My daughter had a dream. My husband shared this dream. A fall pheasant feather wreath with lots of spiky pheasant feathers stealing the show.
There’s no substitute for pheasant feathers on a fall wreath if you’re looking to provide texture and create drama. And I think we can all use a little more drama these days. {Insert sarcasm right here.)
Then I thought to myself. We’ll just buy a fall wreath. I don’t want make a wreath. Too tired and cranky.
I looked up fall wreaths. The ones we liked with lots of pheasant feathers cost $159. Another was over $200.
I’m not spending that!
Yet. I want a showstopping pheasant feather wreath that will take my visitors breath away when they visit.
Warm and welcoming, greeting visitors as they enter my home.
So it’s back to DIY wreath-making for us. Esther and Tom won. Truthfully, all wreath-making takes is a little time, patience and a few bucks. Here how….
How-to get pheasant feathers
So you have a few options on how to get pheasant feathers and can go for the real deal or faux route. Pheasants are interesting animals!
I think you know by now that Tom is a hunter and hunts pheasant for pheasant stew and other such delights.
I know….I don’t always love hunting myself but fully realize the pheasants released by the DEC would be eaten by fox if Tom didn’t snag two of them.
My kids think they are delicious and their feathers beautiful. To this I completely agree! But if you can’t acquire your own “real” feathers faux ones will certainly do the trick.
Either way mixing and matching natural elements with man-made elements is the key to success in wreath-making.
Materials needed for a fall pheasant feather wreath
18″ or 24″ grapevine (like this) or wire frame (like this). Of course you could go with a 12″ and once you add all your materials will look full enough. But harvest materials are long and cumbersome to work with. The bigger wreath might make the process of attaching your add-ons easier. Some natural elements are long!
Floral wire (like this) – Green colored wire is best because it will blend in with your greenery and metal wreath form. You’ll hardly notice it. At the craft store, you’ll see this type of wire near the artificial flowers.
Wire-cutters (like this) – You probably already own a pair of wire-cutters. Don’t use your kitchen scissors for the task, it will ruin them. Even if you need to buy a pair, you’ll use them for lots of other projects.
Glue gun & extra glue (like this) – If you don’t already own a glue gun you certainly won’t regret buying one. They come in so handy for so many projects!
Natural and man-made materials – Go outside, enjoy the fresh and pluck pluck pluck. Wheat, nuts, grasses, corn stalks, leaves of every hue. And what you can’t find? Supplement at Hobby Lobby. Everything is on clearance now, too!
Pheasant feathers (like these) – Real or faux pheasant feathers will work equally well.
Mod Podge – If you are using real leaves, it’s best to seal them using a paint brush and Mod Podge. The Modge Podge strengthens the leaves and gives them a little sheen.
Matte sealer (like this) – When working with dried, natural elements, I highly recommend using a sealer when finished.. Not only does it protect your masterpiece, but it gives it a slight glossy glow. Aleene’s is easy to apply, goes on evenly and will help your wreath last several seasons of wear-and-tear.
Start with the frame
It’s the frame of the wreath that gives you a solid base to build the rest of the wreath.
You have a lot of choice, but as a general rule, indoor wreaths require less durability and outdoor wreaths must be sturdier to withstand the elements.
Either way, if you plan on decorating your wreath with heavier adornments, choose a sturdy frame to support them.
Many wreath frustrations are the result of a weak base!
Wire wreaths are cheap, widely available and come in all shapes and sizes but may not be able to handle super heavy material. Plus, they are ugly so you want to make sure your add-ons cover up it up so none of it is exposed.
I like grapevine wreaths. They are attractive, have a natural flare, go with any season and are sturdy enough to support just about any added material.
Another advantage to using a grapevine wreath is that you don’t have to fuss about covering every square inch of it with materials as you would with a wire wreath which you’d never want exposed.
Grapevine is natural and will look fine if bits of it are showing when your wreath is complete.
Finding materials
The best wreaths will incorporate both natural and man-made materials as both can be equally aesthetically pleasing. Combining the two gives you the best of both worlds.
If you can’t find the natural element to a piece you want to incorporate, you can always head to Hobby Lobby and see what they have in stock. And likely, it’s going to be 40% or more off at the end of the season.
