“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”
–Cicero
This year the holidays will be quite a bit different for me. Family traditions are very important, and instilling them in my children has become my mission as I’ve tried to create so many for them. To my dismay, our annual trip to cut down our holiday tree and decorate it together won’t be possible this year. As I am in the middle of moving, I won’t be decorating my home in its normal holiday cheer.
Decorating is part of the charm of the holiday’s! The lights, holiday cooking & baking, and of course the greenery including both the tree & wreaths!
How fun would it be to create your own holiday living wreath?
I agree, it would be far easier to just simply purchase a few artificial ones and call it done… but there is something extra special about the smell of pine wafting through the house. The texture and beauty live wreaths offer can’t be had with artificial ones.
Easy 4 Step Directions!
Here’s a brief how-to & what you’ll need to create your very own beautiful living wreaths!
Pro Tip: Be sure to wear gloves when working with evergreen branches, the sap is super sticky & terribly troublesome to wash off!
Materials you will need:
~1- 14 inch concave metal wreath form, or larger if you’d like
~Binding or mossing wire
~1 to 2- 8 ounce bags of sheet moss
~Sharp garden shears
~4 to 6 plants- you’ll need to add more plants the bigger your wreath is.
~Evergreen branches 1 or 2 varieties- I love to incorporate wispy balsam & juniper with the berries!
~Other foliage including rosehips, Queen Ann’s Lace, cattail, ornamental grasses with seed heads, eucalyptus, pine cones or holly.
Step 1: Place the moss on the wire wreath frame, using your wire to attach it securely. Be generous with the moss for a full look. Take your mossing wire and wrap it around the wreath frame at one end; wrap the wire around the moss in a circular motion, making sure it is taut; add more moss as necessary to give a balanced appearance.
Pro Tip: If choosing live plant varieties, take into consideration whether they need full sun or shade.
Step 2: Start decorating your wreath with beautiful foliage. Once you have your moss attached to the wreath you can begin adding your seasonal foliage. Remember to keep things balanced by placing your greenery evenly spaced apart. Push the stem ends into the moss diagonally, almost in a 45 degree angle.
Step 3: Make it your own! Once you have your greenery & foliage you can begin to add additional decorative elements like pine cones, dried orange slices, & rose hips. You can even add a few holiday ornaments to add a bit of pizzazz!
Pro Tip: You can keep your living wreath fresher & lasting longer with a simple light dusting & mist the foliage with water once a week.
Step 4: Add the finishing touches! After you’ve adorned your wreath, make sure there are no gaps or odd empty spaces. If there are some either add more moss or adornment. Add a beautiful bow at the bottom or top of the wreath with wire for that final touch!
This simple project makes a great gift or keep it for yourself. Once you decide where you are going to put it, I have a feeling you’ll want to make another one!
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Happy Day,
Jean
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