Quoth The Raven Nevermore Wreath!

Quoth The Raven Nevermore Wreath!
I love simple DIY's and crafts for Halloween.  It's my favorite Holiday.
Not the blood and gore, but the Victorian decor and the Costumes.
This wreath was totally inspired by Poe.
 
Here's another Poe inspired post with freebies, if you are interested.
The most awesome author/poet for spooky Halloween and slightly psycho verse.
He is perfect for a Halloween chill.
Okay, so The Raven.

 First off, I went to a ladies craft night at a friends!
It was my first time actually bringing a bunch of stuff over to someone else's house to craft!
I loaded up a cauldron of supplies, not really knowing how this project would turn out.
My friend, Shannon, is super crafty herself, and hosts a night each month to
get together and chat and craft.  It was a blast!
I looked like a total dork taking pictures of my every move.  Anyways.

I used a pile of stuff.
Fabulous things for many different companies.
This is not a sponsored post, although many of the items were sent to me at no cost.
So this is a combo post with many of them used in this fun project.

2 inch Wired Offray Ribbon in black and orange.
Burlap fabric
Wood slat
Waverly Black Opal paint and paintbrushes
Oriental Trading Crow and wreath form
Wire
Scissors, hot glue/gun

 First I used the Metallic paint to paint my wood slat.

 It has a fun and spooky metallic sheen to it!

 Then I cut the burlap into 6 inch strips.
Layered with the orange ribbon I gathered a loop of it and then tied
it with wire onto the wreath frame.

 And repeated this process around the entire frame.

 Until the entire wreath was full.
Still it was not full enough and the wire frame showed a bit on the edges.
It needs more.

 Next I used the black ribbon and wrapped it around the entire wreath between every burlap loop.
This did an excellent job of covering the wire frame.

 Next I cut 8 inch pieces of black ribbon and tied them
 around in various places, leaving the tails here and there.

 I had some white web-like tulle that I tied on as well.
With some fluffing the next morning, it looked pretty good!
I hand lettered the "Nevermore" on the wood slat with white paint and a round paintbrush.

 

Next I hot glued some ribbon across the back of the wood slat with

 extra ribbon on both ends to tie it on the wreath.

 I just angled it slightly on the wreath and tied it to the frame just like I did the black ribbon.

 Then I tied a big orange bow and hot glued it to the bottom of the sign.
I used wire to hook the bird in place.
I absolutely love these crows!  They are big and impressive.
I used them last year as well...in decorating and for a Maleficent Staff.  (check them out!)

 And I added a black loop of ribbon tied on so I can hang it on the door.
My side door that I just painted PEACOCK and I love it!
More on that later.
So awesome...so Classy Halloween DIY!
I've included the Raven Poem because a surprisingly large amount
of people did not understand the reference.

 The Raven
By Edgar Allan Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
    While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
            Only this and nothing more.”

    Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
    Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow
    From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
            Nameless here for evermore.

    And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
    So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
    “’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—
            This it is and nothing more.”

    Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
    But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
    And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—
            Darkness there and nothing more.

    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
    But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
    And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—
            Merely this and nothing more.

    Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
    “Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;
      Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—
            ’Tis the wind and nothing more!”

    Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
    Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
    But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
            Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”
            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

    Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;
    For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
    Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
            With such name as “Nevermore.”

    But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
    Nothing farther then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—
    Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before—
On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.”
            Then the bird said “Nevermore.”

    Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store
    Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
    Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
            Of ‘Never—nevermore’.”

    But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
    Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
    Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
            Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”

    This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;
    This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
    On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,
But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,
            She shall press, ah, nevermore!

    Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
    “Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee
    Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”
            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

    “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
    Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—
    On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—
Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!”
            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

    “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—
    Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
    It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”
            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

    “Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting—
“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
    Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
    Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”
            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

    And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
    And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
    And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
            Shall be lifted—nevermore!

That's my wreath, nevermore!

This post published on Doodlecraft first