Create this beautiful fall wreath to give your front door an extra special touch.

Tools and Materials
18-inch wire wreath form
Floral tape
Leaves treated with glycerin
Clippers
Decorative ribbon

Autumnal Wreath How-To
1. Use an 18-inch wire wreath form and wrap the frame completely with floral tape. This makes a good foundation to rest the leaf bundles.

2. Clip leaves from branches of pretreated leaves, making sure to clip as much stem as possible. Martha used beech leaves, but you can use any type of leaf.

3. Arrange five to 10 leaves in smaller bundles by wrapping the stems together with floral tape.

4. Starting at the bottom of the frame, lay the bundles on frame and secure them by wrapping around the stems and wire frame with floral tape. For a lush look, make sure the leaves overlap and lay in the same direction. Wrap the floral tape tightly so leaves don't shift when you move the wreath.

5. When wreath is halfway finished, start adding leaves to other side, making sure that they face the opposite direction as the first side. (As an alternative design technique, you can keep them facing the same direction all the way around.)

6. Continue laying the bundles until you nearly cover the entire wreath frame. Leave a space at the top of the wreath that's about 1/2 the width of your finishing ribbon. Tie a square knot at the top of the form with decorative ribbon and let the trailing ends hang down the center of the wreath.

7. When the season is over, store the wreath in a box that's big enough so that the leaves and the frame don't get crushed. With careful care, your wreath can last years.

Resources
Wreath forms are available at www.mainewreathco.com.

Ribbon used in this craft is available at www.masterstrokecanada.com.

All other supplies are available at your local crafts store.