Make a Wreath
Wreaths are a lovely way to decorate. You can use them for almost any holiday or season, or simply to brighten up your home. This article offers three methods you can use to make simple holiday wreaths.
Contents
Steps
Artificial Flower Wreath
- Gather your supplies. For this method, you will need the following supplies.
- A wire hanger
- Wire cutters
- Florist tape
- Sprays of artificial flowers or foliage
- Ribbon
- Form the base of your wreath. Carefully bend the triangular part of the wire hanger into the shape of a circle.
- Prepare the flowers. Floral sprays are made up of individual sprigs or sections attached to a central stem. For this method of making a wreath, you need to separate the sprigs. Look for the point at which each sprig is attached to the stem. Using the wire cutters, clip each sprig from the stem.
- Attach the flowers to the hanger. Starting at the top of the hanger, near the hook, attach the sprigs to the hanger with floral tape.
- Hold a floral sprig with the flowers pointing to the left.
- Lay it against the hanger at about a 140° angle.
- Holding the stem and the wire together, wrap a piece of florist tape around both.
- Lay a second sprig to the right of the first, close enough that the flowers are touching and the stems are overlapping. Wrap with florist tape.
- Working clockwise, continue attaching sprigs and taping them to the hanger, until the hanger is completely covered
- Decorate the hanger's hook (optional). If you like, wrap some florist tape around the hook so that it blends in with the rest of the wreath. You could also make a bow with some ribbon for a final touch. Your wreath is now ready to hang.
Fresh Flower Wreath
- Gather your supplies. For this method, you will need the following supplies.
- A foam wreath base made for use with fresh flowers
- Fresh flowers
- Foliage and/or leaves
- Ribbon (about 2 yards)
- Florist shears or scissors
- Florist wire
- Visualize your wreath. Before you begin, it's a good idea to think about how your want your finished wreath to look. If it's helpful, you can sketch it out and use the sketch for reference later.
- Prepare the wreath base. Dip the entire wreath base in water. You want it to be damp, but not saturated. (If you saturate it with water, it will drip when you hang it.)
- Make the hanger. It is much easier to make a hanger for your wreath before you begin to decorate it. It also provides you a visual reference point for the top of the wreath.
- Pass a length of florist wire through the center of the wreath base.
- Bring the two ends together and twist them several times to secure.
- If it is helpful, hang up your wreath while you work. This way you can see what it will look like when it is hung.
- Insert the foliage or leaves. The foliage or leaves will cover the base and serve as a visual backdrop for the flowers.
- Leaving the stem on, clip each individual leaf from its branch.
- Beginning at the edge of the wreath and working inward, insert the stems of the leaves into the form.
- Make sure all the leaves point the same direction, and that you overlap them so that the base does not show through.
- Continue inserting the leaves in a clockwise direction until the entire base is covered.
- Make sure the leaves slightly overlap the inner and outer edges of the form so they do not show.
- Add the flowers. Adding flowers to your wreath is where you can really let your creativity shine.
- Clip the stem of your flowers to a length of about 3". Strip away any leaves toward the bottom of the flower stem.
- Insert the flowers into the wreath form according to your sketch or your design concept. Look for places between the leaves to insert the flower stems.
- Every so often, step back from your wreath and view it from a short distance. This way, you can make sure it is taking shape the way you want it to.
- Continue until you are satisfied with the way your wreath looks.
- Add the ribbon (optional). As a final touch, wind a length of ribbon around your wreath in soft curls. Tie or glue it to the back of the wreath form so it stays in place.
Pinecone Wreath
- Gather your supplies. For this method, you will need the following supplies.
- Grapevine wreath form
- Small and medium sized pine cones of any kind
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- Paint in a color of your choice (optional)
- Craft glue (optional)
- Glitter (optional)
- Paintbrushes (optional)
- Ribbon for hanging
- Visualize your wreath. Before you begin, it's a good idea to think about how your want your finished wreath to look. Sketch it out if you like, for reference.
- Attach the pine cones to the wreath form. Using your hot glue gun, apply a small dab of glue to the back of a pine cone and press it onto the wreath form in the desired location. Continue doing this until you have covered the form. There is no special order in which to attach the cones, but you might find it easier to start with the larger ones and use the smaller ones to fill in the gaps. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly.
- Paint your wreath (optional). When all the glue has dried, you can paint your wreath if you like. Use a paintbrush to paint a coat of paint over all the pine cones on your wreath. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly.
- Add glitter (optional). For a festive, holiday touch, add some glitter to your wreath. Using a clean paintbrush, dab some glue on the pine cones. Sprinkle glitter on the wet glue. Allow to dry thoroughly.
- Hang your wreath. Pass a length of ribbon through the center of your wreath. Tie a bow at the tip of the ribbon loop. Your wreath is now ready to hang.
Tips
- If you are making this wreath for Christmas, choose warmer colors and festive reds like maroon or cranberry.
- Alternate the angle when tying the material on the hanger so it gives it a more full/fluffy look.
- You can even tie some small ornaments on to the coat hanger with a length of ribbon so that the decorations poke out from the body of the wreath. You may find this easier to do as you tape the sprigs, instead of after the wire is already covered.
Things You'll Need
- Wreath base of your choice (wire hanger, florist foam or grapevine)
- Artificial floral sprigs, fresh flowers, foliage or pine cones
- Ribbon in your choice of color
- Florist tape
- Paint, glitter and paintbrushes
- Craft glue
- Hot glue gun
- Wire cutters, florist shears or scissors
