The holidays are coming up fast and I have so many ideas for beautiful fall and winter wreaths but this project has to be one of my favorites.
From childhood I was inspired by the Lord of the Rings through Peter Jackson’s movie adaptation. A few years ago I finally discovered the books in audio format and was completely taken in by the world Tolkien had created once again. As I find myself relating more and more to hobbits rather than elves, wizards, or dwarves (they had me at food, gardening, and hiding from the outside world) I feel this decoration is perfect for my own little hobbit hole.
My mother suggested some crafting one Friday afternoon and my sister and I were eager to join. The results were stunning. Here is how you can make some Hobbit door wreaths of your very own:
Step 1 - Gather Your Supplies
This can vary but you will at least need a round piece of wood for the door. You can purchase the exact kind we used along with other craft supplies at the very bottom of this post. You will also want a glue gun, paint, greenery/florals, a knob for your door and some twine for hanging.
Step 2 - Apply the Paint
The color and style is completely up to you but I do have some tips to help your door look more realistic. You will want to have three shades in a similar pallet. So on this door you can see how there is a base coat of green, but then there are some warm, yellow highlights and some cool, darker lowlights. Apply your base color first. Then, while the paint is still drying, you can add in strokes of lighter and darker shades to create some variation. Make sure you paint with the grain, so in this case up and down not side to side. You will also notice that there is some brown detailing added in and around the cracks of the wood. This will also help create a more realistic effect. Make sure your paint is fully dry before moving on to the next step.
Step 3 - Add Your Decorations
Now comes the fun part! You can begin to embellish your door with any hobbit-y accents you find fitting. This could be small flowers, vines, moss, mini mushrooms, hinges, and more! You can use hot glue for quick applications, and if you have hardware or heavier items, you may want to super glue them and wait for them to dry.
Step 4 - Taking it to the Next Level
This is extra but you can add letters to your door or stencil on a design. On this door you can see there is a design which was painted on.
This was accomplished by printing out the design on paper and then coating the back in either willow charcoal, white chalk, or graphite pencil. In this case I used graphite, although if I did it again I think I would try chalk since the graphite didn’t show up as well on the darker color of the door.
Once you have your paper coated, line it up on your door and press down firmly with a pencil tracing out the entire design. This will allow you to fill in the lines with paint rather than having to eyeball it resulting in a smoother, more even design that fits the shape of the door properly.
Step 5 - Seal Your Door
This is optional. However, if your door is going to be hanging outside (even under a covered overhang), I would strongly recommend sealing it with Mod Podge. You can purchase it in either paint or spray form and this will help protect your wreath from wind and moisture.
That’s it! I hope you will give this project a try. We had such a fun evening crafting together while listening to the movie soundtrack and talking about our favorite characters and moments in the story. I encourage you to pick up the books and read them if you haven’t. They still hold so much magic and adventure after all these years. In this world that seems to grow ever busier, Tolkien has us take a step into another world, where the life of the small and humble has the greatest impact.
“I sit beside the fire and think of all that I have seen,
of meadow-flowers and butterflies in summers that have been;
Of yellow leaves and gossamer in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun and wind upon my hair.
I sit beside the fire and think of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring that I shall ever see.
For still there are so many things that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring there is a different green.
I sit beside the fire and think of people long ago,
and people who will see a world that I shall never know.
But all the while I sit and think of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet and voices at the door.”
- From the Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
Crafting Supplies
Door (round wood slice)
Buy the Books
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