Make an Upcycled Straw Hat and Vine Wreath

Add a little rustic charm to your patio or porch by upcycling an old straw hat and a worn out grapevine wreath. I actually got the idea when I was looking through my craft supplies and spotted a wreath laying on top of a straw hat. They looked so right together and I just knew they would be perfect for the porch. There was nothing wrong with the straw hat, but the wreath was coming unwound and a lot of the vine pieces had fallen out. I have no idea why I saved it in that condition, but I am glad I did. The loose pieces actually made constructing the project easier.

I dug through my stash for embellishments and found dried flowers, rusty cookie cutters, rusty metal bugs and a wooden carrot. The bugs came off of old plant pokes. You can, of course, use any embellishments you have available.

Materials needed:

Adult-size straw hat
10 to 12-inch grapevine wreath
Yard clippers
Craft wire
Wire cutters
Ruler
Spanish moss
Hot glue
Craft glue
Dried flower stems
Raffia
Scissors
Embellishments

Step 1
Place your grapevine wreath over the crown of the hat and set it on the brim. If the wreath is too tight, use yard clippers to cut the small sections of vine that tie and hold the wreath together. Pull and loosen the wreath until it sets on the brim. Cut and remove excess vine if desired.

Step 2
Cut several 12-inch lengths of craft wire. Form them into a "U" shape. Place them down over the vines and poke the ends through the hat brim. Pull them tight on the underside of the brim and twist to secure the wreath. Trim off the excess with wire cutters.

Step 3
Make a hanger. Cut a 6-inch length of wire and form it into a "U" shape. Poke through the underside of the brim, halfway between the brim edge and the crown. Place your finger under the loop of the "U" on the underside to give it a hook. Twist the two ends together on the top side.

Step 4
Place the straw hat wreath on your work surface with the hanger at the top. Stuff tufts of Spanish moss between the vines, all the way around the wreath. Use hot glue or craft glue to secure.

Step 5
Break off 2 or 3-inch lengths of dried flower stems. Dip the bottoms in craft glue and insert into the moss.

Step 6
Hold several long lengths of raffia together and tie into a bow. Hot glue the bow to the top of the wreath.

Step 7
Embellish the wreath with what ever odds and ends you like. Attach them using hot glue, craft glue, or if they are really heavy, wire them on.