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As fall approaches, I’m always searching for new and creative ways to bring wild flowers, foliage, and nature inside. Placing floral stems in a vase is a simple and effective way to do this, but today I’m kicking things up a notch with a wild flower wreath made with dried flowers collected throughout the year!
As a nature lover, the transitions from one season to another are sacred to me. By observing the natural phenomena that occur at the change of seasons, I can connect with nature on a deeper level and use the changes in nature as cues to reflect inward. I discover bits of personal wisdom and use these nuggets to aid in navigating my own seasons in life.
Autumn is a magical time of year, when nature’s palette changes in preparation for winter. I love the color story and textures that surround me during the height of the Autumn season. It’s a visual symbol for how beautiful the aging process can be.
I wanted to bring that color story and seasonal symbolism into my home, especially since my time in nature will be limited by the shorter days of the winter months.
Making a wild flower wreath is a unique way to incorporate a variety of floral colors and textures—some of which you can easily forage from your own backyard. Below, we’ll walk you through how to make your own dried flower wreath.
What You'll Need
I began my wreath making by gathering materials from around my studio: dried botanicals that have been drying in the rafters, just waiting for this purpose; some gorgeous fresh ones gathered from nearby trails; an assortment of twigs and branches; and some wire to tie everything together.
I meditatively craft my wild flower wreath, gently placing and rearranging the botanicals until it feels just right. I’m not a professional—I just let my creativity and intuition lead the way. There really is no right or wrong way to create your wreath, but I will show you my process and maybe it will help you to get started.
Tools
- Garden Scissors or Pruning Shears
- Craft Wire – Gauge Green Flexible Paddle Wire for Crafts, Wreath making, Garland and Floral Flower Arrangements
- Wire Snips
- Grapevine Wreath – You can make your own with foraged grapevine as I did, or you can find these at your local craft store.
Wild Flower Florals
If there’s not a lot to forage in your area, these websites offer dried florals for purchase:
amazon.com
bloomist.com
etsy.com (search for dried grasses or dried branches)
Florals I Used
- 12-inch Grapevine wreath – Either foraged or purchased at a local craft store). To create one yourself, tie foraged vines together in a circular shape.
- Switchgrass
- Dogbane
- Canadian Goldenrod
- American Hophornbeam Twigs
- Yarrow
- Maidengrass
- Viburnum
Instructions
Below are the 6 simple steps to putting together a dried wild flower wreath.
1) Attach Wispy Branches to Grapevine Wreath
Lay the grapevine base on your workspace. Attach long, wispy branches to the wreath and secure them in place by tying floral wire around them to attach it to the grapevine.
Florals we used in this step: American Hophornbeam
2) Make 8-10 Floral Bundles
Make 4-5 larger bundles and 4-5 smaller bundles of dried florals. To make the bundles, tie 3-4 dried floral elements of different varieties and sizes together with wire. Wrap the wire completely around the bundle until it is secure. This step is important because it will help you piece your wreath together and fill it out later!
Florals we used in these bundle: Larger bundles: dogbane, maidengrass, switchgrass, viburnum Small bundles: goldenrod, yarrow and switchgrass.
3) Plan Your Design
Before you start attaching your bundles to the grapevine wreath, you’ll first want to lay everything out to get a sense of how you want to attach them and to get a sense of the design. Arrange the floral bundles to move and flow as you want them to. Set the bundles aside, but keep them arranged in how you want them to be attached to the grapevine.
4) Attach Bundles to Wreath
Attach the bundles to the grapevine wreath and secure them with floral wire. You can use more bundles (or less) depending on the size of your wreath or how full you want it. I used 4 larger bundles which I attached to the grapevine first, then I used 4 smaller bundles layered over the larger bundles and also attached them with wire.
5) Fill in with More Color + Texture + Whimsy
Have fun with this step—Here is where you begin to add the finishing touches to your wreath. Take time on this step, and add what you think the wreath needs to make it complete. I added some more fluff florals like maidengrass and yarrow to fill out the design.
Florals we used in this step: maidengrass, yarrow.
6) Make Edits to Your Wreath
Hang the wreath on a blank wall. Take a step back, then look at it. Does it need anything else? If so, add or remove elements. Enjoy your new fall decoration! (Look below for instructions on how to preserve it.)
Preserving your wild flower wreath
Lay the wreath on a large piece of cardboard and spray both sides of the wreath with a foliage sealant (this helps dried leaves be more stable and resist shattering). Store in a flat box with a lid until next season!To help preserve your wreath, place it on a large piece of cardboard and spray both sides with a foliage sealant. Store the wreath in a flat box with a lid and store it until next season!
Video of Dried Flower Wreath Making
I hope that this tutorial has inspired you to try your hand at making one of these beautiful wild flower wreaths for yourself, or that you have discovered some new sources of inspiration. If you try it, let me know in the comments how it turned out. I’d love to hear about it!
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