This DIY modern Halloween wreath is a simple and kid-friendly Halloween craft to dress up your front door in an unscary way! The best part? With this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make it in just 15 minutes!

There was a lot to do on Sunday:
- Walk the dog
- Pick up the house
- Pick up my daughter’s birthday cake
- Buy curtain rods for the guestroom/craft room makeover
- Make a modern Halloween wreath
It all had to be done by noon.
For most people, the final two items on this to-do list would not even be on the to-do list for a day when we planned to entertain more than a dozen four-year-olds and keep the birthday girl happy.
Curtain rods and wreaths certainly weren’t on my husband’s list. He’s not plagued by a tiny voice in his head that insists you must do it all right now!
Lucky guy.
Ultimately, everything was done with only a minor meltdown on my part (well, at least that’s my perspective).
I also learned something that has nothing to do with wreath-making and everything to do with mistake-making.
But first, let’s make a modern Halloween wreath. All you need is about 15 minutes and a handful of supplies.
Modern Halloween Wreath Supplies
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To make this simple wreath for Halloween, you will need:
- Straw or foam wreath form
- 2.5″ wide stiff ribbon (wired-edge ribbon works best) in the Halloween pattern of your choice
- Sewing pins or floral pins
- Glue gun
- Faux fall leaves (mine are a bit glittery)
- Faux pumpkin vase filler (Mine are from JoAnn, but are no longer available online; you may have luck in the store.)
- Fabric in a complementary color and pattern

How to Make a Halloween Wreath
Fold over the raw end of the ribbon and attach it to the wreath with two or three pins.
Wrap the ribbon around the wreath, making sure that the ribbon overlaps enough to hide the straw wreath behind it.
Continue to wrap the ribbon around the wreath until you cover the whole wreath.
Or you run out of ribbon.
You know, whichever happens first.
Then secure the end piece to the wreath with a few more pins. You can add a few additional pins to the back of the wreath anywhere the ribbon seems loose.

Here’s the thing, though: I ran out of ribbon.
I majorly ran out of ribbon. Check out this massive gap.

Now, I’m sure there is some mathematical calculation to determine how many yards of 2.5″ wide ribbon is required to cover a 14″ diameter, 2″ thick wreath, but I do not know what it is. Apparently, Google doesn’t either, because I just looked for you.
A mistake made this Halloween wreath better.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I’m a rather task-oriented person (ahem), and I needed to check “Make modern Halloween wreath” off my to-do list.
My ribbon stash came up empty, and my stacks of fabric remnants sorely lack in the black, white and orange department.
Nothing matched.
Then I remembered an odd fabric I found in the remnant aisle at JoAnn: sparkly black netting with a wired edge. Initially, I dismissed it because it’s so sheer.
Then I tried folding it into several layers.
Ta-da! Not only did it work, it actually looked pretty cool. So, I pinned and wrapped it in place to cover my wreath’s bare spot, then hot-glued a few faux leaves and pumpkins to the fabric.

The result of my mistake is a modern Halloween wreath that’s much more interesting than I originally intended.
It’s not like wrapping ribbon or fabric around a wreath form is revolutionary, but I wouldn’t have thought to wrap a section of it in a complementary fabric because it wasn’t part of my plan until my mistake forced me to find a creative solution.

Mistakes allow you to exercise your creative muscle!
I am happy with how my modern Halloween wreath looks, but I’m happier with how I solved my ribbon conundrum in a creative way.
It felt good to make a cheerful DIY Halloween wreath to celebrate the season in a un-spooky way.
Mostly, though, it felt good not to dwell on my mistake and beat myself up for not buying enough supplies.
Let’s just hope I remember this lesson when I tackle next week’s to-do list!
So tell me: What are your favorite tips for handling your crafting mistakes? How often do you scrap a project altogether vs. try to salvage it? Share your tips in the comment section below!
Fiona Loves Organising says
The wreath turned out great! I am a bit of a perfectionist. I must admit in the past I would strap it if the project didn’t live up to my standard but I am getting better.
Laura says
Thanks so much, Fiona! Yes, we have to adjust our thought process a little bit. Step back and think: “How can I salvage this?” instead of “Gah! I screwed up!”
laceyhaskell says
Oh its just darling! so sweet! And great shots showing the details of how to! Awesome!
Laura says
Thanks, Lacey!
adventureandhome says
Oh Laura, I ended up not using my ribbon to wrap my Halloween wreath because I realized I didn’t have enough. I scrambled at the dollar store to find some grey burlap cloth to cover it instead and I’m actually really excited at how great it turned out! I totally agree that sometimes mistakes make a project even better in the end.
Ultimately, your wreath is ADORABLE and you really broke it down well for people make their own. Nice work! 😀
Laura says
Yay! Yes, I love your wreath too. Burlap always adds great texture.