Rake Wreath

Why not mix it up a little on the front door this fall?  This bucks the traditional wreath for something a little more, dare I say it, rakish.

MATERIALS

Rake
Grapevine
Fall leaves (real or silk)
Mini-pumpkins or gourds
Silk sunflower (optional)
Floral wire
Fabric or ribbon

Remove the head from the rake.  Often there's just a nut you need to finger loosen to slip the handle out.  You could of course leave the handle on which could look quite grand on the right door with the right handle.Position your grapevine in two gentle arcs or circles coming off of one side of the rake.  Doing them off center will give the wreath more interest and movement.  Anchor them in place my weaving a few pieces into the tines of the rake.Lay your leaves in the center and secure the branches with floral wire around the neck of the rake.Place two gourds or mini-pumpkins on wooden skewers and lay them on top of the leaves angling them to one side.  Secure these with more floral wire.Cut the stem of your flower so there's just an inch left.  Wrap a piece of floral wire around the small stem and secure it in place, nestling it underneath the gourds. Tie a ribbon around the neck of the rake, hiding all of the wire.  To make my ribbon, I cut a 1 1/2" strip of fabric and layered it on a 4" strip of burlap.  I then tied a bow using my double-layered, homemade ribbon.