12 October 2017

DIY: Halloween Raven Wreath

I saw a great halloween wreath at a local shop, but the $120 price tag was too scary for me. So I made my own for under $10.


Supplies

  • grapevine wreath
  • primer spray paint (optional)
  • matte black spray paint
  • clear matte spray paint (optional)
  • wood glue
  • black craft wire (I used .5mm and 2mm)
  • raven (mine required plastic surgery to not resemble a Chernobyl victim) 

Step 1 - Prepare the wreath

Remove the leaves and branches, smallest first, until you like what's left. Save a thicker and straightish branch for the perch.


Get rid of any lose pieces and particulates. A hair dryer or can of air works well, but only if you do it outside. Trust me.

Step 2 - Spray paint

Spray paint the wreath and perch branch, starting with a coat of primer (or not, I only bothered because I already had a can lying around). The wreath is a very forgiving object to spray since all the imperfections hide any spray errors. On the flip side, it takes 27 coats from all sorts of angles to get the entire thing covered. 

I did this at night to appease my sadistic side.
Since mine is for the outside, I also added a clear coat.

Step 3 - Attach the perch and raven

Wedge in the perch into place and attach it with wood glue. A perch that goes all the way across is more structurally sound, but I broke mine. Wire behind the perch is secretly holding it in place.

A wire noose and sharps container kept the raven where it belonged. Halloween symbolism!
Wrap wire around the legs and feet to attach the bird to the perch. Cut off or hide any wire ends.

Step 4 - Hang

Hang directly from a sturdy branch. I suppose you could also use black ribbon or more wire, but I didn't.

A satisfactorily detailed picture while hanging on the front door was impossible. Just know that it looked awesome.