Make your own dried flower festive wreath

Fall in love with the magic of dried flowers this Christmas, following our step-by-step guide

Having used and promoted dried flowers in my work for some years (see Modern Dried Flowers by Angela Maynard), I welcome their revival and explosion on to the floristry scene in recent times. Dried flowers allow us to incorporate florals and nature into our homes with less waste, offering the opportunity to experiment with nature’s gifts and create unique and meaningful displays. And there’s no better time to get making and to start exploring your creative side than during the festive season, when there’s an abundance of decorative flora available from your local flower market or florist, which can be combined with foraged finds gathered on winter walks.

There are several different ways to create an eye-catching wreath to display in your home. This guide is for the wire method, which is a great way to start your wreath-making journey, as with just a few ‘ingredients’ you can create a beautiful, elegant, consumer-conscious wreath in no time at all.

Once you’ve mastered the wire-ring method and have the basic tools, you can use the skills you’ve learnt to get creative and find your own unique look. This method can be used to make an array of different wreath styles, from a traditional full foliage-laden wreath with all the stems going in the same direction, to something more avant-garde with the stems pointing in different directions. The options are limitless, so do experiment!

Any remaining foliage or flowers can be used imaginatively in other ways. Add them to your Christmas decor by filling clear glass baubles with dried petals; or make little foliage swags or bouquets to add a unique touch to your gifting, and tie with velvet ribbon.

Eucalyptus and hydrangea wreath

You will need

• 30cm wire wreath frame
• 100cm of 2mm-thick floristry wire
• Wire cutters
• Floristry scissors
• Floristry tape
• 50cm of 5mm-thick ribbon
• 1 bunch of fresh Eucalyptus parvafolia
• Small sprig of hydrangea (fresh or dried)
• 3–5 dried grass stems or foraged finds to use as highlights (I used broom, miscanthus and ribwort plantain flower)

Step 1

Start by building a ‘nest’ with the metal wire frame. To do this, secure the floristry wire to the upright closest to the top of your frame on the left hand side, then gradually wrap the wire around the frame over the inner circle and then under the outer circle.

Repeat this to create zigzags (triangle pockets) from the left upright all the way around the frame to the upright at the top right-hand side.

Secure the wire by wrapping it around the upright four or five times, then snip off any excess with wire cutters. You now have a framework to use as a ‘nest’ to thread through your foliage and stems.

Step 2

Next, build a base using fresh eucalyptus. It’s best to use fresh as it’s easier to handle, more flexible to work with and will dry in situ.

Start at the left point of the frame where you initially positioned your wire. Remove the lower leaves from the eucalyptus to allow you enough bare stem to easily insert into the frame, then weave them in, securing with floristry wire or tape.

Work your way from the left upright of the frame to the bottom-middle. Stop, then start again, working your way from the right side down to the bottom-middle again.

Step 3

With the base layer complete you can now add the final touches to your wreath. Here I used hydrangea as the central focal point. These blooms come in a variety of beautiful tones including reds, purples, pinks and blues.

Carefully break your hydrangea head into a few separate florets (4–5cm diameter), keeping the stems long enough for them to be inserted into the frame. If the stems are already too short, you can lengthen and strengthen them by wrapping them in floristry wire and securing with floristry tape. Add three to five of the hydrangea florets to the centre of your wreath, or more if you want a larger focal point. Be sure to hide any wiring and eucalyptus ends as you work.

Step 4

To add flair to your wreath, insert stems of broom, miscanthus and ribwort plantain (or other foraged grasses). Space them between the eucalyptus and on either side of the hydrangea.

Step 5

Complete the ring with a length of ribbon, knotting it at the top of the frame to create a loop to hang your wreath.

Dried flowers are extremely delicate. To extend the life and retain the beauty of your wreath, it should be kept out of reach of children and pets, and stored away boxed in tissue when not on display.

WORDS: ANGELA MAYNARD