Wreaths

Wreaths

328A9741.jpg

Remember, wreaths are not just for Christmas.  I make them for any season, using dried and/or fresh.   We have recently starting offering wreath kits as part of our handmade section, so please do check that out.   In the meantime, if you would like to make your own, here are some steps on how you would go about it.

You will need:  Wreath Hoop, String, Sisal, Dried Flowers

Instructions

First off, you may want to have a think about how you want your completed wreath to look.   It helps to visualise the style you are aiming for before you start creating your little bunches to form the wreath.  Although the ingredients you are using, will to some extent dictate the look of the finished wreath, how you choose to style the wreath will be up to you.

wreath.jpg

Step 1

For step 1, you need to create small handheld bundles which will form the wreath.   I use a piece of hessian, which you can pull small pieces of thread from to use to tie the bundles at the base. It is worth preparing all the dried flowers beforehand, which will mean stripping them at the base so that they are easy to work with when you are holding each stem, this will not apply to all of the stems, as they may already have a stem that is stripped of leaves. When you create the bundles hold the first piece of flower/foliage in one hand (thumb and index finger if you can) and form a sort of fan shape, placing stems in front and behind of the first one you held in your hand.  (It is similar to making a front facing arrangement, but much smaller).

This wreath will not hold any moisture as it does not have a moss base, so if you are choosing fresh foliage or flowers from the garden, do choose things which dry well.   i.e. Lavender, hydrangeas.

Hint.  You can either create all of the bundles before you create the wreath or make each bundle as you go along.

Hint.

When creating the bundles, do not concern yourself with them being the same size and shape. The variety will help keep things feeling asymmetrical and organic.  Although some people will cut all there stems the same length so that their wreath has more consistency.  The thicker the bundle, the more depth you will get on your wreath.  Often your personality dictates the style of your wreath.  I.e. if you are concise and neat it is likely your wreath will follow a similar look, yet if you are less concise and messy, your wreath is bound to be a little wilder.

Step 2

Lay the first bundle onto the wreath base, then take the string, and wrap the string a few times around the base of the bundle and wreath, securing it tightly to the base. Pull the string tight on each round that you do, so that you can ensure the bundle is secure and there is no slack on the string.   Do not cut the string.  The string will stay on the wreath during the whole process.

Hint.   Remember that you will always need to lay your bundles in the same direction. i.e. if I am making a wreath and doing one corner of the base, (the corner on the left), I would place the first bunch at the point I want the corner to start, and then continue anti-clockwise with the base of the bundle facing down.

Step 3

Place each bundle on top of the next bundle, always securing in the same way as you did the with the first bundle, but bring the bundle down so that you are covering the base of each time, but continuing to move around the wreath in the same direction.

Step 5

Continue this until you feel your wreath is complete, or you run out of ingredients. Finish the wreath off by tying the string a few times around the base

Product 8.jpg