My husband has created small meadows in our garden by leaving some of our lawn unmowed. It’s good for the bees and butterflies, and it’s so pretty too! And no weeding needed …
Today I admired all the pretty wild flowers, and got inspired to pick some. My busy crafter’s fingers started playing with them, and I decided to make a wreath by weaving the flowers around a stiff wire shaped into a heart.
It might be easier to make small bouquets and fasten them to the foundation wire by wrapping florist’s wire around the stems and base, but I like the weaving method. It’s also easier to undo the wreath by just pulling the wilted/dried flowers off the base. I like to reuse things.
In my stash of saved wire pieces I found a length of wire just right for this project. It’s covered with green plastic, and is stiff enough to hold its shape. I bent it into a heart about 8” by 9” in size (20 cm by 23 cm).
Then I arranged my flowers in bunches on the stone steps. The photo shows about a quarter of the flowers used. I had to go pick more. This wreath takes more flowers than you’d think!
The weaving method is shown in this dandelion wreath tutorial:
Start by choosing flowers for the dip on top. How many to use depends on your flowers. I used three.
Hold the bouquet against the wire, then attach it with another flower using the method in the dandelion wreath photo. Wrap the stem around the other stems and the wire. Continue adding one or more flowers at a time, then attaching them with another flower.
At times you can cut off some of the stems to prevent the bunch of stems to get too thick and difficult to manage.
You can use clothespins to help hold the stems against the wire. That is good to do also if you need to put down the wreath for a while.
When you reach the bottom point, just bend the stems around it.
As you get closer to the end, cut the stems to end under the starting bouquet. Finish the wreath by securing the stems to the foundation wire with a piece of pliable wire.
And there you have it!
A day later my wreath is still looking fresh. Maybe it’ll dry nicely.
How long the wreath looks fresh depends on the flowers used. You can choose flowers that are meant to be dried, like the ones on this list by Dried Flowers Direct.
You can let the wreath air dry and hope for the best. The result depends, besides on the flowers, also on the light and the humidity in the air. The drier weather, the better result. If you let it dry in the sun, the colors will fade significantly. A dark, cool, and dry room is best!
Or, you can display your wreath for a few hours, maybe during a summer party or a wedding, and then dry it using silica gel. Silica is a granular form of silicon dioxide that absorbs moisture, thus speeding up the drying process. It is found at florists and craft stores, as well as online.
Find a cardboard box big enough for your wreath. Pour a layer of silica into the box, place the wreath on top, then cover it with more silica until it’s completely submerged. Close the box and place it in a dark and dry place. It can take a few weeks for the wreath to dry out. Once dry, you can protect it with a special fixative, or even with hairspray. The colors of most flowers will change during the drying process. Normally they darken, and then fade over time. That’s just the way it is.
Here’s some more tips about drying flowers.
One last word. Take your time! Do not rush making the wreath. That will just end in broken stems and mashed up flowers, and you going nuts.
Happy crafting!
~ Marina
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