How to make a "Bewitched"-themed wreath for Halloween!

Just look at the awesomeness.  I did it all by myself (with the exception of Ben printing out the photos, because my printer is wonky.  Witch's honor).

 

So, how did I go about making this fantabulous wreathic ode to my favorite Mid-Century TV show?  How did I get the idea to do it?  WHY did I do it?

 

Well, I was tired of walking through Target, speciality stores, quaint antique shoppes, trolling around online,  and just not finding the perfect Halloween-Samhain wreath.  I wanted something that stood out from the rest, wasn't orange and black, and had no owls. Or bells.  I can't tell you how many Halloween wreaths I found that had black, metal bells.  What's with that?

 

Also, I wanted something witchy, something magickal to pay homage to my new-found leanings.  It had to be a perfect reflection of what I think of when I think of witchery: positive, mystical, celebratory, and maybe just a tad purple-bluelicious.

 

So, one I day, while viewing some clips of "Bewitched" on Youtube (because I do that), I came across the segment from "Serena Stops the Show".  You know the one. 

 

Where she sings, "Blow You a Kiss in the Wind", the song that Boyce and Hart then perform at the Cosmos Cotillion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3cFkXSgfjg

 

Ah.  The Cosmos Cotillion.  How I always wished I could attend it.  Or any of the Witches' Balls.  Or stop in for a visit at Witches' Council.  Ethereal, smoky-yet elegant, and definitely otherworldly.  And every picture I found online didn't quite match the picture I image I had in my mind's eye.  Because, since childhood, I would dream about what lay beyond the scenes of said councils and balls and cotillions.  Those were the times when I hung around with Samantha and Serena and we sipped bubbly potions, feasted on the vast array of delicacies only found in that world between worlds, cast spells, and played practical jokes with Uncle Arthur.

 

And then it came to me.  A wreath informed by those wispy, crystalline images dancing in my head for over forty years.

 

Here's what I amassed:

 

* a styrofoam wreath circle

* purple, sequined bendable ribbon

* lavender-silver glitter ribbon

* silver sequined craft paper stock

* fourteen wood circles (eight 2" ones, six 2 1/2" ones)

* purple glitter glue

* glue stick

* black tempera paint

* small craft pins

* hot glue gun

* small picture hanger

* photos printed from online search

* crystal decorative chains

 

First, I covered the styrofoam circle with the lavender-silver glitter ribbon. I needed three spools of it. I used pins to pin it all in place. 

 

Then, I took the purple bendable ribbon and made foot-long accordions of it, pulling it out and pinning it in place on the back of the wreath, so it makes a funky, witchy sunflower. 

 

Next, I pinned the silver paper stock the the back, trimming the excess so there wasn't a big, ol'  square attached to the wreath.

 

After that, I painted the outer edges of the circles black, then decorated the dried paint with the glitter glue (this doesn't show up in the photo too clearly, but adds some depth when you see it up close).

 

I sat and scoured photos online until I found a wonderful mix of all my favorite "Bewitched" characters, with a preponderance of Serena and Samantha, naturally.  I was giddy when I found one of Tabitha in mid-conjure.  And, of course, Uncle Arthur served tableside.  I had my hubby print them out (thanks, sweetie!) on photo paper in either 2" or 2 1/2" circles, which I then cut out and affixed to the wood circles with my trusty glue stick.

 

Next, the wooden photo circles were hot glued in place.  I made sure to not make the pieces look like a series of clock numbers, alternating larger and smaller circles in an unstructured way.

 

To gild the lily, I first pinned the crystal chains (used two) after weaving them around the photos, then hot glued them securely onto the wreath. It adds that perfect bit of glimmer and decadence (Actually, I told my hubby that I was assembling a "Bewitched" wreath that will look a little like a drag queen.  I think the crystal chains achieved that effect nicely).

 

Then, to seal the deal, I printed out the iconic "Bewitched" logo on photo paper, and hot glued it to the center of the sequin paper.

 

All that was left to do was nail in the small picture hanger on the back et voila!  The perfect purple-silver-whimsy-magic spell Cosmos Cotillion wreath.  My childhood dreams of hanging out with my TV family have come true!

 

Photo from Samanthashaven.blogspot.com