Historically, harvest wreaths used crops in the circle with braided stalks, grains, dried fruits and berries, nuts, dried mini pumpkins or small gourds all representing the bounty of the harvest.
But go with what you can find! I used lotus pods (like this) to set the stage for my wreath and be a focal point.
Cattails were also weaved into the design. Hopefully you know someone with a pond, but if you don’t (these) would work, too.
Tom and Esther were gung-ho on using leaves from our yard including maple, oak and cherry. If you do the same, you should seal them with Mod Podge.
The girls had a blast scurrying about the yard collecting leaves in every hue for this project.
Just use a paint brush and paint the entire leaf back and front then lay out to dry. Skipping this step may mean your wreath is not long for this world.
Attaching materials to your fall pheasant feather wreath
This is where it gets tricky because the hardest part of DIY wreath-making is getting your materials to stay on your wreath.
Your best bets are hot glue and wire to make this process go smoother.
This is where that grapevine wreath comes in handy again~ it’s vital to have a broad surface for the glue to stick to.
Tom and I kicked it up a notch and used leaves as a base covering up the grapevine giving a strong fall flare!
For the leaves, we only used hot glue as the wire would have caused them to crumble and break. But we did use a bit of wire in places that required a little extra security.
Whether you use wire or glue, always try to be sparing. Less is best. You simply don’t want to see either more of them than absolutely necessary! This is the best way to get the more natural looking wreath possible.
If you use wire, never wrap too tightly as you don’t want to squish your adornments.
Step-by-step instructions to make a fall pheasant feather wreath
1.) Start by laying out all the materials you have on the ground asking yourself this vital question: What looks good? Do I want to group elements together in bunches of 3-4? What end result are you going for? A big, full luscious wreath? Or a more simple one. You decide!
Will you have a base or no? Will the grapevine be your base? We decided to use leaves as the base and weave in the other natural elements fittingly.
2.) Once you have a goal, you can start attaching materials to the wreath. We decided to hot gun glue first and use wire as extra security.
3.) If you are using fake leaves, you can glue directly on the wreath as they won’t crack and break. But we used real leaves that we dried from our yard which is trickier as they are so fragile.
Tom created a mini frame out of cardboard that we glued the leaves on first. Not only did this provide structure, but it elevated our base just enough to give it an even more full appearance.
Overall, glue the leaves in the same direction after you snip off their stems.
Tuck them in as you add your layers. As a general rule, when you add elements tuck them in to cover up.
Adding more elements step-by-step to the fall pheasant feather wreath…
4.) Once you have your base established, you are ready to incorporate other elements to your wreath.
Since this is a fall pheasant feather wreath, we adding the pheasant feathers first. This was a larger 18″ inch wreath so we used 30 pheasant feathers grouped in bunches of 3 for a dramatic effect.
All Tom did was group them together and hot glue them to the grapevine base. I love their vibrant spikes!
5.) Next, I created bunches with my wheat and cattails carefully tying them together with wire. Tom hot glued them on the wreath then used another dried leaf to cover up the hot glue.
6.) Last, Tom added the four lotus pods to give the wreath some visual circular motion. I confess, I love these on all wreaths!
7.) As a final step, spray your entire wreath outside with a matte sealer. Not only does this step give the wreath a nice sheen but it help preserve it for the long haul.
Finishing touches
Some wreaths don’t look complete without a bow of some sort on top. Others seems to require one on the side or bottom.
Sometimes, you replace the much needed bough with a grouping, such as three lotus pods that give the same effect.
Ultimately, I decided to space out 4 lotus pods somewhat haphazardly around the wreath and was pleasant with the result.
Another thought is to use a sign with words. Maybe a wood one that says “Thankful” or “Blessed”. Maybe a sign that says “Fall” or “Harvest” would be equally compelling!
But regardless, you do need a focal point. Some catchy focal point that grabs your attention and makes you go “oh wow…gorgeous. I love this wreath.”
Beautiful!
I love it! I like to make wreaths and this has given me some inspiration.
lovely!
