Christmas Wreath

[7hills]

I would like to make my own Wreath for my door. I have found loads of information online as to how to make one, but the question is where to i find the foliage to make it? and what exactly do i need? Can anyone give me some suggestions?

[medusa]

You can make them out of any foliage you can lay your hands on, from fallen leaves off a tree in your garden or evergreen foliage from a plant in your (or a neighbour's) garden to holly or mistletoe bought from the wholesale fruit or flower market.

 

This year mine is made of rosemary I've harvested from the garden, with some of the apples that didn't grow properly on my tree, which I dried out in the oven and tied with some cinnamon sticks.

 

Anything which has a strong woody stem will work, so for instance you could use rosemary, sage, bay leaves or thyme, but parsley would wilt too much to use.

 

The one I made from brown fallen leaves I attached them to a polystyrene wreath ring using glue at the plant end of the leaves and overlapped them like the scales on a fish so covering all of the glue with other leaves. I added wooden hedgerow berries on wire stems through the leaves and some crumpled paper ribbon in a muted red to complete the really autumnal colours of everything.

 

I've even made them out of feathers which have been collected over months of walking in parks which are frequented by ducks. Again with feathers I'd use a polystyrene wreath and a hot glue gun, whereas with dried stuff where I was planning on showing the wreath material through I'd use a twig wreath and with fresh plants it needs to be a basic ring made of florists' foam or a wire one which you then coat with sphagnum moss held in place with wire.

 

Your list of what you need starts from what sort of wreath you'd like, which determines the material of your wreath. Once you've got that then you need to collect bits to go on it- be prepared to be surprised with quite how many of things you use if you're wanting to cover the whole wreath though.

 

You need a base material, whether that's holly, heather, lavender, or leaves, and then you need something with which to embellish the basics (dried fruit, baubles, ribbons etc) and ways to attach them (strong wire loops, reels of florists' wire, hot glue gun and sticks) and the rest is just down to your imagination

 

Hope you have fun making your own unique designs

[7hills]

Brilliant reply! Thank you very much for your help, I shall get hunting!

[laura16]

You are best to use evergreen plants for it though because they will last longer. I have just started a blog today and the first post is about door wreaths. It's http://www.laurajanescreations.weebly.com if you want to have a look what mine looks like.

 

Tree ivy looks really nice in it with the berries. I've put roses in mine to finish it off but really it's up to you how you want to do it.

 

I made mine on a oasis wreath from whittingtons but I used wire last year to attach it to. The oasis is easier but it isn't the cheapest option I think it was about £8 for 2 medium sized ones.