DIY Sessions #5 - How To Make A Jolly Christmas Wreath
Hello me lovelies!
Oh yes it is December! I for one cannot believe that we are here already! And what best way to start off the month than to create a Christmas wreath! I absolutely love wreaths, they are a whole circle of Christmas cheer and joy and they smell of Christmas too! This year I wanted to show you guys how to make your very own wreath! So let's get to it!
First and most importantly lets head to our record players / computers / tablets / phones / ipods and put some Christmas tunes on! oh yes!
What else you will need:
Clippers (to cut plant material)ScissorsOutdoor StringRibbonAn OrangeFallen BranchesMoss2 Evergreen Branch& Hypericum berries (or a flower that reminds you of Christmas)
I bought moss, evergreen branches and hypericum berries from my local flower store, and got my fallen tree branches from my garden. If your local store doesn't have them, then why not head to a flower nursery or a garden centre, they are a great place to find these as well as a large range of flowers that you might want to included too!
For your Dried Orange slices
Let’s begin! Get your orange and slice 1cm sections (with the stem of your orange pointing horizontally). Place on some baking paper and sprinkle with caster sugar. Now place in the oven on the middle shelf at 180C. Put a timer on to turn over your slices every half an hour. They will take around 2 / 2.5 hours to dry in the oven in total, so keep your eye on them for the last hour.
1. Gather your branches and use your clippers to cut off all the long sprouts of smaller branches. These are going to be used as your foundation and will form the circle of your wreath. Once you have done this place them on your surface to form a circle 35cm diameter across.
2. Use your string and bind your branches together, make sure the branches are tied together tightly! You can also use wire for extra stability (when your circle is complete, wrap wire around the whole of your circle). Now you have your wreath base!
3. Gather your moss and evergreen branches. Using your clippers, snip the smaller branches off your main evergreen branch. Make sure your moss is still damp. The moss is used to keep your evergreen branches and flowers watered whilst they hang.
4. Take your moss and wrap it around your wreath base. Have your string handy - without cutting your string, tie your first section of moss onto your base, then continue to wrap sections of moss around your base and loop your string around each section and tie when you have covered your whole base.
5. Now time to add your evergreen branches and hypericum berries. First add your evergreen branches, place them into the moss and tie with sections of string (making the knot at the back of your wreath). Overlap each evergreen piece so it covers the whole of your wreath base. Cut branches of your hypericum berries and place these randomly.
6. Gather your ribbon of choice and tie into a knot, and then a bow at the top.
7. Take your ribbon and place at the top of your wreath. Place around your wreath at the top and thread the ribbon through itself tying your wreath in the middle. Use this to hang your wreath otherwise you can hang or hook your wreath from the base. Remember to check your orange slices!
8. After 2 / 2.5 hours your oranges should be dried, crispy and shiney. When they have cooled down you can then add them to your wreath. Cut a section of string long enough to wrap around your wreath to tie each orange slice. Thread the string through the centre of your orange and tie around your wreath placing randomly.
And there you have your wreath! Ready to hang and bring Christmas cheer and happiness to your home! and remember as one Elf said;
'The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!'
I most definitely will be doing this!