I have made many fall decorations in the past and always try to incorporate as many natural things as possible! My favorite one was when my hubby and I went collecting berries, leaves and fall weeds and I spray-painted them gold and made hem into a beautiful fall wreath and hung it on my fireplace. I failed to think of my two young cats that were sure I’d just spent hours assembling a new toy for them to rip apart! This was a cautionary tale in several ways: be careful what you collect doesn’t have anything that could poison your pets AND make sure it’s not accessible to them, either.
It is so pretty! I am not sure I have the patience but I too would not spend that type of money on a wreath.
Looks like you guys had fun.
Very unique wreath.
I love all your gardening tips ! I would love for my gardens to half as beautiful !
Thank you. Looks so yummy
Would love to do this and have it turn out that good 🙂
Thank you for having a great giveaway <3
Such a neat idea! Thank you for sharing.
Such a wonderful and interesting page
Love to win this.
always have interesting and yummy ideas
Beautiful wreath!
What a Beautiful site, the Wreath is pretty!
I love this wreath, and I could’ve made it but I didn’t buy the pheasant feathers and now they are gone. I knew I should’ve got them when I had the chance.
I love this it’s so simple to do, I am going to give it a try thanks for sharing
This is so lovely and I have a bunch of feathers to do this project! Thanks! 🙂
I’ve never tried to make a wreath. However, your detailed instructions and materials guidance makes it seem doable. The fall pheasant feather wreath is unique & delightful. As a kid I hunted pheasant in Western Kansas with other family members, who were male. Thus, I shot birds with the men, then cleaned and cooked them with the women. I did arrange the feathers in flower vases to enjoy their visual interest & eye appeal. Such a fanciful wreath you’ve created! And, the lotus pods add a striking touch. Plus, thanks for having the delectable nut giveaway!
Beautiful wreath! Thanks for the sharing.
you did an awesome job!!
beautiful!
Never tried making a wreath. I’m not the artsy type.
These look amazing I might try this
I use to hunt pheasant. The wreath is very festive.
love to learn more from you
Love the wreath
I am not a crafty person at all. I do really love how this turned out!
Glad this showed up in my emails today. I am a nut lover and I also garden. Wow! 2 big blessings in one day. Thanks. From one nut to another. Be blessed. Lin
I love all of the natural materials used. Gorgeous!
I have made fall/autumn wreaths before but never used pheasant feathers. Thanks for the information.
That pheasant wreath is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing how to do it.
Beautiful wreath! Just love the added feathers. 🙂
Great Wreath!! Great minds often think alike!
nice fall look and use of the feathers!
Great ideas~
What a great idea, thanks!
What a great idea! This seems like it would work great with several types of bird feathers, can’t wait to make it!
Great tomato tips.
What a lovely wreath! And, thanks for the giveaway for SunnyLand Farms!
What a neat idea. I can’t wait to try. Thanks for sharing!
I love the Wreath!
nice
You are so crafty! That would make a terrific gift for the holidays too!
I love the pheasant feathers, I might give wreath making a go, especially after all your instructions,
I have never made a wreath before. But will have to now, so gorgeous
What a beautiful wreath. I love that all in your family contributed.
Turned out beautiful. Like the combo of the feathers with the pods
What a beautiful wreath!
Absolutely perfect for fall and especially Thanksgiving!
Very different, very pretty!
Beautiful wreath!1
I have used peacock feathers before to decorate never thought to use pheasant feathers.
Like idea of wrapping in leaves
What a fun, and informative blog. Keep up the good work
beautiful wreaths
This is my first time seeing a wreath made with pheasant feathers…that’s different. I’ve made a couple of wreaths for my home, and mostly decorated with glittery ribbon and holiday ornaments.
Great ideas
pheasants are beautiful. I have seen them in wild. they tend to hang out in certarin areas. If you know what you are looking for you can look around and find feathers that lave been dropped off birds male and female to make your gorgeous wreaths
This is very pretty. We used to have pheasants years ago.
Love crafts, this is pretty!
Love the wreath, thank you for sharing
Beautiful wreath. I’d love to have one on my front door.
These are gorgeous, I wish I was talented like this
Thanks for the beautiful inspiration. I think I could do this!
I love this wreath and will try to find ingredients needed or just wing it.
