It’s a rare thing when one of my projects begins with something new- not thrifted. But, when I scored this Spanish moss wreath on clearance last year, I knew it was destined for a DIY Halloween wreath. So, I simply stowed it away for nearly a year.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Now, I wasn’t exactly sure what my Halloween wreath craft would actually be. But as I let ideas marinate, I kept coming back to the idea of bugs. Specially beetles or creepy scarabs. So, in the spirit of all things secondhand, I found a terrific set on eBay.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
The ridiculous garish colors weren’t my thing, but I could change that. And that, my friends, is how this spooky season wreath came to be.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Let me show you how it all came together…
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Turning Plastic Bugs into Iridescent Beetles
Now, you know I love to discover a new-to-me craft supply/product, and this DIY Halloween wreath seemed like the perfect opportunity. You see, I’d heard about these shimmery, iridescent paints by DecoArt called “Enchanted”.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
And I had a sneaking suspicion that they’d be absolutely ideal for creating magical beetles. Like those green June bugs that look like they’re from another universe.
But to use these paints, your base (i.e., plastic bugs) needs to be a solid, matte black. So, first, I set up my spray paint station to give the beetles a flat black makeover.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
DecoArt does make a flat black paint for their Enchanted line, so I then added a touch of that to the beetles’ bodies. Though, I don’t think this was truly a necessary step.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Next, it was the moment of truth- applying the colorful Enchanted paint. I started with green, but I also had blue, purple, and turquoise on hand.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
And it was…GORGEOUS! Exactly the look I was going for. Magical, bewitching, but not unlike actual June bugs.
Before I knew it, I’d painted the entire herd of beetles in iridescent colors. I didn’t add a top coat, admittedly, though I probably should have. I was just so excited about how they turned out to take another step before adding them to my Halloween wreath.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Don’t they look SO MUCH BETTER with their makeovers??
Bone Bow for a DIY Halloween Wreath
I *did* still need to create some sort of bow for my wreath. And I couldn’t get away from the idea of using skeleton bones for one. So, I bought a bag of loose bones from Michaels.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
I wanted the double knobby ends of the femurs to become my bone bow. So, I asked Jon to cut the faux femurs to specific lengths based on my wreath size.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Then, I hot-glued them together to create a “bow” shape. I also wrapped the seam with some clear packing tape, as well.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Next, I wrapped some off-white burlap ribbon over the seam to hide it and the tape. I cut off two ribbon for bow tails and hot-glued them behind the bow.
Lastly, because they came in the bag of bones I bought, I glued two non-distinct arm bones to the ribbon tails! And that was it, my “bone bow” was complete.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Now I was ready to assemble the entire wreath- bow, bugs, and all. Ready to see how it looked?
DIY Halloween Wreath with Creepy Crawlies
After hot-gluing the bone bow to what I deemed the bottom of the wreath, I then added a loop of hemp twine to the top. This way, I had my top and bottom designated before hot-gluing the painted beetles on.
And this is how it looked when I was all done!
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
I wanted my DIY Halloween wreath to have that creepy forest look, and I think I got it! Think of what you see when you lift a rotting log in a forest. All those creepy crawlies that are teeming on the wood and soil…
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
That “underneath the rotting log” look is what I was going for here.
Isn’t it great? Not too shabby for an 80%-off clearance wreath from last year, and some plastic bugs from eBay.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
I did want to point out that the Enchanted paint line that I used here is quite different from the Color Shift paint I used on these potion bottles.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Whereas the Color Shift paint is holographic, the Enchanted paint is iridescent. In fact, the Enchanted paint looks milky white in each bottle- hence the need for the black base coat.
Now I just need to figure out future projects I can use this Enchanted paint on. Because it is SO gorgeous in person, and was perfect for my creepy beetles. Think you’ll give it a go on a project some time?
Craft on!
S
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Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.
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