The Raven Wreath

Let's start with a quick excerpt from Edgar Allan Poe's well-known poem, The Raven:

"Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'"

In direct opposition to Poe's request to take the raven off of the door, I'm going to share with you the Raven-inspired wreath I made this year (which is proudly displayed on my front door--sorry Edgar!)

I used plain black cardstock for this wreath, but also threw in a sheet of starry scrapbook paper just for fun.  My goal was to create the look of feathers or scales (depending on your imagination).  I snagged this raven at my favorite thrift shop for a buck--but they're available at most craft stores for about the same price.

To make the scales/feathers, I used a heart-shaped punch and then cut each heart in half.  Obviously you don't have to use a punch--you can use scissors and this would be the perfect time to do free-hand cuts.  No need for perfection on what is meant to be a creepy wreath!

Hot glue is the perfect medium for affixing the paper to the wreath, and if you stagger the paper just right you'll cover the wreath without showing the ragged straw form below.

I left the hot glue strands because they kind of look like spider webs.  It had nothing to do with laziness and the fact that didn't want to spend an extra 5 minutes picking them off.  Yeah, right.

Stick your bird on the wreath, and there you have it!

P.S. A few days after I completed this wreath, Dana from made pinned this wreath on Pinterest. 

Very similar, huh?  Made with felt cut into oval shapes.  I almost decided not to share the project I had created after seeing this similar wreath, but then I got over it!  With so many blogs out there, it's tough to be original even when you think you're being original.  In the end, great minds think alike.