I don’t have a crafty bone in my body. I really like your wreath though. It’s so pretty and classy looking with the feathers and lotus pods. Nice job!
That was so beautiful, I wish I had that kind of time or patience, I’m awful at crafting.
This is beautiful and so festive looking!
A very pretty idea!
This wreath is so pretty!
Love this site. Such great information
I have made a grapevine wreath with sunflowers on it.
I like it! Not worth the trouble to me.
4 years later and I still agree with myself! Nice job!
A beautiful DIY for fall!
Very well made and beautiful wreath.
Too bad I don’t have any space for this! Love it, though.
Love it!
love this such a beautiful fall project! TY for sharing!
This looks like a fun and easy craft!!
Looks great!
I recently found pheasant feathers in my yard.
you make it all look easy, but i guess it is with the right materials
You have such talent mine never turn out like i want
Beautiful!
Beautiful wreaths , Ive never seen pheasant feathers around here.
That is really cute. Would look great on my front door.
Very cool. I would love this on my front door. oooh la la
Coming from a family who hunts, this wreath is perfect. I love it.
Great Nuts!!
Have never attempted to make a diy wreath, but this has given me inspiration!
That feather wreath is gorgeous. I have always found feathers to be so majestic and beautiful, probably because of my fascination with birds.
I like your wreaths.Very well done.
Awesome !!
Great idea,Thanks
We don’t have that bird here so l will try it with rooster feathers
Sounds fun Jim!
The wreath is beautiful and unusual.
Oh wow!!! I sure wish that I shared your creativity!!! It’s a lovely wreath!
Awesome giveaway that I would love to win.
Wreath is unique, but I worry that folks would go after the birds and kill them just to make a wreath or other decoration. I think I would pass on the feathers.
I totally see your point, but if you just go for nature walks in fall, you’ll see tons of pheasant feathers on the ground~ my kids love looking for them!
Good luck everyone!!
That is a beautiful wreath.
Me and my kids have done a few , This one looks great maybe we will try to make one .
looks fun and easy
I’ve made grapevine wreaths before. They were just very simple wreaths, however. The pheasant feathers are beautiful. If you hunt pheasants, you might as well use all parts of the animal, including the feathers. At least it’s natural, as opposed to all the plastic wreaths.
fun wreath
Lovely and colorful pictures of flowers & arrangements.
Terrific tips, ideas, & suggestions for DIY projects.
I’ve done a little bit with DIY wreaths before, but not with feathers of any type! I’ll have to have my kids keep an eye out for feathers when we’re on walks in the woods> 🙂
So pretty. Might note that some states cannot sell or posses game bird feathers without a license.
I have made several but not fancy as yours. i am getting some good ideas.
LIKE CONTESTS
This definitely looks amazing!
I like the feathers in this wreath. I would use silk leaves since leaves don’t change color where I live.
I have made several wreaths in the past but none lately. However, I’ve recently retired so that may be my new hobby. Thank you for some inspirations!
I don’t normally decorate much for holidays but now my granddaughter lives with me, I’m going t o have to start. Thank you for the ideas.
very pretty! You could make a few different ones
I love it!
I make them every year
I like it. I grow lotus so I have lots of pods, but I need to get some feathers!
What a beautiful wreath.
Beautiful wreath! Thanks for explaining about it – and yes I also priced wreaths and they are so expensive. Much cheaper and more fun to make them yourself!
Those are beautiful!!
Love this wreath,
I have always wanted to try to make a wreath but figured I would make a mess of it. Your instructions make it look simple. I think I am going to try to make one this year. Wish me luck!
Really a beautiful wreath!!
Thank you!
This is so unique!
Beautiful wreath! And seems easy as well!
I’ve done a DIY wreath before , but not with pheasant feathers. I prefer a plant based wreath.
Cute, but not for me
I have never seen these before! How cool and creative! I love all of the different colors and patterns!
this is really pretty and also makes a grate fall wreath
Your wreaths have such a natural appearance. I’d like to feel crafty enough to attempt to make one!
Thank you for the ideas. It is unique and I am always looking for something different. I don’t care for the same old thing.
I’ve never made my own wreath, but I tried to update new ones with fresh flowers.
