Hello!, it's Liv here from Sweet Bud. If you're thinking about making your own Christmas Wreath this year or just want to brush up on your knowledge and find out how the professionals do it, you've come to the right place.
I'm going to take you step by step through the process and give you some florist tips and tricks on how to make the best, long lasting wreath, the way the experts do it!
First of all what will you need?
There are 3 main things you need to create a wreath, these are:
1. A base
2. Foliage
3. Decorations
There are lots of different options to go for, for each of these stages. After years of making wreaths, my favourite is the classic natural look. I prefer to opt for materials that are more eco friendly to prevent wastage and avoid plastics. So here's how we do it...
BASE
The best structure to use for your base is a mossed copper wreath ring. What's a mossed copper wreath ring you say? It's a copper wreath frame which has been bound with fresh moss. We use sphagnum moss as its great at retaining water and doesn't have to look beautiful as the moss will be covered by foliage. You can also use flat moss, but its way too lovely and expensive to be used for this purpose.
Other Options
If you want your wreath to be fully biodegradable you can use a willow frame or any constructed with twigs. The problem with this method is that it can get tricky when it comes to decorating. The wired decorations will not pierce through the willow so you would have to tie them on with twine.
What not to use and why
I wouldn't recommend using floral foam rings or dried straw wreath rings and here's why...
Straw wreath rings are for dried wreaths only. You need fresh moss as a base because it retains water and keeps your fresh foliage hydrated and looking fresh for longer! Without this your wreath will simply dry up in no time.
Floral foam rings are a massive no no. Besides being an environmental nightmare due to all the microplastics they contain, they are designed to be laid flat for things like funeral work. They are not supposed to be hung from your door. Firstly they will be really heavy, secondly the water in the foam will travel to the bottom and continuously drip everywhere. Thirdly, they cannot be topped up with water. They will dry out within a couple of weeks as they're designed for flowers (which usually die within this time).
How to construct your moss base
What you'll need:
1. Copper Wreath Ring
2. Large bundle of Sphagnum moss
3. Reel Wire (or Twine)
Attach your reel wire to the copper ring by wrapping the reel wire around the copper ring a few times until you can pull it and it feels secure.
Grab a large clump of moss and start binding it on top of your wreath ring, using the reel wire to wrap around the moss and the wreath ring. Make sure you use plenty of moss but not too much so its too dense to wire in your decoration. You must also make sure there are no gaps.
Once the circle is complete, your done and ready to begin the foliage stage!
Foliage
I encourage everyone to get out and forage for foliage. There's an abundance of gorgeous Christmassy foliage here in the UK. Every year I venture out to the forest to see what I can find or kindly ask my neighbours if I can have a few snipping's from their holly bushes. Common foliage includes Conifer, Holly, Ivy, Pine and Spruce. Admittedly the spruce over here isn't as luscious as the Nordic version but you can still find some decent trees. The most important thing is to remember to forage responsibly! Always ask permission where needed. If you're on public land don't take loads, snip here and there and this will actually encourage new growth for the following spring. Please also look up the law regarding foraging moss, in some places its protected and can be illegal to take.
If you would like something a little different and extra special you can always buy some stems from your local florist. I usually include stems bought from the flower market such as Eucalyptus and Nordic Spruce.
How to foliage up your wreath
I recommend choosing 3 to 4 different types of foliage for your wreath but it entirely depends on the size and look you want to create. Ones using just a single type of foliage can also have a very simplistic yet luxurious feel to them. If it's a larger wreath you might want more variety.
Start by cutting down your foliage stems to the desired length. This depends on the size of wreath you're making but for a standard 12" ring, the pieces want to be roughly just a little bigger than the length of your hand. they don't have to be all exactly the same, it's better to have some shorter and some longer.
The longer pieces you want to position on the outside of the wreath and the smaller ones on the inside. This helps to maintain the circular donut shape of the wreath so that the middle is still visible.
Place a few stems together in a mini bundle and bind them to your wreath using the reel wire. You want to bind the foliage going around your wreath in layers, adding each piece on top of the last and binding it at the bottom of the stem. Make sure to cover the moss so it's not visible under the foliage. As you add the foliage the next piece should cover the wire from the last bind. Fan out your pieces in a radial fashion going all the way around the wreath until you get to where you started. Once you get towards the end, tuck the ends of the stems behind the first bundle of stems you bound.
