Decorative Wreaths

Decorative wreaths look beautiful hung on your front door, on interior doors, and over doorways and archways in your home. Decorative wreaths are also wonderful wall art and themed centerpieces for the holidays or a special party. Decorative wreaths are for all seasons and all reasons. Widely available from florists and many gift boutiques and online retailers, many decorative wreaths are simple to make and creating your own unique decorative wreaths is rewarding and less expensive than store bought.

A wide variety of materials can be used for decorative wreaths, many of them randomly found in the landscape, and in Scandinavian style interior design wreaths are often made of boxwood, flowers, and even candles and china, and other frequently found items. Other designs incorporate baby pinecones, feathers, berries, fruit, toys, plant materials, flowers, ribbons, wheat, raffia, paper bows, origami sculptures, Christmas ornaments, glittering stars, beads, wee bird nests and faux eggs, and more. The list of materials that can be used in a wreath is endless and only limited by one's imagination.

Wreaths also come in a variety of sizes and shapes such as circular, heart-shaped, rectangular, triangular, diamond-shaped, and square.

For the creative among us, making your own unique decorative wreaths can become an enduring passion. All you need is some spare time, a workspace, and some simple materials to get started. Many people become so proficient at creating decorative wreaths, they start a business in their homes and sell locally at craft shows or online.

There are two basic techniques used to make an infinite variety of decorative wreaths. You can either attach wire materials to a metal form using floral wire, or use a glue gun to attach your materials to a straw or foam base. Twisted grapevines may be used alone or embellished with materials like ribbons and silk flowers using a glue gun. Use a combination of both techniques for stunning effects. The following wreath idea is designed to inspire you to create your own masterpiece:

Gorgeous Triple Duty Laurel Wreath with Nuts and Berries

This wreath is so elegant and sophisticated, yet it's simple to make. In addition to its beauty, the best part of this budget-wise wreath is its three distinct 'looks'. This decorative wreath, in all its manifestations, may be used both indoors and the exterior of your front door.

You will need the following materials for your fresh laurel leaf wreath:

• 18 Inch pre-made straw wreath form with hanging loop
• About 350 fresh laurel leaves laurel branches are available at florist's shop
• 1-1/4 Inch floral pins
• 3 inch wide ribbon organza or silk in seasonal patterns such as tartan or gold moon and stars

To create the fresh laurel leaf wreath, follow these simple steps:

1. Lightly mist the laurel leaves
2. Attach the leaves to the straw form with the floral pins, pinning close to the stems in overlapping rows
3. Continue making rows of laurel leaves until the form is completely covered in leaves
4. Mist your wreath and cover in plastic for about 4 or 5 hours to flatten the leaves against the form
5. Tie ribbon at equal intervals around the wreath and fasten in back with floral pins or make one large bow to hang from the top
6. Proudly display your work of art on your front door or inside your home.
7. Mist your wreath regularly to prolong life

When the fresh laurel leaves dry out, this wreath is magically transformed into a true work of art with a coat of spray paint and some nutty accents and twigs topped off with dazzling berries.

You will need the following for the second transformation of the laurel leaf wreath:

• Glue sticks and hot glue gun
• Variety of small nuts like almonds and filberts with shells on
• Variety of small dried berries
• Non-toxic brush-on or spray glitter paint
• Metallic and/or vibrant color spray paint in two contrasting or coordinating colors
• 3 inch wide ribbon depending on the season use paper, organza, or silk in seasonal patterns such as tartan or gold moon and stars and seasonal colors
• Floral pins

It is simple to create your second transformation of the laurel leaf wreath once the laurel leaves have dried by following these steps:

1. Remove the old bows
2. Make sure all the leaves are securely fastened to the form
3. Discard any broken leaves and use more floral pins if necessary to firmly attach loose leaves
4. Spray the entire dried laurel leaf wreath with spray paint
5. Spray paint the nuts with a coordinating spray paint and set out on waxed paper-lined tray to dry
6. Brush on or spray glitter paint on the berries and twigs and set out on waxed paper-lined tray to dry
7. Once the paint on the wreath, nuts, berries, and twigs are dry, begin assembling your new wreath with your hot glue gun paying attention to filling any spaces with nuts. Small clusters of nuts randomly placed throughout the wreath then topped with glittering berries and a cross-bones twig effect is very pretty. Or you could create your own random pattern of nuts, berries, and twigs.
8. Finish your wreath with a big fluffy bow or cut ribbon into strips to tie around at various equal intervals and glue a nut and some berries in the center of each ribbon tie.

What's old is new again, for the third time! For the final metamorphisis of this versatile decorative wreath, when the dried and painted wreath begins to look a little tired, strip off the nuts, berries, and leaves and let the brilliance and simplicity of pure golden straw take centre stage. Of course, you are only limited by your imagination and this hardy straw form can continue to be recycled into a myriad of colorful themes and configurations for use indoors and outdoors, for years to come.

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