It’s easy to learn how to make a wreath with a few craft tips and basic supplies

With the holidays fast approaching, it’s time to answer the question on everyone’s mind: how to make a wreath? For those interested in putting together a gorgeous looking creation for the season, look no further.

It’s an exercise in creativity, as the maker can use anything and everything at their disposal: different plants, backings, shapes, sizes. The possibilities are almost endless.

Below, we’ll take a look at great methods for creating that perfect decoration for your door or above the buffet.

Tools You’ll Need

As you’ll be out in the garden, work gloves can protect you from needles and sap when picking plants for your project. Other items that you should have on hand:

• Wire
• Craft glue
• Pins
• Needle nose pliers and shears

Garden Supplies 

When looking for the perfect material, try looking for items which will create a unique and colorful visual, like:

• Baby’s breath
• German Statice
• Lavender
• Bee Balm
• Ornamental Oregano, and more

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For filler material, try:

• Greek Bay
• Grey Santolina
• Culinary Oregano
• Powis Castle Artemisia

You may cut pieces at about eight to ten inches in length. For mathematical purposes, there will normally be about eight to ten of these individual pieces in each bundle. And with a 12-inch ring you’ll need around 60 bundles, but the exact amount depends on the lushness of the flowers and plants. 

Choosing a Frame

Wire frames will be able to support potentially heavy materials attached to the form. The single-wire variety will be the best option for a smaller, thinner decoration; a double-wire frame will be necessary for a larger, more filled out variation.

For the heavier variety, the double-wire frame will be able to support materials such as citrus fruits, evergreen boughs, and more. The wire frame happens to be the most all-purpose support available but there are many other options as well, like Styrofoam or straw wreaths.

Attaching Materials to the Ring

Let’s take a look at step-by-step instructions for wiring your bit of greenery:

• Place a small section of your plant on the frame; you can use both the filler and accent (colorful) plants as you go
• According to the one and only Martha Stewart, wrap floral wire around the stems three times
• Don’t cut the wire; instead, add another bundle and overlap the previous piece by half
• Continue to wrap your floral wire around the stems and eventually you’ll get back to your starting position, having covered the entire ring

At the end, tuck the wire away, knot it, and cut. Obviously, there are many different materials one may use and the sky’s the limit in terms of ones own creativity.

To make a hanger, leave a few extra inches before you cut off the end. Then, form one end of the wire into a loop and twist it around itself in order to create the hanging mechanism for a door, wall, mirror, or molding. For information on using a straw base for starters and a sturdy tying apparatus like Stem Wire, head over to Mountain Valley Growers to learn more.

Embellishments

To go along with the colorful plants and filler materials, one can decorate with further embellishments, like:

• Fruits
• Pinecones
• Holly
• Jingle bells, and more

Martha Stewart provides information here for the proper addition of embellishments to the creation. Thus, there is a true look of elegance and beauty which comes through in the finished product.

Proper Care

Be sure to try and keep your creation away from direct light, as well as the air conditioner and/or heating vents. If you can do this, it will help to create a longer lasting wreath for you and your family.

Thus, the question of how to make a wreath becomes a little bit clearer. In the end, it’s up to your own personal aesthetic and the types of materials you have on hand. Bring in the family and make it your own traditional. Use different plants, materials, and techniques in order to create something new and different each and every time.

Resources:

Martha Stewart: How to Make a Wreath

Mountain Valley Growers: Wreath Making 1-2-3

Above photo attributed to Ikonstansky