Chalk Couture Club Couture Thrifted Fall Wreath

I found this berry wreath at a thrift store for around three dollars, and I knew it would be perfect for fall with a little sprucing up. I used the August Chalk Couture Club Couture design to make a layered Welcome Home sign, then added a loose and colorful bow made from ribbon scraps, trim, and raffia.

Starting With the Thrift Store Wreath

The wreath already had plenty of fall color. It was filled with orange and reddish berries, although a few of them looked a little tired. That didn’t bother me because I knew I could fluff the branches, move the berries around, and cover a sparse area with my sign.

Wreaths and greenery are always on my thrift store shopping list. I also look for baskets and wood pieces because those finds can become so many different things with paint and a little imagination. I found this wreath during the heat of summer, but fall was coming, so I grabbed it while I could.

For this project, I kept the original berries and worked with their warm colors instead of taking the wreath apart.

Painting the Chalk Couture Club Couture Sign

The August Club Couture design was called Change Is Beautiful. It included a beautiful allover pattern along with two sentiment options. I could choose Welcome Home or Fall Is Proof That Change Is Beautiful, and I decided Welcome Home would work well on this wreath.

The project had two sign pieces that would be layered together. I painted the larger back piece with Espresso paste, which is a rich brown that worked beautifully with the orange berries. My brush was already damp, and I spread the paste over the surface until I liked the coverage.

You can add another coat for a solid finish, but I left some variation in mine because I love a worn, distressed look. Once it dried, the brown almost reminded me of aged leather.

I painted the smaller top piece with Bright White paste. The light color created plenty of contrast against the Espresso background and gave the Welcome Home lettering a clean place to stand out.

Creating a Distressed Finish

After the paste dried, I used my small sanding pads on both pieces. I sanded around the surfaces and edges until some of the finish looked naturally worn.

You can sand as much or as little as you like. A light pass gives the piece a soft aged finish, while extra sanding brings out more of the surface underneath. I wanted mine to look like it had already been part of my fall decor for years.

Adding the Chalk Couture Transfers

I added a little fuzz to the Welcome Home transfer before placing it on the white sign piece. You can measure for exact placement, or you can measure with your heart like I did.

I spread Espresso paste over the transfer with a squeegee and used light pressure. It only takes a small amount of paste, and there is no need to press hard. Once the open areas were covered, I lifted the transfer and revealed the brown Welcome Home lettering against the distressed white finish.

For the larger piece, I wanted the background pattern to have more variation than one solid color. I added small amounts of Dune and Bright White paste to the transfer, picking up a little of each with my squeegee.

This is the hot mess technique. I spread the colors across the design without working them together too much, which allowed the Dune and Bright White to stay slightly separated. The finished pattern had a soft mix of both shades instead of one flat color.

Chalk Couture transfers can be used many times when they are cleaned and cared for properly, so this beautiful background pattern can work on plenty of future projects too.

Layering the Two Sign Pieces

The kit came with double sided glue dots for joining the pieces. I placed one near each corner on the back of the smaller white sign and pressed it onto the patterned Espresso piece.

The dark background framed the white sign beautifully, and the distressed edges helped both pieces feel like they belonged together. That layered detail also gave the wreath a more finished look without covering too many of the berries.

Attaching the Sign to the Wreath

My first plan was to hot glue rope to the back of the sign and tie it onto the wreath. My glue gun had other plans, so I switched to punching holes near both upper sides of the sign.

That little change worked out well. I brought the rope through the holes, tied knots, and used the ends to secure the sign around the wreath. You could also use twine or ribbon for this step.

I placed the sign over the sparse section of the wreath and moved it until the position looked balanced. It started a little off to the right, but after fluffing the berries and adjusting the branches, it settled closer to the center.

Craft projects often change while I’m working, and that is part of the fun. A different attachment method or placement can still lead to a result that looks just right.

Making the Wispy Fall Bow

I wanted the bow to feel loose and full of movement, so I gathered orange raffia, pieces of trim, braided ribbon, and leftover bits from my ribbon pile. Using end pieces is one of my favorite ways to make a bow because the different colors and textures add interest.

I made a large looped bundle with the orange raffia, then layered several pieces of trim over it in different lengths. After tying everything together, I cut the loops to create wispy ends.

The bright orange raffia blended nicely with the burnt orange berries once it was on the wreath. I tied the bow near the bottom of the sign using the same rope that held the sign in place, then trimmed a few more loops and moved the pieces around until they spread out around the berries.

A traditional bow would work here too, but I loved the free flowing look of the raffia and scrap trim. It gave the wreath an explosion of fall color while using supplies I already had.

Saving the Leftover Paste

I squeezed the remaining paste away from the cut corners of the pouches, folded the openings, and sealed them with painter’s tape. I kept the printed names visible so I could tell which color was in each pouch.

Paste can dry out like other wet craft supplies, so I plan to use the leftovers soon. If it starts to dry, I can move it to a small container, add a little distilled water, and stir it well. It can also be used for a watercolor style project.

This inexpensive berry wreath was already a good thrift store find, and the layered sign, distressed finish, and colorful bow gave it a fresh look for fall. Keeping wreaths and greenery on my regular thrift list gives me a head start whenever the next decorating season rolls around.

Chalk Couture supplies I used

• Dune Paste
• Espresso Paste
• Bright White Paste

You can shop my full Chalk Couture store here.

I am an independent Chalk Couture designer, so I earn a commission on these links. See my disclosure for more.