DIY Halloween Centerpiece: Make Your Own

Materials Needed

• An 18" Grapevine Wreath - the link points to Joanns.com, but feel free to use whichever craft store you like! Wal-Mart may also be cheaper, especially during the fall. This is going to serve as the base for this project. You could use any wreath base for this Halloween Centerpiece, really, but I prefer the grapevine because it is already dark, and looks... gloomier than straw, and it will add more depths to your project if you would just use a wreath form.
• A Hot Glue Gun and plenty of Glue Sticks. - Now if you are like me, you end up using way too much hot glue. I would advise that less is better for a project like this. (Use caution/parental supervision/intelligence when using hot or dangerous things!)
• Cheap silk roses - Really folks, cheap is ok in this Halloween Centerpiece, and you will see why in a 'bit. I would definitely try Wal-Mart first. Just make sure the petals are relatively secure. If you can find them, buy the type where the stems can be pulled out without hurting the base of the flowers. This will make your job much easier!
• Enough Candles/Holders to fit into the center of your Wreath. - Lay out your wreath at Joanns or Wal-Mart (wherever you will be purchasing it) and find enough candle holders to fit in the center of the wreath. The more the better. I would also suggest you find taller candles (not necessarily tapers, but pillars are great). Black and Red candles are what you are looking for here - they will give that great Halloween look in your Centerpiece.
• Black Floral Spray paint. - Sorry Wal-Mart goers, this may be something you might need to buy from a JoAnns, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc. I am lucky in the fact that my Wal-Mart has a decent crafts section, and bought a can for $3. Don't use normal spray paint, it is too thick for the silk flowers, and will tend to clump oddly (I tried it - don't repeat my mistakes).

Now this is actually a very simple project. Gather all of your supplies, and find a bunch of newspaper. Trust me :)

Begin by hot gluing your roses or other flowers to the wreath you have. (Don't use too much hot glue - it will look odd with the floral spray) and cover the wreath around the top. It is your choice if you want to cover the entire wreath, I let some of the grapevine peek through, and even purposefully broke some and released some so it poked out in places - the Halloween Centerpiece will then look thorny, and add to the effect. If you do this, keep the center of the wreath intact so the candle holders fit well. Let your glue dry (it doesn't take too long at all), and then take your Halloween project outside or to the garage.

Lay out plenty of newspaper around where you will be spraying. You don't want to mess up the garage floor, sidewalk, driveway, back yard, etc.

Lightly spray your floral arrangement with the spray paint. Your trick here is to cover all of the flowers completely - do this with plenty of light, and make sure no red is peeking through. Don't worry about getting the grapevine, a little bit on it should blend in ok.

Let it dry per the can's instructions - I guess I got the cheap stuff because mine said wait overnight - and then bring it back inside. Make sure the petals are dry, and then arrange your pillar candles and candle holders in the center of the wreath. Make sure that you don't have any of the candles in danger of heating/melting/burning your roses, because it smells awful and is hazardous with the spray paint on them.

Light your the candles in your Halloween Centerpiece and invite your friends for a nice dinner of brains and... wait, no brains. Do NOT serve your guests brains!

Thank you and enjoy your Halloween Centerpiece