Friday 21 September 2018

Seasonal Autumn Wreath

Hi It's Kore here with my autumn blog. The Autumn Equinox is on the 23rd September in the Northern Hemisphere, when day and night are equal. I love to celebrate the seasons and autumn is beautiful even when there is a storm blowing hard outside! While some of us are sad to see the summer pass for another year, the autumn brings the harvest, glorious sunsets and the changing trees.



I've created an autumn wreath, a simple project with lots of texture that comes alive when it's dry brushed. It can be made any size and adapted for whatever supplies you have. It can also be easily made for any seasonal wreath, perfect for your front door, studio or home decor.

Ingredients



Bronze Powertex
Powercolor pigments in autumn colours
Easy Varnish
Flat brush
Fabric strips and lengths of t-shirt yarn, ric rac, twine etc
Leaf shapes in various materials, clay, fabric, card
3d balls in small and medium

Optional supplies

Stone art
Daisy leaf mould
Small fabric flowers

Step 1 Create your frame




You can use a pre made base for your wreath, or a piece of tubing even. I chose to make mine from a piece of t-shirt yarn.

I massaged in Bronze Powertex so the fabric would set in the shape of my frame. Once it was all coated I laid it out in a circle on a non stick mat to dry. Notice I overlapped the ends to create a loop at the top for hanging.

Step 2 Create your embellishments



I created a pile of embellishments to use while my frame was drying off. I chose some wooden pieces too but decided not to use them in my final project. I die cut and hand cut leaves in card and hessian fabric. I also had some small clay leaves made using the Daisy leaf mould. These leaves have a lovely spiky shape that looks amazing when painted. You can use Stone Art clay but it will need time to dry thoroughly. Coat all card leaves with Powertex and sprinkle on some Stone Art powder for texture. Brush off any excess. Coat the leaves with Powertex when you apply them to wreath.

I also made a tiny cornucopia or horn of plenty. These are a symbol of abundance and thanksgiving and they are easy to make and look so cute!


Coat a small triangle of hessian with Powertex and roll into a cone shape and press the end together. Coat a few small and medium balls with Powertex and fill the cone. Coat tiny fabric flowers with Powertex and trim the stems short enough to tuck into the cone. Leave to dry.

Step 3 Wrap the frame



Wrap strips of fabric around the frame in spirals. Ensure your strips are well coated with Powertex, especially if you want to display your wreath outside. I started with strips of hessian about 1- 1.5 inches wide and wrapped them loosely around the set frame. Then I wrapped more t-shirt yarn, raffia, twine and rick rak until I was happy I had plenty of texture. Don't wrap your last layers too tight. We're going to use them to secure the leaves.

Step 4 Add the embellishments




Apply your leaves starting with the largest first and work around the whole wreath. Tuck one end into the wrapped spirals on the frame and press them into place. Keep adding leaves until you're happy. Varying the sizes makes it more interesting to look at. Add small details to create more interest, such as the small cornucopia, and groups of small balls for berries. Leave to dry.

Step 5 Adding colour


Choose your autumn pigment colours and use Easy Varnish to create a dry paint. I used Burnt Sienna, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre and some Orange and White for mixing. Use a flat brush to mix your pigment with Easy Varnish and start with darker colours first, add highlights last using your palest colour. Wipe excess paint onto kitchen paper first and then keep your brush flat as you paint over the textures.



Use the loop at the top to string or hang your wreath. After 3 weeks it's weatherproof and safe to hang on your front door. I'm already planning my seasonal winter wreath!

I hope you have a go at making a wreath of your own. If you do have a go, why not share your make in The Powertex Studio on facebook or on Instagram with hashtag #powertex.

If you would like to see more of my Powertex projects you can find me at koresageart.com

Until next time, I hope you find a little time to let your art out.
Kore x



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