Celebrate a Natural Holiday with a Foraged Wreath
Author: Lenae Haugen
Nature has always inspired and fascinated me. There is a simple elegance in the way leaves grow and branches intertwine. When you add them together in just the right way, it can be magical. My children have inherited the love for collecting “treasures,” and at any given time, we have a car full of twigs, rocks and leaves. It’s only natural that this year, we decided to incorporate them into our holiday décor.
Not everything could be foraged in the wild, so my daughter Cypress helped me forage at our local nursery, gathering a few items that we couldn’t source from our yard. Nurseries can be a great resource at this time of year.
Let me show you how to incorporate cuttings from your wanderings into a stunning wreath for your home. We chose to hang ours on our garage door, and it greets us as we arrive home.
The first step is gathering your materials. You will need:
- A variety of cuttings in different textures and tones for a more artistic look
- A grapevine wreath of any size, available at your local craft store. These are a reasonable base that allows you to wire on your foraged items.
- A spool of green floral wire
- Floral picks
- Sharp pruners
Set up your work area with materials. Pre-cut 10″ pieces of floral wire. Pre-cut a variety of sizes of greenery from 6″ to 8″ long.
I started by tucking white pine into my grapevine base. Being an artist, I usually do everything asymmetrical, but feel free to experiment until you find the shape that inspires you. White pine has soft, droopy, long needles and that gave a more relaxed and romantic look to the hard grapevine base.
Next, I wired the pine and mossy branches securely to the base, holding it up every once in a while to see how the materials hang.
Layering is key in any great design. For the top layer, use leaves such as laurel, holly, variegated boxwood or magnolia. They give a variety of textures and tones, creating interest.
Bundle interesting pieces together and use your wire to wrap them on your floral pick. I used about four bundles and tucked them securely on top of my base.
Add extra special finishing touches that are unique to you and your family. I chose feathers and a naturally shed antler found at an antique shop. Cluster your special items together for more visual impact.
Lastly, remember that there is never a “right” and “wrong” way to create your masterpiece. It’s called “creating” and you are the creator. Just keep layering and adding, and finally you will find that sweet spot that just feels right.
Cheers to creating your masterpiece and wishing you and yours a magical and creative Winter 2015.
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