Snake Wreath

This is another creation credited to Pinterest. I'd seen a snake wreath pop up there a month ago, a snake wreath created by none other than Martha Stewart. I had to make the wreath with my family's snake history including the copperhead that bit our dog last year and the rat snake somehow discovered in my son's room; we needed a snake wreath for Halloween.

I found a plethora of rubber snakes at the Dollar Tree and dollar spot section at Target.

I also needed a wreath. I wanted a large grapevine wreath and I found this one on half price day at my favorite thrift store.

It only cost me $1 since it was half price day. That's what I'm talking about!

Princess Fierce helped me spread all the snakes out on my drop cloth for painting.

She really had a fondness for the rubber snakes. "Mom, look I'm holding the cobra like a baby."

Now to prime. I had left over plastic primer from creating Darth Fairy's mask. I would definitely not skip priming the rubber snakes. Paint and plastic/rubber are not natural friends.

A quick, light coat of primer. Primer does not have to be even and should not be thick. It took longer for the primer to dry on rubber than it typically does on plastic. I had to wait about an hour before they stopped being tacky to the touch.

Now paint time. I chose a grey spray paint instead of the black Martha suggested. Glow in the dark paint would be another interesting choice. I also think a solid white snake wreath could be striking against a black door.

I applied several light coats to both sides of the wreath.

And several light coats to my snake friends.

I let the snakes dry thoroughly before gathering all my pieces and my glue gun to begin assembly a few days later.

I arranged the large snakes first then attached with hot glue. I opted not to include any of the cobra snakes.

The grapevine wreath is the perfect type for this project allowing me to weave many of the smaller snakes through the wreath.

Continue placing the smaller snakes and allow them to overlap each other. Don't neglect the inside and the outside of the wreath as well.

After all the snakes were glued I realized the heavier, large snakes were not going to stay with glue alone. I had some lightweight steel wire in the basement that came in handy. Fishing wire and floral wire would also do the trick.

I twisted the steel wire along the larger snakes in several places as well as using the wire on a few of the smaller ones where the glue wasn't able to adhere well.

After all the snakes were attached and the glue dried I sprayed on another coat of grey paint. I lifted the wreath off my drop cloth on my "paint cups" to make sure I could spray underneath all the snakes as well.

After it dried it went on the front door.

I absolutely love this wreath.

I adore its size, its color...

...every wriggling thing about it.