How to Make a Christmas Wreath From Plants in your Garden
Christmas comes but once a year and its now nearly upon us! One way to get into the festive spirit is to make your own welcoming Christmas wreath. It’s a great project for both adults and children alike and is guaranteed to make a decorative statement on your front door or as a table decoration as you tuck into your Christmas feast.
Read on to find out how to make a unique Christmas wreath with foraged plants gathered right in your own garden!
Plants
Start by gathering plants from your garden. Think evergreen plants like conifers, pines, spruce, holly, eucalyptus, ivy, willow, dogwood stems, pyracantha, cotoneaster rose hips, bay, viburnum and even lawn moss. Dried seed heads, lavender or fruit is also great for scent and if you can forage some pine cones, you are on your way to making a traditional eye catching wreath.
Making instructions
To make the wreath you’ll also need a wire wreath frame, some florists' or paddle wire, and some wire cutters.
- Cut your plants to size in proportion to the frame. Separate your prepared plants into piles so you’re ready to begin.
- Take your moss and lie on top of the wire wreath frame.
- Start by securing the end of the florist’s wire to the frame and wrap around the moss in a circular fashion until the ring is completely covered.
- Select a piece of each plant to create a pretty, visually balanced effect to make a bunch and wind a length of wire around the ends to hold them together.
- Cut off the stems at about 15cm (6”) in length and strip off the bottom few leaves to leave the ends bare.
- When ready to attach the bunch, lay on the wreath ring and secure by wrapping wire around a couple of times, then push the wire into the moss to secure.
- Repeat as you move around the ring and make sure you are always point the stems into the centre of the ring with the foliage pointing out.
- Make sure each bunch is overlapping the last one, to hide the wire. Continue until circle is complete.
- You can decorate the wreath afterwards by adding lights, a ribbon bow, pine cones, dried fruit slices and bundles of dogwood.
- Admire your handy work and then the finished wreath can be hung from a door, using either ribbon or wire.
So what are you waiting for? Get your wreath up and tag us using #gardenesquegarden so we can see your festive decorations!
