Let's Get Crafty: Fall Raffia Wreath

How would you like to make a time consuming wreath that will rub your cuticles almost raw and render your fingers useless for about 4 hours after you stop?  If that sounds like the stuff of dreams, then you have stumbled on the right post!  I was going to call this my "grief wreath" because the whole reason it even got made was to occupy my mind after an all day swirl session about Mom the day before and I knew I couldn't survive another day like that.  

So if all of that peppy shizz screams "YES!  I too would like to make this craft whilst consuming two full seasons of a show on Netflix or Prime" then here's what you'll need:

16" wire wreath form

5 bags Supermoss natural color raffia if going to Hobby Lobby.  (My link looks like a similar amount)

2 bags Supermoss terra cotta colored raffia from Hobby Lobby (My link shows color you're looking for)

(I got this stuff at Hobby Lobby and the total was $31 with 40% off of their raffia.  It should've been off the wire form too but I was doing good enough to not throat punch the woman when we had to go back in to get the sale price they screwed us out of.  Similar styles of finished wreathes on Etsy go from $48-120.)

I will be honest, I took the long bunch of tied raffia out, cut it in half, then cut that half in half and voila...my lengths.  I grabbed bundles usually 4-5 pieces of raffia at a time but if they were thin, up to 7-8 so they'd fill in.  Some other tutorials say 2-3 pieces per bundle on all rings and I would light it on fire before frisbeeing that thing across the field.  Mama does NOT have that kind of patience.  

Tip:  You WILL want something on to binge watch.  You WILL get through more than one season.  Wine may help by hour 2 when you either decide "eff this" or you're going to trudge through.

So here was my day:

Grab 4-5 strands of pre-hacked raffia and fold them in half so the ends are even.  

Place the loop it makes under the top outside ring of the form then pull the ends through the loop and gently pull taut.  

Then skip down to the third ring in the middle because the second one is going to get covered and we're not into torturing ourselves unnecessarily.  You'll still be using natural color for this ring.  This is where you will realize that as you are looping, your cuticles are hitting against the loops of the previous wrapped ring.  

Welcome to hell.

Using my thumb to push the loop up through did alleviate some of it so there's that.  This is also where wine may come in if you have any.  Repeat the loops as you finish one season and go into the next of the show of your choice.

Then switch to the terra cotta color raffia for the inner most ring.  (Your choice.  You could certainly do all one color)  

Repeat the knotting, watching, cursing and drinking until you are finished...10 hours later.  (If only I were joking.)

But at least you have this beauty when you're done!

I like the straggly, imperfect look of it and really like the two-toned look which was not my original intent.  I think the Mr couldn't believe I did it all in one day but I knew if I didn't, it would sit in the basement for three years until I happened upon it again and donated all of the items.

It was a good thing to keep my mind from swirling so I do appreciate that aspect of it.  I don't know how makers on Etsy do it because I would never willingly do this given the prices I see them go for compared to the effort.  But if you need a mindless distraction project to do that'll take a day and give you an excuse to binge watch several seasons of a show then this is your craft!  

The raffia folds forward so it should be easy to store if I just fold it toward the middle like a teepee and chuck it in a bag for the following season.

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