The Fall Wreath Tip You Probably Never Thought About

Sometimes it helps to learn from the mistakes of others…Here is a “mini public service message” aka my fall wreath tip…

When you are buying decorative items for your home, pay attention to the words, “For Indoor Use Only.”…

Let’s take a look at this lovely dried wreath I hung on my front door…

Dried wreath on front door - you might want to think about where you hang this type of wreath!

When I spotted this wreath at the store,  I just knew it would look perfect hanging above a bunch of mums and pumpkins on my porch.

How could I go wrong with dried leaves, vibrant colors and a burlap bow for fall?

Fall wreath with burlap bow on black door

 

Just as I had imagined, when I brought the wreath home a couple weeks ago, it looked fabulous against my black door.  It was decorative but subtle and classic looking.

Since my porch is covered I wasn’t worried about the wreath getting rained on.

Fall wreath - my experience using a dried wreath outside

Unfortunately, I learned that when the tag says “For Indoor Use Only”, they aren’t kidding.

Problems with using an indoor wreath outside

This morning, I discovered that my pretty autumn wreath was dripping all kinds of weird oils and sticky liquids.

Apparently, the humidity…or the sunlight…or something was causing this problem.  I have no idea if the wreath was specially treated or if the natural oils of the leaves were just weeping due to the outdoor temperatures…

Whatever the cause, the sticky liquid drizzled down the door and started puddling up on the doorstep.  Not exactly a welcoming sight.

Needless to say, I quickly tore the wreath off the door to prevent any more dripping.

Fall wreath - warning if you plan to use an indoor wreath outside

You can see the droplets splattered around next to the thing.  What a mess.  (I would have cropped out my toes but showing my bare feet exhibits how fast I acted on this situation.  I didn’t even take the time to put on my shoes because I just wanted the thing down!)  Plus, I just got a pedicure last week and wanted to show off my toes…

Immediately, I tossed the wreath in the garbage and scrubbed down the porch and door before my darling dog, Rosie had a chance to investigate.  I didn’t want her to get sick from licking up the liquid.  Who knows what it was!

So just remember, if a tag says, “For Indoor Use Only”, there is probably a good reason for it!

Besides that disaster, I’m really not having the best luck with wreaths this fall season.  I actually bought another wreath before this one.  The first one I bought was so adorable, or so I thought.  How can you go wrong with mini white pumpkins with raffia?  Well, let me tell you, I didn’t even have time to take a picture of it.  After hanging it on the door, I stepped back to admire it, and I realized that it looked like a bunch of garlic bulbs!  Welcome to my Italian restaurant!  Needless to say, that wreath went back to the store the same day…

Luckily, I still have my colorful faux leaf wreath from last year.  I think I will just stick with that one for now.  At least it won’t be dripping…

Fall porch with faux wreath

You can see more on this porch and others here – Fall Porches from the Past.

If you are looking for an outdoor wreath without the “for indoor use only” warning, I linked up a few suggestions below.

Please note that this post contains some affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking my links (at no additional cost to you).

Although, I couldn’t find an exact match to the mine, I found a few that would be pretty for fall (with descriptions that they are approved for covered outdoor use…yay!)

This faux berry wreath has that rustic, farmhouse look and this vibrant fall wreath  would look great against a black door like mine.  Another one that would be pretty and natural looking is a faux magnolia wreath.

And don’t forget a wreath hanger!

Hopefully, my fall wreath tip will help you avoid making the same mistake!  

Do you pay attention to warning labels?

Fall Wreath Tip - What does it really mean when a tag reads, "for indoor use only"?

 

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18 Comments

  1. Oh how sad that your wreath did all that dripping. Such a pretty wreath too. We installed a glass storm door on our front door a couple of years ago, so I quit hanging an outdoor wreath…. but I sure have plenty of them inside the house! I could have one in every room and it wouldn't bother me one iota. They are all so pretty and tempting this time of year.

  2. Shelley, what a horrible shame! I have had a hard time finding the perfect wreath this season. I used to have them custom made but that got too expensive! I am recycling one from several years ago! Pam @ Everyday Living

  3. Shelley… same thing happened to me with my boxwood wreaths. Yup, I said wreathS! I had 3 of them on my doors. Ugh. I spent so much money on them that I live with the dripping. Have a great week!

  4. You made me laugh with the garlic bulbs, but I know it's not funny. It happened to me long ago – my door is not covered. Nowadays, things stay there for a couple hours if the day is good then, I bring the wreath to the other side of the door.That dried wreath was very pretty, so bad you've to get rid of it. :/

  5. Darn! I've wondered before about certain wreaths. Lots of the dried wreaths say indoor only but I've been tempted to use them outside. I'm sorry that happened but thanks for sharing your experience.

  6. How sad that your pretty wreath didn't last. I am also guilty of not always paying attention to those tags 😀 Thanks for sharing at TOHOT.

  7. It's a beautiful wreath! I'm getting better at reading the tags. Thanks for sharing at Funtastic Friday.

  8. OMG! Sorry to hear that wreath didn't work out for you. I've done that before with red berries. I bought some and used them outside. After it rained, the red color came off and revealed little white styrofoam balls! So, it does pay to read the "fine print". Ha! I really like your current Fall wreath.

  9. Haha! Shelley, your posts make me laugh out loud! So sorry about the wreath thing! And no, I must say,I have not paid attention to those warnings before but I thought it was just to fading or not lasting as long. I never dreamt that it would do something like that!Too bad – it was so pretty! And I will pay more attention from now on!Sheilaxo

  10. I wonder what it was, so strange. I guess I won't be hanging my indoor wreath outside that I was planning on. Thanks for learning the lesson for us the hard way.

  11. It's happened to me too! I purchased a swag for over the doorway; but mine wasn't tagged saying to use indoors only. Oh well!Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!Blessings,Cindy

  12. Oh no! What a bummer! We have a glass storm door protecting our actual door, so I can use wreaths for indoor use BUT I have a different problem. Sometimes I purchase a nice wreath and it's too big to fit in between our glass protective door and the actual door. Ugh, that's the worst as well! Wreath issues are the worst! Thank you so much for joining the party at Dishing It & Digging It! Hope to see you share with us this week!

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