How To Make A Conker Wreath

What you will need:

14 inch (35cm) round wreath soft enough to be able to stick pins into (we used a bound straw wreath but a polystyrene wreath would also work)

3 metres of ivory coloured ribbon (3.5 cm in width)

Conkers (enough to go around the front of the wreath, see pictures)

1 metre of light green ribbon for the hanging tie (3.5 cm in width)

Approx 20cm of ivory ribbon for the bow (1.5 cm in width)

Pins to hold in place

Hot glue gun

How To Make A Conker Wreath

Do you remember those journeys home from school when it was conker season?

Foraging (my current fave word) around under the horse chestnut tree for the shiny orbs of conkerness. Cramming my school blazer pockets full of the fellas and then not quite knowing what to do with them all when you got home but it was alright because you had officially collected the most.

I collected conkers again for the first time in years last week. Although the experience was a little different now, fear of picking up a conker whose underside was stuck in a dog poo was one, but tipping my stash out on to the driveway when I got home felt exactly the same as it has always done. Like I had won a prize or found a treasure.

So, having been thrashed by Jodie at a game of conkers we set about making something a little special with the rest of the find.

A conker wreath.

We used a tightly packed straw wreath although you just need to choose a wreath base that you can stick pins into for this project.

Start by pinning the end of the thick ivory ribbon to the wreath with two pins to secure it in place

Wrap the ribbon around the wreath, overlapping slightly as you go, until the whole wreath is covered

Pin the end of the ribbon in place to secure

Measure three inches at the top of the wreath and mark the measurement with two pins (this space will be left conker free so the ribbon tie can be added a little later on)

Using the hot glue gun, glue the conkers in place around the wreath placing them as close together as possible

Allow the conkers to set and dry on the wreath for a short time

Take the light green ribbon and pin in place at the back of the wreath in the space you have left clear between the two pins

Wrap the ribbon around the wreath, slightly overlapping as you go, until the space in-between both pins is full

Remember to leave a smallish length of ribbon leftover as this will create the loop from which the wreath will hang from

Secure in place with more pins at the back of the wreath

With the remaining length of ribbon, fold over into a loop and once again secure in place with pins

With the small piece of ivory ribbon, make a bow and pin it in the middle of the light green ribbon

As we were putting this wreath together Jodie wondered aloud if it looked too ‘weddingy’. We both cocked our heads to one side and stared at it for a while. Coming to the conclusion that it did indeed look suitable for a wedding but that people get married in the Autumn too, so that made it OK!

What I like most about this project is that it shows another side to decorating in the Autumn. There are no orange pumpkins involved and the contrast between the dark, rich brown of the conkers and the pale in the ribbon we used is almost calming but still quite cosy and very inviting.

We’re mixing it up.