STEP 1: Gather your supplies. I suggest a wire wreath form (you can find these at your local craft supplier), floral wire, garden snips, greens and plenty of decorative "accessories" to add the finishing touches. Here we used pine cones, berries, feathers, ornament balls, gold pods and festive ribbons. I suggest you add anything that inspires you!
STEP 2: Cut your greens into pieces, creating small piles to gather from. Doing this prep work in advance will help save you time when working with the wire form.
STEP 3: Cut a piece of wire (long enough to wrap around the wire form, plus a few inches extra on each side) and attach it to the form.
STEP 4: Gather greens from your piles (you can use all one type of greens or mix them together as I did here). Lay the greens on top of the form and begin wiring the pieces to the frame. Work your way around the entire form evenly adding extra pieces where necessary to create a dense form. Be sure to pick up the form from time to time and test that all of your greens are well secured and are not falling out.
STEP 5: Now it is time for the goodies. If you are using pinecones, as we have here, wrap a piece of floral wire around the base of the cone and then insert into the wreath securing it in the back. Continue this step until all your pine cones are in place.
STEP 6: Relax. You are almost there and your wreath should really be taking shape...
STEP 7: Select some of your favorite decorative pieces and begin placing them throughout your wreath. Here we used pods spray painted gold. Attaching them to a wooden stick helps secure them into the frame.
STEP 8: Insert more bling! We added berries and loved these pheasant feathers spray painted with a little gold glitter to additional sparkle.
STEP 9: It is now time to make your bow. Make a loop and twist the ribbon in the center (holding it together with your index finger and thumb) alternating back and forth until your bow is nice and full.
STEP 10: Don't forget to snip the ends of your bow and secure with wire on the wreath. The tails of your bow will look pretty long or short. There is no rule here. Make one that looks good to you. Don't forget to make a wire hook on the back of the wreath to easily hang it inside or out.
Drum roll please...
Great job...Your wreath is complete and it looks gorgeous!
Tell me...What will you be using in your wreath this year?
Happy Holidays!
Need a little extra help putting your wreath together?
Visit our friends locally at Crimson & Clover Floral Design, Inc. in Roland Park
for one of their wreath making classes in December. More info HERE!
* Photography by Stephanie Bradshaw, all rights reserved
I will be using a boxwood wreath with a C (for my last name) hanging in the center. Gold, silver or white? I don't know yet.
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