Decorations
There are so many types of decorations to choose from when making a wreath that sometimes it's difficult to choose. The great thing is you can let your creativity go wild! I love including unusual decorations. You don't have to restrict yourself to the classic berries and baubles. This year a wreath in our collection includes dried mushrooms.
Everyone has their own taste and style but I prefer the natural look. And natural does not have to been boring! There are all kinds of natural embellishments such as pine cones, lotus heads, chillies, whole oranges, green oranges, orange slices, apple slices, berries, cinnamon sticks. The list goes on.
The main thing you need to know is how best to attach all of these things.
The best way is to wire them. But how do you do this?
Well, there isn't a simple answer. Depending on the shape and weight of the item, you will need to wire it differently. Here I will give a few examples...
What You'll Need
1. Green Florist Stub Wires (2 different gauges, a thinner and a thicker one)
2. Decorations and Ribbon
How to Wire a Dried Whole Orange
Using the thick green wire, pierce the orange through one of the slits towards the top so that its parallel with another slit opposite. Push the wire through so that it comes out the other end. Once the wire has pierced all the way through, bring up both ends of the wire to meet at the the top. Overlap and twist them together tightly. Tight enough for the orange not to wobble around but not so tight that the wire snaps.
How to Wire a Pine Cone
Pine cones are too thick to pierce so to wire them you must tightly wrap around a wire. The way we do this is by tucking the wire into the lower half of the pinecone, weaving it between each of the pinecone nodes. Place the pinecone in the middle of a thick stub wire and tuck in the wire all the way around. When the ends of the wires meet, twist them together tightly.
How to Wire Cinnamon Sticks
Bundle sticks together or wire up single sticks by placing the sticks across the middle of a thin green stub wire. Wrap both ends of the wire around the sticks twice to make it as tight as possible. Then twist the ends together tightly. You must do this tight enough so that they don't slip from the wire. If you want to hide the wire on these you can then wrap ribbon over the binding point.
How to Wire Sliced Oranges
Sliced dried oranges can be very delicate and can tear easily once you twist the wire. This is why it's important to use the correct gauge of wire. Use a thin enough wire to not tear the slice when twisted but thick enough so that the oranges are supported by the wire when held up. If you use a wire that is too thin, such as reel wire, it's going to be really difficult to pierce it through your foliage and moss. The wire will most likely bend causing you much frustration! You can bundle sliced oranges or you can use them singularly. Wire them by piercing them through the top, between the rind, then carefully twist both ends of the wire together.
How to Wire a Ribbon
Weave a stub wire through the centre of the back of the ribbon. Where the ribbon is tied there should be a piece that you can weave the wire through until it gets to the other side. Once its through, position it in the middle of the wire and bring up both ends together and twist.
How to Fix Wired Decorations to Your Wreath
Now that everything is wired you can begin attaching them to your foliaged up wreath. To do this you just need to pierce them through your wreath. Bring the wires on your decorations together (they should all be double wired so that there are two similar sized prongs on each one), hold them at the end of the wires and feed them through the wreath, avoiding and foliage stems and making sure they go directly through the moss and out the back of your wreath. To secure them in place, simply trim the wires but leave enough wire to tuck the ends back into your wreath.
And wallah!! That's it, your wreath is complete!
If you're hanging it on the door you may want to attach a loop with your reel wire to the copper frame at the back. You can also use twine to do this if you wish. I usually add a small wire loop and then fix to that a long piece of twine or ribbon to hang it over my front door, where I've attached it to a nail I've placed in the back.
Tips to keep your wreath as fresh as possible for as long as possible
1. Spray the moss to prevent it from drying out. Spray a lot, it should hold a fair amount of water.
2. If the weather is really wet, try your best to keep it away from being directly hit with rain. If the front is wet for too long it can begin to get mouldy.
3. Not everything you include in your wreath may last the full festive season. Fresh decorations such as berries and flowers will dry out or wilt over time. When these have past their best, replace them with fresher items by simply cutting the ends of the stems on an angle and pushing them into the wreath.
Final Thoughts
I hope this quick tutorial has been helpful. You should now have the knowledge to have a go yourself! As more and more people take up an interest in making their own wreaths and as workshops become more popular, it's great to be able to offer the know how so that you too can make a DIY wreath at home!
If you have any questions on anything described here, you can email me at letstalk@sweetbud.co.uk
Happy Wreath Making!