How to Make a Fall Swag

Nothing says fall like the changing colors of the leaves. Bring those colors inside your home with this fall swag craft project. They look great hanging over a door or your fireplace and give your home a warm and welcoming feel. For just a hour of your time and half the price of a pre-made swag, you'll feel like a professional. While you're at it, make two and give one to your best friend as a gift.

Things You'll Need

• Two bundles of curly willow branches or pre-made branch or grape vine plain swag
• Artificial fall foliage
• Artificial mums
• Small beaded fruit or small Indian corn
• Berry stems
• Spanish moss
• Wide fall designed ribbon or pre-made bow
• Thin craft wire
• Hot glue gun
• Glue sticks

Instructions

1. Overlap your bundles of twigs in the center and wrap a piece of wire around them. Then using another piece of wire start from the back and put both ends through to the other side, one end on each side of the center. Take the center of the wire in the back and pull it back just a little. Twist it to form a small circle. You will use this for hanging. Now pull the wire ends, which are now in the front, to the opposite sides and push them through to the back going between different branches. The idea is to hold the branches together while at the same time spreading them apart a bit. Once you've got the branches staying together, twist the ends onto a piece in the back so it won't come apart. Don't worry if you can see the wire; it will be hidden by the decorations.

2. Dot some hot glue onto the branches and put some spanish moss on it. Glue on your berry stems with the berries toward the outside. You will need to glue the stem in place and then add a couple of the berries to the stems so they don't droop later. Put one berry stem on each side.

3. Glue on your foliage. Orange and red leaves look great. If they have large stems, you will have to take the leaves off of the stems and glue them on without them. If they have small stems you can probably work them into the branches and give them more stability. Put a dab of glue on each leaf and press it down where you want it. Don't try to make it even. It makes a much better presentation if they are randomly placed.

4. Now glue your mums in place. Three to five work great. You will have to take the flowers off of their stems and glue them in by themselves. Again, place them at random. At this point you can see what you want to finish it off with. You can use a piece or two of little beaded fruit and a bow, or you can use the corn instead of a bow. But don't use the corn and the fruit or it will be too much.

5. Make a bow out of your fall ribbon and glue in the center. At the bottom of your ribbon, cut an upside down V in each piece. If you choose to use the corn instead of the ribbon, glue it well in the center of the swag. Either way, you swag will look beautiful.

Tips & Warnings

• Play around with different designs, using more flowers in one and more leaves in another. You can even use nuts and cinnamon sticks instead of the fruit or berry stems. Be creative and have fun.

• Be careful not to get the very hot glue on your fingers or you could get burned.