Create A European-Inspired Holiday Wreath At Home

Local floral designer shares her secrets on creating a traditional holiday symbol – the wreath.  

The holidays are a time of tradition and celebration with family and friends. Decorating for the holidays can help make them more festive and fun.  Tatiana Chelekhova of Mila Design wants to add some “holiday cheer” to the season by offering a simple tutorial on creating a European-inspired holiday wreath.
 
This short tutorial will help you to create your very own holiday wreath. You can use your wreath for gift giving, decorating your front door or simply to beautify your home or as a centerpiece for the dinner table.

Step by step wreath making:

Tools you will need: 

1. 12” to 24” floral foam wreath for dry flowers
2. jute rope
3. green florist’s wire
4. toothpicks
5. wire cutter & knife

Flora:

1. Crab apples
2. Ash Berries
3. Rosehip berries
4. Sunflowers in seed stage
5. Bear grass
6. Spanish moss
7. Oak or Maple leaves
8. green moss

 
Step #1: Creating a Wreath Background

Cover the floral foam wreath with Spanish moss, securing it to the wreath with four-inch pieces of florist’s wire, bent into a U-shape. Thread some Rosehip berries on Bear grass. Then take bunches of 4-7 stems of Bear grass and with a looping technique, tuck them with florist’s wire into the inner and outer sides of the wreath. Tucking jute rope with some knots on it will give your wreath additional lines and visual movement.
 
Step #2: Securing Techniques

Apples are attached to the wreath with two parallel toothpicks.  Cut Sunflower stems as short as 2” and push flowers firmly into the wreath’s foam until the flower is resting on the wreath’s surface. If the stem of the Ash berry is strong enough, just push it into the wreath’s foam (be sure to allow 2” of stem to be inserted into the foam). If a stem is not as strong, wire a toothpick to it and it will easily penetrate the foam. You can use the same technique using maple or oak leaves.
 
Step #3: Decorating

Decorating the wreath involves a technique called “grouping,” in which you randomly place groups of ingredients scattered throughout the wreath.
     
To make the wreath looking like a real masterpiece, follow the golden rule of a composition: Recurrence + Balance. Start with the brightest ingredient – Ash berries. First place 6 groups of 2-3 clusters of Ash berries and then balance these groups on the wreath by adding smaller clusters of berries. Then, in the same way, group the Sunflowers. Finally, add the smallest ingredients - apples.  To add further interest, and cover any foam showing, use little clusters of leaves and green moss.
 
The holiday season starts at the front door with a wreath, welcoming people to your home.  To create a warm, romantic atmosphere, place your wreath in the center of your table with several pillar candles in the middle. If you have long rectangular table, make two or three small wreathes and spread them along the table.

Courtesy of Mila Design