A fresh green wreath is one of the best parts of the holidays!
Bring a bit of nature into your home to fill it with fresh greens and that lovely pine scent.
Carlyn Thomspon, of Wild Willow Gardens, shared how you can create your own wreath from fresh clippings.
There are a variety of evergreens to choose from. Carlyn suggested mixing them together for added texture and color.
Cedar: This green is great because of its vibrant color, and is used in most garlands and wreaths.
Princess/White Pine: It is soft to the touch and adds an elegance to anything it’s included in.
Blue Spruce: Closer to gray or blue in its color, the pines are spikey where the others are much softer. It’s great to use as it adds depth to the wreath because of its color and very circular bristles.
Douglas fir: This green looks similar to the blue spruce with its round branches. It has an emerald green color.
SUPPLIES
- Gloves
- Clippers
- Apron
- Wreath form
- Wire
METHOD
- First, choose an assortment of greens. Start with clipping branches into smaller, more workable sections, 6-8” in length. Once you have a good pile of each of the kinds, you can start building out bunches. Start with the flatter greens for the base and choose one or two stems. Lay those on the table and then add the other types on top.
- Then, grab a piece of wire, fold it in half, and then pick up your stacked bunch of greens. You want to wrap the wire around the base of the stems about an inch or two from the bottom. Twist the wire and secure the bunches together with the wire. That is the hardest part!
- Make 6-8 of these bunches and attach them onto the wire frame. We simply take the extra wire from securing the bunch and attach it to the frame. Once it’s secure, tuck the ends into the bunch and move on to the next. Follow this process around the wreath until all the bunches are secure.
For more inspiration from Carlyn, you can follow her on Instagram, @wildwillowgardens. She’s also teaching classes at Alpine Workshop. Sign up at alpineworkshop.co.
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