Oh I do love a good Christmas wreath! There’s just something so festive about seeing wreaths hung on doors, especially when they’re made from real foliage and berries. I find something very relaxing about making them too, from going to the market to select my branches and leaves, to cutting them down to size and winding them onto the ring.. my studio has been smelling particularly good lately with all this greenery around!
So I thought I’d pass on the little knowledge I have of wreath-making with you. I’m not sure if I’m doing it right really (I did learn a few years ago, but can’t remember the exact details!), but it gets the result so why not :)
Here’s what you’ll need:
- A wreath ring (any size and material you like)
- Green florist wire
- Various types of foliage, flowers, and berries
Note: Fragile plants won’t work too well here, look for hardy wooded plants and sticks that will last a while without water. Also, including some foliage with more volume and leaves helps to fill out areas and hides the wire better.
Step 1.
Cut your foliage into manageable pieces. My ring is 30cm (12″) and I cut them to around 13cm (5″).
Step 2.
Wind a loop of wire around the ring edge and secure. Keep the wire attached to the roll, it’s a handy way to continuously pass the wire around the wreath.
Step 3.
Take one or two of your foliage pieces and lay them over the wire. Bring the wire around the ring and over the foliage stems to keep them in place. Keep the wire fairly tight so they don’t shift around.
Step 4.
Always work in the same direction. Place the next piece overlapping the bottoms of the last so as to cover the wire. Bring a loop of wire around again and secure tightly.
Step 3.
Continue this way (not forgetting to also cover the inside edge and outside edge as well) until you reach the start again. Finish off by hiding the stems of your final foliage pieces under the tops of the first pieces you put down. Carefully wind the wire around a final time, keeping it hidden as much as possible under foliage. Once you’re sure it’s all secure, cut the wire and secure the end under the wreath.
Step 4.
Now you can look at your wreath overall and gently maneuver pieces that seem out of place, or even add new pieces if you think it needs it.
That’s it! You can add a ribbon later if you want to, or a hook of wire at the back for hanging. Most of all, just enjoy the process and have fun with it!
