Wreath making class...

Yesterday I attended, along with 20 others, a wreath making class which I really enjoyed.

It was a great afternoon as not only did I learn how to make a wreath but I also met some really interesting and very talented people in the process.

So today I thought that I would share the steps with you in case you would like to make one of your own.

You'll need: Anything you like that you think will make good wreath material! We used leaves, twigs and berries from local hedgerows, as well as Christmas tree branches, pinecones, cinnamon sticks and oranges which had been scored and dried out for a few days.

You'll also need wire rings from a florist's, twine and wire to attach things to the rings, and some gold and silver spray paint for decoration. The base of the wreath will be spongy moss - we did not have any so used straw which is just as good.


Step 1 - Creating the masterpiece
Once you have got your materials, the first step is to attach everything to the wire rings. Start with damp moss or dried straw, which will act as an oasis and keep all your foliage moist. Use plenty of it, attaching it to the ring by stuffing it between the inner and outer ring, then wrapping it with twine or florists wire.

This is what it should look like after you have finished attaching the straw/moss to the ring.

If you want to skip this step, pre-mossed rings/ready made straw wreaths are available from most garden centres.

Step 2 - Layering
To make your wreaths look really, really full, you want to layer everything as much as you can.

Make little bunches, or bouquets, of foliage to add one at a time. Once you are happy with your first bunch, use a loop of wire to pin it securely to your base. The top of the next bunch goes towards the bottom of the previous bunch and you turn each one out to keep increasing the size of the wreath.

To complete the wreath, just keep pinning the little bouquets on until all the moss/straw is covered.

Step 3 - The fun bit
Add splashes of colour to break up the evergreens - maybe some sprigs of holly and the odd pine cone - and once you’re almost satisfied, hanging it up will help you decide if you need any extra flourishes, like berries or bows. We used dried orranges and bundles of cinnamon which we wired together and then covered the wire with a piece of red ribbon.

The final touch was a lovely bow which we made out of wide red ribbon.


Step 4 - Voila the finished product
In order to hang your wreath you will need to attach a piece of wire or ribbon so that you can attach it to your door.

And here it is hanging on the front door of Maison No. 20......

I would like to thanks Julie and Joel from Arts Cool, for organising the workshop and Jenny Moss - a very talented florist, who taught us how to make the wreath.

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend (it is getting colder so we may get some snow next week)

L x