Diy: nature wreaths

This is my favorite kind of crafting: mixing natural materials with recycled ones. We have tons of pine trees of all different varieties. Cones are bountiful, but you have to get them early on in the season or the squirrels will gnaw them to bits. Weeks ago I gathered bunches along with some dried pods. I had free and easy wreaths on my mind. We finally got to them last week and I'd love to share how they're made because who doesn't like a simple (and did I mention free?) project that looks lovely, too.

Supplies:
-recycled cardboard "doughnuts" cut in various sizes (we cut ours out of the pizza box my son had used for his Halloween costume)
-pine cones gathered from your nearest forest or back yard
-various dried flowers and pods (wild grasses would look nice, too)
-white glue and/or glue gun
-hole puncher
-twine
 
Make:

1. Punch hole near the top of each doughnut and thread some twine through to create a hanging loop.
2. Adhere natural materials to the cardboard in arrangements that are pleasing to you. In other words: PLAY! Use white glue for small pods and a glue gun for the cones.
3. Let dry.
4. Hang.

I was so disappointed that the dark and rainy days of last week made photographing them impossible... then came the inspiration to hang them outside. Our back entrance never gets much attention this time of year, but it's still in constant use. These "all weather" wreaths make it quite welcoming... and I've decided to keep them out there for the rest of the season.

Happy Monday!