I have made a couple of Christmas wreaths. This wreath is really interesting and would look lovely in the fall.
Creative! Looks good.
This is a very beautiful and eye catching wreath! It should be on an autumn magazine over!
was never good at making wreaths
This is such a nice looking wreath. I love the natural look of it.
I love non-traditional wreaths like this
This looks beautiful! Great craft to do as a family.
This is beautiful! It would be a fun project. I’ve never attempted to make a wreath before.
Such a beautiful wreath. I love the fall colors and the feathers are just beautiful. Were doing lots of crafts right now while were home too.
I made little paper wreath cutouts that the kids colored and taped on their bedroom doors. My mother always had a glue gun. She fixed a lot of things with it. I pinned that beautiful wreath just in case someone I know would tackle making it with me. Be safe and Merry Christmas 🎄
Wow…..those pheasant feather wreaths are so beautiful. I love that it’s somewhat easy because I am not skilled at crafts at all.
Really pretty! I normally do not car for feather wreaths but since it is from a hunter and the animal is being used, I can get behind it. Beware of cats with this one though.
I love this craft idea! It is fun, easy, and perfect for fall.
This wreath would make a wonderful fall decor piece .
Wow!! That turned out so amazing. I wish I could do great things like that..
I love this idea!
What a beautiful fall/winter wreath. Great easy to follow directions. This is going in my file..
Thanks
I love this wreath, it’s like having a bird as part of our home.
I love making my own wreaths and other crafts! And I love posts like these! I also love all feathers. So beautiful and symbolic. 🐞
Very nice. Thanks for the information.
I’ve made one wreath in my life. The memory scared me. It looks nice now after help from a crafty friend. I carefully wrap it in craft paper at the end of the season. This is one I won’t try
The beautiful wreath would be great for Fall.
It’s perfect time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you few interesting things or suggestions. Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article. I desire to read more things about it!
the only wreaths i’ve ever made were in girl scouts, we treaded green wire thru i think they were sweet gum balls, “spikey balls” that hurt if you step on them in bare feet. spray painted them green, with little red ribbons.
Wow these are beautiful. I have not made wreaths before but these inspire me.
Beautiful wreath. Wish I had this talent. 🙂
This would be a fun craft with grandkids, scavenger hunt for supplies.
Thank you for the great directions. This is so cool!
I made a wreath with a group of friends. So fun
Love making wreaths, your fall pheasant one is beautiful. I love reusing items to create other beautiful pieces for others to admire.
Beautiful
I love it
thanks for the inspiration.
Very unique wreath – I love it!
Gorgeous!
I love this wreath! I will be shopping for the supplies this week. I want it done by Thanksgiving to greet my friends when they come for dinner.
So Autumnal and Inspirational!!
I love making wreaths for the holidays.
Thank you it is so pretty
Love the wreath !!! Beautiful !
I have a fall wreath that I put up every year. It really adds to the decor.
I used to shoot my own pheasants, and other game, when I formerly hunted. But now I rely on family members to share these beautiful feathers. And I too love grapevine wreaths, having made my own in past years. Lotus pods were always one of my favorites to incorporate into natural wreaths. Hmmm . . . after reading your post I might consider making a Thanksgiving wreath this year! Thank you for your inspiring words! 🙂
And thank you for the kind words Betsy!
I love this wreath. I don’t know if I can find pheasant feathers. By the way congratulations on the new baby. So cute!! I wondered where you had gone.
I made lots of wreaths and garlands but it’s been a long time. This one with the feathers is perfect for Fall and Thanksgiving.
love this wreath. very beautiful
In my opinion, your family could have a successful business selling these gorgeous wreaths! I would never have thought of pheasant feathers 🪶 to make these wreaths. They really add elegance. Thank you for sharing! ❤️
Awwww. Thanks for the kind words Sue!
A unique idea for fall
Nice and unique!
The cost of wreaths are wild. Your wreath came out great.
I really like the colors of this looks very beautiful and very different.
Very interesting. I do grow Lotus so I have plenty of pods.
Some really great ideas for making wreaths! This isn’t exactly my style, but can certainly use the great ideas to make other types of wreaths
Beautiful!
It looks very nice.
Very clever and beautiful decor piece!