A Fall Wreath DIY, Sonoran Desert Style

I’ve recently moved to Tucson and wanted to create an adornment for my front door – this is a fall wreath DIY, Sonoran Desert style.

I grew up on a small farm in New England miles from anything and long before the internet came on the scene.  Sports, cooking, and crafting were my main activities as a kid.  Many years later I’m still active, cook and love to craft. I started blogging and YouTubing in Santa Barbara and created pieces with things collected from my garden, on the beach, and from the farmers market.

I collected everything used to decorate this wreath on my morning walks. The Sonoran Desert around Tucson is home to a wide variety of plants & as well as wildlife. 

Morning walk in the desert

I love my morning walks in the desert – the wildlife keeps me entertained & the mountain views are a delight. It’s also a time when I clear my mind & come up with ideas for videos & posts. Nature is so helpful & so necessary!

The pomegranates hanging off the tree next to my living room patio were the spark for me to do this wreath.  There were many of them and the weight was pulling the branches down and causing them to break. I cut most of them off and did a little light pruning on the neglected tree. The pomegranates were no beauties so I decided to dry them for a couple of months and give them a light gilding to gussy them up with a touch of sparkle and shine.

Pomegranate on the tree

1 of the pomegranates hanging off my tree.

Creating the wreath so I have something that says “welcome fall, welcome friends” to hang on my front door:

What I used:

Desert style fall wreath materials

The ingredients – the mesquite pods & green lemons didn’t make it onto the wreath.

16″ Twig wreath form which you can find here.  I like its rustic, natural vibe & the fact that it’s strong enough to hold the weight of the pomegranates.

Ball chain (as the hanger).

Deco Art Dazzling Metallics paint in rich espresso & champagne gold.

Florist wire

Pomegranates, prickly pear fruits, cholla fruits, acacia pods, pine cones & maple leaves.

Electric skillet & hot glue pillows (a glue gun would work just fine).

Dried pomegranate

The dried pomegranates before the brushing with a combo of the metallic paints. 

Dried and painted pomegranate

The pomegranates after their date with the paint.

The steps:

–> Gild & wire the pomegranates. I used my drill to make the holes to get the wire through.

–> Attach the chain to the wreath as the hanger.

–>Wire the pomegranates unto the wreath. I had to glue a few of them to keep them in place.

–> Glue on the prickly pear & cholla fruits as well as the pine cones. I love their weathered look!

Gorgeous fall wreath

Almost there – the colors of those cactus fruits shout out “fall” to me.

–> The acacia pods were next. I like the bit of playfulness they add.

–> The wreath wasn’t floating my creative boat but fortunately the maple leaves came to the rescue. My neighbor had collected them up on Mt. Lemmon the week before & I dried them.  They were just the finishing touch that this fall wreath needed!

This isn’t your typical autumn wreath but the late October days are sun filled & in the low 90’s here in Tucson – that’s fall in the Sonoran Desert!

Completed desert style fall wreath

I love wreaths because they’re a sign of welcome. You can decorate them with whatever strikes your fancy, be it either collected in nature or bought online or at your local craft store. If you don’t have time to make your own creation, we have you covered with quite a few fall readymade wreath options.  Have a wonderful fall!

Happy creating,

Signed by Nell Foster

You May Also Enjoy:

Autumn Decorating Ideas For A Festive Fall Season

The Best Plants That Will Make Your Home Festive For Fall

5 Porches That’ll Welcome Fall To Your Home

Fall Readymade Natural Wreaths 

Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas With Natural Elements 

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5 Comments

  1. This is a beautiful wreath, and constructed with materials so readily available and free for the taking! Thanks for sharing!

  2. Hi Mary – Thank you! The Sonoran Desert is so beautiful & provides us with inspiration as well as interesting things to craft with. I love my morning desert walks! Nell

  3. What a gorgeous wreath. Colors are so beautiful and definitely makes me think of your area. Thanks for sharing.

  4. You’re welcome … & thank you so much! I’m still new to the Sonoran Desert so it was fun to make. Nell

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