Because buying one was too expensive and would have robbed me of a trip to JoAnn and Trader Joe’s. Also, tapenade. You’ll see.
My artistic ability is, while not nonexistent, likely stifled by lack of use. Also, if I’m being completely honest, by lack of patience and desire to practice. Therefore, I have found it amusing that in recent weeks I have found myself thinking things like, “I would like to make cinnamon rolls from scratch!” (post on that coming soon), “I could make Christmas stockings this year!” (spoiler alert: I’m not going to, I bought some on Etsy), or “I’d like to make a eucalyptus wreath for the front door!”
Over the last few years, I’ve been a fake-wreath proponent. From afar, they look cute, they last through the season, and they’re an amusing excuse to meander through HomeGoods or Target. However, as I’ve gone through multiple decluttering waves in recent months, I have found it hard to want to hang on to my mediocre-quality faux foliage and, three years in to living in this house, the wreaths are starting to get a little rough around the edges anyway.
Having decided that a eucalyptus wreath was a Fall 2020 essential, I spent some time poking around online for potential options. Farmgirl Flowers has a gorgeous wreath that almost lured me in and Etsy has some nice ones, but I had a really hard time wanting to shell out $80+ for something that I wanted to put outside in not-so-nice weather, pretty much guaranteeing a short lifespan. I looked for a nicer-quality faux option, but I don’t think eucalyptus lends itself well to being imitated. After a few days of idle browsing, I had pretty much resigned myself to just leaving my summery magnolia-leaf wreath up until it was time to make a Christmas version.
Then, I watched one of Natalie Bennett’s vlogs and was struck with inspiration. Not only had I forgotten how much I love Trader Joe’s olive tapenade (seriously, it’s amazing), but I realized that I could gather my own supplies for a eucalyptus wreath and build one for far less than I would find online. Not only would this make me feel better about sticking it right on the front door, but it felt like a good project to break up my day. Also, I needed a break from apple-related endeavors. I called up my mom and we set off on an outing for craft supplies. $16 at JoAnn’s (wreath frame, floral wire, and some accent bits) and $20 at Trader Joe’s (including tapenade) later, I was ready. I will say, the Trader Joe’s I went to did not have a huge eucalyptus selection, but I’ve since been to another location where there was far more, so shop around.
I got home and put my eucalyptus in water, then promptly ignored it for the next two days. Finally, I got a good morning nap window and sat down determined to craft my masterpiece. I separated my eucalyptus and other greens into bunches and laid them down around the wreath frame, overlapping the stems and securing everything with floral wire. I ran out of greens, so I decided to go for a bit of a harvest look and stuck the faux bits that I had picked up on a whim on the lower left side.
It turned out… okay! From afar, I am quite proud of it. It loses a bit of appeal when you get close, mostly as a result of my impatience with the floral wire. I am sure that someone with steadier hands and/or a stronger desire for impeccable presentation could manage to wrangle the stems a bit better, but I was on a bit of a time crunch (it was a good nap, luckily) and was more determined to get the bag of supplies off my dining room chairs than anything, to be honest. The best part is, the project cost me less than $40 (including a snack!), which was a significant savings over anything I could find pre-made that I might actually want. That’s very good news, because here’s what it looks like a little less than two weeks later:
To be fair, we’ve had some pretty intense wind and rain within this time, so I think there are some extenuating circumstances. I’m pretty pleased that massive chunks of it haven’t simply blown away – taking that as a win. I’ve decided to lean into the decay as part of a “spooky” aesthetic, the other part of which is a skeleton hanging next to the door. That’s it, that’s the décor. We might get a pumpkin at some point, we’ll see. In any event, I’m pleased with the result, pleased with the fact that I didn’t spend a bunch of money to order a wreath that ended up looking this way anyway, and extra-pleased that I have tapenade in the house again. Really, it’s that good.
Hickmans at Home 