Making a decorative wreath is an easy way to harness some creative energy while decorating the home. A fall or floral wreath can be used to accent a front door to welcome guests, hung in the dining room as a Thanksgiving holiday decoration, or just used to bring some color and interest to any part of the house.
Gathering the Supplies
The first step to wreath making is to determine the size and type of wreath. Small wreaths can be made of bendable, green florist wire, available at any craft store. Larger wreaths can be made by a wicker ring base. In addition to these supplies, a hot glue gun with the appropriate glue sticks, and the decorative material is needed.
A fall wreath can be created out of multiple materials. Dried fall flowers, either picked outdoors or purchased already dried from a craft store can make a colorful decoration. Fallen leaves, in bright oranges, yellows and reds, or silk leaf replicas can be used for a truly fall centered decoration. Other materials can include pine cones, dried seed pods and acorns. Most craft stores will have these materials available, or gather leaves, flowers, pinecones and acorns from outside.
Planning the Wreath
It helps to plan the wreath and to do a dry layout before beginning. Determine the size that the wreath will be, sketch a circle onto some craft paper of equal size, and begin laying out the materials in the general design desired. Play with scattering and grouping colors, seeing which colors and textures work well together. If using acorns or pinecones, try grouping them at the top or bottom of the wreath, or scattering them throughout. By playing around with the materials this way, it’s possible to get a feel for what the finished wreath will look like without having to risk gluing the decorations in place before final design choices have been made.
Building the Wreath
If using wire to create the wreath, take three strands and twist them together at one end. Loosely braid the wire, leaving gaps between the three strands where the flower, leaf steams and decorations can be inserted, and twist the ends together to form a circle. Wicker rings need little to no alteration before beginning, but if there are twigs or pieces that stick out, it may be desired to clip them off before beginning.
When building the wreath, begin with the leaves or flowers, saving any pinecones, acorns or other decorations for later. Cut the flowers down so that just the head and a short stem are left. Place a small bead of hot glue on the end of the stem, and insert the stem into one of the gaps in the wire or wicker. Hold the flower or leaf in place for a moment until the glue dries, before moving on to the next one.
Continue placing the flowers and or leaves, trying to pack them together as tightly as possible so as not to leave any gaps or noticeable wires or wicker showing through. Pine cones, seed pods and acorns can be glued into place afterwards, by pressing them deeply into the field of flowers or leaves.
Take a small piece of wire and attach it to the back of the upper portion of the wreath to help facilitate hanging, without disturbing the decorative elements.
The finished wreath can be enjoyed year round, or brought out each fall and hung from a door or wall to help usher in the fall season. Decorative wreaths also make unique and personal gifts. Try wreath making today and bring some fall color to the home.
 |
