Easy Wreath - For More Than One Holiday!

I'm not (or at least, I haven't been) your wreath-for-every-holiday type of girl. For years, I've accepted the fact that our neighbor's doors will simply be more festive than ours. The primary reasons I've been okay with that fact are: 1) I have a hard time paying money for non-Christmas decorations that I can only use for one holiday and 2) front door wreaths seem difficult to make yourself.

Thanks to a little motivation from Pinterest, I've tested--and refuted--both of the above claims. I made an inexpensive Halloween wreath that I can easily (and still inexpensively) convert to a Thanksgiving wreath. And the whole project took me less than 30 minutes! 

The finished product! Step-by-Step Instructions Below.

What You'll Need

• 18" Grapevine Wreath
• 1/2 yard of Holiday-Themed Fabric
• Wooden Monogram Letter (featuring your last initial)
• Hi-temp or Dual-Temp Glue Gun
• Other Holiday-Themed Decor (optional)

How You Can Make Yours

1. First, create a workspace on the floor with plenty of room. Hardwood or tile floors work best, but I used carpet since it was my best option at the time. You'll want to put newspaper or a painting canvas down as protection.

2. Start by attaching the letter to the wreath with the glue gun (hi-temp setting). The best way I found to do this is to place the letter where you want it with your hands, then flip it over and set it on the floor (with the letter between the floor and your wreath). Glue through the wreath pieces and between the wreath and the letter to get a good connection.

3. Once the letter is attached, prepare the fabric. I bought a half yard of fabric and cut it lengthwise into four-inch strips. I ended up with two different four-inch strips, which was ultimately enough to cover the wreath. I then folded the strips in half to make them two-inch strips and to give the front and back the same look.

Four-inch strips

Two-inch strips

5. Glue the two fabric strips together at the ends. At this point, you should have two long strips that are two-inches wide. Glue those strips together end-to-end to make one very long two-inch strip. This should be enough to cover the entire 18-inch wreath.

6. Wrap the fabric around the wreath. Start by tucking (not gluing!) the fabric behind the letter, then wrap it around the wreath (leaving a couple of inches between each revolution) and tuck it behind the letter once more to complete the wrap.

7. If you have another holiday-themed piece of decor, tuck it into the wreath. I took a fall-themed sprig, cut the pumpkin off, and stuck it into the wreath. Again, no gluing (this is key for using the wreath again).

I could have used the whole sprig, but I
decided to cut the pumpkin off.

8. Hang up your cool new wreath! To hang it, I used this Pinterest idea and hung a Command Hook upside down on the back of our front door.

Getting in the Halloween spirit!

So, there you have it...an easy-peasy Halloween wreath that can be used again! To customize for Thanksgiving and other subsequent holidays, just substitute other holiday-themed fabric and decor and follow the same instructions (minus attaching the monogram letter).

Flavored Water On the Cheap

Water is good for us. We've all heard about its benefits and its status as the ideal drink. But if you're like me, you still don't find it as interesting as other choices. I can take a travel cup of water with me in the car, and when I return home, the whole thing is still staring at me from the cup holder. I just don't think to drink it, because it's not always appealing to me (unless I've just gone for a run or come in from a trip outside on a hot day).

My husband has the same problem, so in our house, we've looked for ways to make us more interested in water. We've tried Crystal Light mix-ins, Propel water, and Hint essence water. Although all three taste better than regular water, two of the three have added sugar (and other ingredients) that we don't need. And all three cost money. Hint doesn't have any added sugar, but since it's just fruit-infused water, it seems like I should be able to make it myself. And I can.

I was excited to find this Pinterest link for making your own essence water. It couldn't be easier to do, and there are all kinds of flavor combinations with which you can experiment. It costs money (for the fruit...and the water, if you buy bottled), but your money goes a lot further, especially since you're producing a healthier option for yourself. For my first batch, I made strawberry lemon essence water.

It was really quite easy. Read the original post for step-by-step instructions if the below doesn't answer your questions.

1. Buy your fruits of choice. Per the original post, some fruit/herb combinations work well too.
2. Pull a Mason Jar out of your cabinets (or buy a few if you don't have any).
3. Slice your ingredients and add them to the bottom of the jar. I used 4-5 strawberries and half a lemon.

4. Mash up your ingredients with a wooden spoon or similar kitchen tool.

5. Add ice to top of jar.
6. Fill with water and place lid back on jar.

7. Shake jar vigorously to mix all contents.
8. Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors fuse together.
9. If desired, strain the water the following day to remove the fruit/herb pieces.

I really enjoyed the taste of my strawberry lemon water and plan on making other types of essence water to keep in the fridge. I plan on transferring my next batch from the Mason Jar to a sports bottle to make it easier to grab-and-go.

If you're someone who must have sugar in your beverage, essence water probably isn't for you. But if you're just someone who needs a little flavor to keep you interested in H2O, then try this out and see if you like it.