Diane Burns, Head Gardener at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards
Diane Burns, Head Gardener at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards shows us how a wreath made from clippings from your own garden or in collaboration with elements from your friend's backyard lends itself to a uniquely beautiful holiday wreath.
Wreath to Serve at the BaseDiane Recommends a Straw Wreath
Brown/Rustic Wire
Wooden Floral Picks
Floral Tape
Greenery
Wilt Prufoptional
PrunersDiane Recommends Carbon Steel Pruners
Floral Wire/Paddle Wire
Floral Pins/Greening Pins
Hot Glue Gun
Embellishments
Gardening Sheers
Instructions
Step One: Create a Wreath Hanger
To create a hook or wreath hanger, select the brown or rustic wire and cut a roughly 2-foot piece of it. Select the "top" of the wreath, the area from which the wreath will be hung. Create a loop that will comfortably fit over a wreath hook or nail on the door.
Loops the wire through the wreath and then wrap the excess around the loop to secure the loop, thus creating a secure loop from which you can hang your masterpiece at the end.
Step Two: Attach Evergreens to the Base
Select the paddle wire, evergreens, and pruners from your tool kit. Clip the first bunch of greenery to measure roughly 6 inches (or the distance from the tip of your thumb to the end of your pinky when your hand is extended– “Y” in sign language).
Fan the greenery bunch around the straw wreath base with one hand and use the other hand to wrap the grenery bunch around the base using the floral wire. Wrap the floral wire around the greenery and straw wreath, pulling taught, roughly three or four times. Clip the paddle wire and secure the wire to itself.
Diane's Tips:* Don't worry if there are holes or the greenery is not yet covering the entire area! Holes will be filled in using embellishments or additional greenery with floral pins.* Make greenery clippings roughly the same length.
Step Three: Repeat
Working counterclockwise, repeat Step Two: Create greenery bundles from the clippings, place the next bunch on top of the floral wire, fan the greenery out, and wrap the bundle around the base with floral wire.
The final greenery bundle will tuck underneath the tips of the first bundle to create a complete wreath!
Clip away any excess or rogue stems and then use the floral pins to fill in gaps with holly clippings, white pine, or whichever clipping looks right.
Step Four: Decorate
Select pinecones, cinnamon sticks, and dried fruit slices to adorn the wreath. Decide whether the wreath will have one focal point with decorative elements or if the wreath will incorporate a pattern or asymmetrical elements nestled amongst the leaves. There is no right answer! Personal taste and fancy should take over the guide the wreathmaker.
Diane's Tips:* Place the selected embellishments on top of the wreath ahead of time before committing to any design!