Several years ago, I became aware of
Like anything in life, the more you practice, the better you get at it. I have found that when I make several wreaths to give as holiday gifts that I become more efficient and skilled at doing them.
The supplies needed to get started are:
10 inch round styrofoam base (ideally 2″ thick)
a piece of felt for backing
glue gun
pair of pruners
The floral supplies needed are:
100 4-6″ pieces of evergreen material.
If you are cutting evergreen material from your yard, upon bringing indoors, soak it in a sink full of water for 2 hours before using.
15 dried hydrangea flowerheads (or another flower of choice)
12 kumquats
12 outstanding dried leaves
6 sprigs of berries
Lay out all evergreen material on counter and let dry.
Then take 3 sprigs of evergreen material and with a wire pick wrap them together into a bundle.
Add glue to the perimeter and top of jar and secure in center of styrofoam. If need be, use a measuring tape to make sure it is centered. With glue gun, add a thick amount of glue in center of upwards side of jar.
Wire pick single flowerheads of hydrangeas. Then, on the outer top rim of the styrofoam, make a complete circle of hydrangeas. If there is enough room, make an inner circle which should cover the top of the jar and nuzzle up to the pinecone.
Insert a toothpick in the narrow end of each kumquat and then
The final step is to wire pick some dried leaves (in this photo I used oak leaves) and berries and add on to side of wreath, interspersing and overlapping the greenery until it pleases your eye.
I leave the wreath in a place where I pass by it frequently. This way, if I see certain aspects of it that are not symmetrical or that I just don’t like, I can make adjustments until I am pleased with how it looks.
I have given these wreaths on several occasions as gifts. The recipients seem to love them. And in truth, for most gardeners, what can be better than a hand made gift? So, if any of you have a special home made Christmas/holiday gift ideas that you would like to share with us (it needn’t be a wreath), please do let us know. You can either link us directly to your blog to view photos and how to make the gift or feel free to download your photos directly to me at: [email protected], and I will make sure to post them on GGW!
Fran is the author of the highly-acclaimed book, Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening, which Andrew Weil, M.D., recommends as "a profound and inspiring book."
A graduate of the University of Chicago with Honors in Psychology, she is also a gardening and creativity expert, coach, inspirational speaker, CBS radio news gardening correspondent, and Huffington Post Contributor.
Learn more about Fran and get free resources that will help you improve your life at www.fransorin.com.
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