Acorn Wreath

YOU'LL NEED:

• 3 lb. hazelnuts in the shell (or acorns, caps removed)  
• Towel  
• Scissors  
• Medium-weight cardboard (such as a cereal box)  
• 14" extruded Styrofoam wreath form (a denser type of Styrofoam)  
• Newspaper or drop cloth  
• Brown spray paint  
• Hot-glue gun  
• Sandpaper  
• 18 almonds in the shell  
• Gold-tone beads  
• 1½" head pins
• 1 yard ribbon, 1½" to 2" wide

 

1. Rinse nuts. Spread out on towel to dry.

2. Cut out 3 cardboard circles, about 1½" diameter.

3. Set cardboard circles and wreath form on newspaper or drop cloth in a ventilated area. Apply a light coat of spray paint. Let dry.

4. Glue hazelnuts to wreath form with flat top of nuts against form. Cluster them as close as possible. To ensure that wreath hangs flat against wall or door, cover only front and sides of form with nuts.

5. To make almond flowers, glue a hazelnut to center of cardboard circle with pointy end against cardboard (if too pointy to attach securely, sand until flat). Arrange 6 almonds like petals around center nut and glue in place. Let dry, then trim any cardboard that shows between petals.

6. Attach flowers to wreath at a 5 o’clock position.

7. To add gold-tone beads, place a bead on a head pin and insert between nuts into wreath form.

8. Fold ribbon in half and loop around top of wreath. If the ribbon looks bumpy, put a strip of medium-weight cardboard between ribbon and nuts to create a smooth surface.