and spooky! I just love it! Thank you for sharing at #OhMyHeartsieGirlWW. I’ll be featuring your wreath on Tuesday! Have a fun weekend! =)
Christine recently posted…Oh My Heartsie Girl Wordless Wednesday #46
Jeanie Erwin says
Thank you for this cool tutorial. I never knew that the colors were significant for Day of the Dead! Very interesting. I can’t wait for the next idea you share. : )
Amy @ItsAMindfulLife says
Very creative! I love how you added the extra touches of the flowers on the skull and the branches. Also fun to get to know what the different colors represent. Thanks!
Wendy says
Wow! I love your wreath! I don’t usually decorate for Halloween, but your ideas could be used to make a beautiful fall wreath or, later on, one for Christmas. 🙂 Thank you for the tutorial!
Beth McIntire says
These are so awesome! I just love looking at people’s Halloween decorations and have never seen anything like this. What a creative and unique idea!
mary says
I loved Halloween as a kid. You must be the favorite house in your neighbor.
Trudie says
I would have never thought of using flowers to decorate for Halloween. Thanks for the tutorial.
Trudie says
I never would have thought of flowers for Halloween. Thanks for the tutorial. 🙂
Aly says
LOVE it! I love all the colors you chose!
sue says
Oh this is so colourful! I have seen a television program about this celebration The Day of the Dead remembering your loved ones. Thank you for sharing with us at #WednesdaysWisdom.
sue recently posted…Why Failing Doesn’t Make YOU a FAILURE!
Sandy Sandmeyer says
What an adorable wreath! It’s definitely different than a plain old Halloween one and much more interesting.
Sandy Sandmeyer recently posted…Win a Toshiba Satellite Laptop
Deanna :: Busy Little Bird says
Very interesting! I never knew there was a significance to the colors.
Riva Sue says
Very clever, using a skull mask on a wreath. My guy would probably like it (shh, we won’t tell him) he might expect me to start decorating with skulls.
Riva Sue recently posted…Ebates Rebates
Erlene at My Pinterventures says
I’m lucky that my hubby tolerates my decorations…lol.
Erlene at My Pinterventures recently posted…Merry Monday #73
Val @ Love My DIY Home says
I’ve never heard of the Day of the Dead! The colors on your wreath are gorgeous! I honestly need to get out there and make some wreaths for the upcoming holidays. You have inspired me to make my own rather than buy them.
Erlene at My Pinterventures says
Thank Val. You should totally make your own wreaths. I looked at some wreaths in the store and they were asking $50 – $80 for a nice wreath.
Erlene at My Pinterventures recently posted…Merry Monday #73
Rachel G says
Love the vivid colors! I actually don’t know anything about Dia de los Muertos as a holiday–it’s never been a part of my culture.
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Erlene at My Pinterventures says
Thanks Rachel. I actually started learning about Dia de los Muertos after moving to SoCal. I like the vivid colors in the celebration instead of spooky colors.
Erlene at My Pinterventures recently posted…Merry Monday #73
Allison says
That’s great! Certainly not the traditional fall wreaths you normally see. Well done!
Erlene at My Pinterventures says
Thanks Allison. Yes, I wanted something a little different for October and will change it out to something a little more “traditional” for fall.
Erlene at My Pinterventures recently posted…Merry Monday #73
Marie says
I love how this turned out! I also appreciate that you let us know what the colors mean as I had no idea. Great tutorial! 🙂
Marie recently posted…DIY Free-Form Journal
Erlene at My Pinterventures says
Thanks Marie. I had no idea the colors meant anything either until I started researching Dia de Los Muertos. It’s an interesting celebration.
Erlene at My Pinterventures recently posted…Merry Monday #73
Sam // DIY Just Cuz says
Wow Erlene this turned out so beautiful! I love when people decorate for Day of the Dead, the décor is always so fascinating. I know you said you got the skull from the Dollar Store, did you decorate it yourself? This turned out so great, also thanks for including the color scheme…I might want to make my own things now!(and yes, I definitely am like you and love frugal ways to decorate). Thanks for linking up with us at Welcome Home Wednesday!!!
Sam // DIY Just Cuz recently posted…Not Your Mama’s Maxi: A Guide to Sewing an Hourglass Maxi Skirt
Erlene at My Pinterventures says
Thanks Sam. Yes, I decorated the skull myself and will have a tutorial on the blog this week.
Erlene at My Pinterventures recently posted…Merry Monday #73
Winnie says
It turned our just beautiful Erlene 🙂
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Erlene at My Pinterventures says
Thank you Winnie.
Erlene at My Pinterventures recently posted…Merry Monday #73
Carlee says
What a cool festive wreath!
Erlene at My Pinterventures says
Thank you.
Erlene at My Pinterventures recently posted…Merry Monday #73
Beverly says
What a fun and spooky Halloween wreath. Using flowers really gives it so much pop. That’s a great tip about using hairspray on the glitter branches. I’m going to remember that one.
Beverly recently posted…Coastal Autumn Tablescape and Breakfast Nook
Erlene at My Pinterventures says
Thanks Beverly. Hairspray does help a little. I’m thinking next time I will try a thin coat of shiny Mod Podge.
Erlene at My Pinterventures recently posted…Merry Monday #73
Kim~madeinaday says
This is awesome Erlene! LOVE IT!!!
Erlene at My Pinterventures says
Thanks Kim. I like the bright flowers, so I’m happy with it 🙂
Erlene at My Pinterventures recently posted…Merry Monday #73