Sugar Skull Ribbon Wreaths

$15 - $20 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes two wreaths

 

The Dia de Los Muertos portion of 2017’s haunted house required dozens of wreaths and flowers for an intricate funeral scene. To prevent myself from using the same design for each prop, I did variations on the sugar skull motif. For this version, I decided to create an explosion of color that started with the painted skulls at the wreaths’ centers, spread to the floral arrangements covering their circular frames, and concluded with a trail of ribbons streaming down their bases.

• Two nine-inch grapevine wreaths
• Two wooden skull cutouts
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat blue*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat green*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat orange*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat purple*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat yellow*
• One five-yard spool of blue ribbon
• One five-yard spool of orange ribbon
• One five-yard spool of pink ribbon
• One five-yard spool of red ribbon
• One five-yard spool of yellow ribbon
• Artificial flowers in multiple colors and sizes (e.g. dahlias, daises, hydrangeas, sunflowers, zinnias)
• One yard of steel wire
• One yard of gray ribbon

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the wooden cutouts three even coats of white paint and, once they have dried, detail their faces with a variety of colors. Your designs can be as fanciful or frightening as you desire. Since these were used for a Dia de Los Muertos haunt, I stayed with playful imagery and, to save time, covered just the side which would be displayed.

2. Cut each five-yard spool of ribbon into five nine-inch, five twelve-inch, and five fifteen-inch sections. For visual unity, you want to select colors which correspond with those on the sugar skulls. To prevent them from fraying, burn their edges. You can also use pinking shears to give their ends a decorative flourish and add further interest to the prop.

3. Evenly divide the total number of sections between each wreath and hot glue them to the lower portions. By varying their colors and lengths, you will create a more impactful statement.

4. Use hot glue to adhere the flowers to the wreaths. While doing so, build up layers and vary the color patterns so that blooms with the same hues and shapes are not concentrated in one area. You may want to play with the arrangement first before gluing it in place. Likewise, you want to pick colors which complement the ribbons and designs on the skulls.

5. Cut steel wire into four one-foot sections, bend them in the middle, and adhere one to the top and bottom of each skull cutout. This will serve to attach the items to the wreaths. To help hide the wires, purchase one in a color which matches those of the ribbons or flowers. I you cannot find colored wire, you can always spray paint it.

6. Using the wire, attach the skulls to the wreath. You will do this by running the wire through an opening in the frame and wrapping it around on of the vines. For added support, glue the wire in place.

7. The wreaths can be hung in a variety of ways: a traditional hanging hook, a hanging loop made from gray ribbon cut into fourteen-inch sections (as I did for this version), or a sturdier loop made with the same steel wire used in steps five and six.

8. You could add further embellishments by incorporating colorful beads, exotic feathers, or glittery branches into the wreath’s design.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.