Halloween Decked-Out Wreath

How to know when to stop?

When there is not a single spot left

to attach another decoration!!

Sometimes I refer to my wreath projects

as closet-cleanout crafts: I get to use so many fun things

that I knew I should save, just in case.

For this visually exciting and choc-full wreath, 

there are lots of paper scallop layered flowers

with glued-on centers of covered buttons, bead trios,

sparkle buttons and other baubles.

A 3d slice-form spider lurks near bottom with eyes wide.

Spooky greeting frame "Ghoultide Cheer" anchors left side.

 Ring-jointed skeleton design (this time with stamped

messages and designs on bones, 

thanks to Pink & Main's "Planning Fall" set)
waves a ghoulish hello.
(Find a separate tutorial for the skeleton here.)

Any wreath like this is unique,

so I'll just share some of the things that fill it up.

Here are the many elements 
and materials pre-assembled, 
but before attached to the wreath base.

The Ghoutide Cheer Wreath design set is available for purchase and download from SVG Attic (or soon will be available), which includes the skeleton, plaque, spider, and scalloped flower elements.

If you have purchased the main designs separately through Silhouette America or SnapDragonSnippets.com, you can obtain the scalloped circles set as free download at SnapDragonSnippets.com . Design title: Scalloped Set plus Circle Garland Shapes

Use fold-over circle shapes and a doubled length of twine or ribbon to create a mini-garland. See it in the image above before placed on the wreath, or at right, in place.

Use the simple circles, assembled in a trio as a sort of "flower" base for one of the other smaller flower petal shapes.

Cut various scalloped circle shapes from your fun collection of Halloween or orange, black, cream, brown papers and assemble into flowers with buttons as centers.

The right flower shown here has a burlap middle petals layer. Use one of the shapes as a template to cut out ribbon, burlap, fabric, or other fun textures.

Here is an example of layered shapes, with a fabric covered button form as the center.

This flower has bottom and mid flowers that are "flat", and a top scalloped circle that was formed into a cone to hold the three-bead center.

To create a modest cone, scissors-cut from one side of the paper scalloped circle, between two scallops, into the center. Bend and slide the cut edges to overlap to form the cone, then glue the edges together and hold until secure.

Check out the original tutorial for the wreath project
before the skeleton and Ghoultide Cheer plaque were added
at this LINK.

Happy Skelly Ring Jointed Figure Assembly

The grin on this skeleton might take some of the 'fright' out! 

Dimensional head 'box' has connected side flanges, 

tabs and back panel with bottom slot and side wrap tabs. 

For contrast to show eye cut outs, cut and attach 

the inner back head overlay before completing head assembly. 

Face overlay has separate pupil eyes. 

Optional overlay contour shapes for legs, arms and body suggest dimension. 

Attach head to torso shape and hips with mini brad fasteners. 

Join others shapes with 10mm "chain maille" jump rings. 

Attach optional punched tab back head hanger 
and tie with ribbon for peg display. 

Modified bone shapes offer space for smaller-scale stamps 

and embellishments. 

View a wreath project that features this skeleton as a decoration here.

ASSEMBLY:

1. Identify and cut the shapes:

A dimensional head base

B inner contrast head liner (changed to orange in the final sampler version)

C face overlay with eyes underlay behind

D hanging attachment

E ribs base with overlay

F heart (made dimensional as 3 layers)

G hips base with overlay

H arms & hands base shapes with overlays

I & J legs and feet base shapes, overlays

Not shown: shoulder connector shape (see step 13)

2. Prepare the head shape by folding sides and tabs back or inward as shown.

3. Attach the contrast base shape (orange in the final sample) on the back inside of the head.

4. Position and attach the eyes underlay behind the head eye hole cutouts. . . 

. . . lining up the bottom shape of eye unit with the top of the nose cut out.

5. Assemble the head by bending sides to bring short straight edges to overlap the adjacent wedge tabs to the perforation line.  

Here the right top seam is connected. Complete 3 seams on each side of head in the same manner.

6. At the lower sides, the attached shapes are "tabs" which are folded downward as shown. Bend the actual connected side panels upward, with the tiny end tab bent outward.  

Align and attach side panels at the jaw/face side edges . . . 

. . . with the end tab under the bottom edge of the inwardly-angled head side panel.

7. Position and attach the face shape overlay to the head, matching the openings precisely.

8. Bend the head front over the back to insert the bottom punched tab through the slot on the back head bottom edge.

Then fold the back tab up under skelly's jaw and glue in place.

NOTE: the bottom head panel should be perpendicular (right angle) to the plane of the face. The side panels are angled.

8. Bend the side tabs and attach to the backside of the head.

9. Position ribs overlay onto base, matching punch holes, and glue in place.

10. Attach hips overlay to base.

11. Stack and attach heart layers (3 to 5 as you choose).

12. Attach heart to ribs assembly with mini brad. Attach ribs and hips shapes with mini brads. 

If desired, apply glue between the layers where these attach first, secure attachment, then insert brads. 

13. Position the shoulders connector shape behind the upper edge of the ribs shape, lining up center punch hole, and glue in place.




14. Position top tab of shoulders connector behind head tab and attach with glue if desired. Then . . . 

. . . insert and attach with mini brad.

15. Position and attach other bones overlays (including the feet which were left out of this shot).

16. OPTIONAL: decorate the bones with miniature stamps or other embellishments.

Since this project was originally created as part of a joint blog hop with Pink and Main clear polymer stamps company, I selected the "Planning Fall" journaling and calendar smaller scale stamps set.

The selected stamp design is attached to the clear stamping square, then inked and stamped onto the prepared bone shape.

NOTE: if you anticipate "booboo's", you may wish to stamp the overlay shapes before attaching to the base, in case the stamped shape(s) need to be re-cut.

17. Prepare the attach the bones and assemble the skeleton.

The original project uses these "chain maille" rings size 10mm that were perchased from JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts.

These rings can be spread and closed with just finger manipulation, but you can use a pliers tool for even greater ease.

Open/spread the ring ends, then insert through the punch holes of the shapes being attached.

NOTE: thigh bones and lower leg bones look much alike. Thigh bones that go at the top of the legs have punch holes on the side to attach to the hips.

Close the ring, and rotate the joint to the backside of the skeleton.

18. Attach the arms/hands assemblies to the shoulder connector with brads.

To help the arms hang away from the body in a desirable fashion, it is suggested to position and glue these in pace before attaching with brads.

19. Depending on your final use for the skeleton, you can position and attach the hanging tab at this point in construction.

Fold the top tab section to the back of the hanger and glue in place.

Position the hanger behind the head, match up the contour edges of each, and glue in place.

Here he is completed 

(though shown without his hanger here).