Making Wreaths
Wreaths bring color and texture to your home. They are known for symbolizing a warm welcome to your guests and used in a variety of ways, hung inside or outside on doors. Wreaths can be suspended under chandeliers or can encircle a candlestick on a bedside table. They can become the focal point of your decorating scheme, or take the place of a year-round piece of art around the holidays.
This year, Biltmore's wreaths are made of fresh white pine, Fraser fir, boxwood, holly, or artificial bases decorated with dried flowers, silk flowers, with much ornamentation. 450 fresh wreaths are used through the season inside Biltmore House, along with 36 artificial or silk. Around 100 more wreaths are found in other facilities.
While we tend to think of wreaths as a Christmas decoration, they can be a decorative part of your home year round. Outlined below are suggestions for getting started on making welcoming wreaths for your home—not only for the holiday season but other seasons as well.
Tools and supplies
Pruning shears, wire cutters, scissors, several gauges of wire from very fine to heavy, spool wire, floral tape, chicken wire, coat hangers, white craft glue, hot glue gun and glue sticks (use cool melt glue for most projects for safety), floral wired wooden picks, floral S pins, nylon filament, thread, chenille stems, silk and dried flowers, berries and foliage, dried mosses, cones and pods, spray paints, ribbons and cording, scrap box goodies such as lace, pieces of ribbon, flower heads or sprigs, old ornaments and toys, and a base frame.
Bases and frames
Twig and vine
Honeysuckle, grapevine, blueberry twigs, bittersweet, huckleberry, pussy willow, light pliable branches of beech, birch or other trees. These types are usually very sturdy when dry and make a good base for heavier materials. Create with fresh, flexible materials and let dry, or purchase ready made.
Dried foliage
Eucalyptus, lemon leaf or bay leaves can be purchased ready made.
Straw
Commercial forms are made of compressed dried grasses tied with nylon string and covered with green plastic, which can be removed. Materials can be picked into the straw using florist steel picks, wired wooden floral picks, S pins, or by making a hairpin out of floral wire. Some materials, such as moss, can be hot glued directly onto the form. Forms can sag if the materials are to heavy or a very great number of picks are used.
Wire
Sold in varying sizes and gauges, some wires are flexible and some are very strong. This form is good for a variety of materials. Chicken wire can be rolled around moss or floral foam, secured with spool wire, and shaped into a wreath base, which can be moistened to hold fresh materials.
Dry foam
Floral and craft shops sell molded floral foam rings in various sizes. They can be used for lightweight materials such as dried flowers. They can be soaked and used for fresh flowers as well.
Artificial pre-made evergreen
These come in a variety of colors and textures. Regardless of type, they make a solid base that can be quickly decorated by hot gluing the decorative elements directly onto the stems. Preserved or dried materials can be added to give texture, color, fragrance, and a more natural look.
Seasonal decorations
Autumn
The season that most revels in the fullness of nature's bounty, colors include rich russet reds, flame oranges and gold, deep purples and burgundies, and bold yellows.
Suggested decorations:
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Fresh and dried flowers Goldenrod Hydrangea Everlastings Yarrow Tansy Safflower |
Fruits, gourds, vegetables Pods, cones, nuts Berries, rosehips, bittersweet Dried leaves, ornamental grasses, and weeds Artificial berries, grapes, leaves Sunflowers Cockscomb |
As the season of texture and clarity of line, variety can be found in the many shades of green, and in the infinite textures of needled or broad leaf evergreens. The stark beauty of bare twigs can be a part of your winter design as well.
Suggested decorations:
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Mixed evergreens Balsam Firs Spruces Pines Boxwood Princess Pine Junipers Arborvitae Roses Old toys, and ornaments |
Laurel Mahonia Cedar Yew Japanese Hollies Holly Magnolia Hydrangea |
Dried, fresh, or artificial Berries, rosehips, cranberries Pinecones, pods, nuts Lady apples Slender branches and twigs Vines, bittersweet Cinnamon sticks and other spices Fruits, vegetables Pressed ferns or leaves Dried foliage, berries, cones, sprayed gold Flowers and foliage Globe Amaranth, Strawflowers, Cockscomb Lavender, Dusty Miller |
Spring arrives with soft greens, pinks and bright yellows, the colors of a new beginning. The wonderful first flowers of spring are very delicate, and most will not last very long. Use them for a special occasion, and use dried and silk flowers for your more permanent displays. Compositions should be lighter during this season.
Suggested decorations:
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Pussy Willow Mosses Birdsnests Easter eggs Flowerpots and gardening tools Starflowers |
Fresh, dried, or silk Peonies Larkspur Salvia Lavender Statice |
Bright sunshine yellow, poppy red, and sky bright blues, and a great time to harvest and dry flowers for future projects come with the summer season. Don't be afraid to mix fresh and silk or dried materials. For example, you might make up a base of dried foliage that could later be enhanced by plugging in fresh flowers in water tubes.
Suggested decorations:
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Straw Hats, sailboats Yarow Sunflowers |
Dried garlic, peppers, berries Lemon leaves Raffia |