Move over paint nights, there’s no better craftivity with friends than sipping wine while wreath making on a warm Spring night. Everyone can use a wreath to liven up their door and grapevine wreath making is the perfect craft for even self-proclaimed Pinterest failures. Grapevine (or willow ) wreaths can be decorated to show off the rustic vines or completely covered for a different look altogether. The grooves created by the vines are perfect for holding greenery and flower stems, making this activity totally doable for anyone and everyone! Check out how to make a wild flower wreath made with sola wood flowers and artificial greenery during a Wood & Word Blooms Workshop at R Dee Winery in Enfield, Connecticut.
What You’ll Need:
Here is what we used:
- Any size grapevine wreath from your local craft store
- Mini sola wood flowers (roses, daisies, zinnias or any style in 1 inch size)
- Artificial Greenery and Lavender bushes
- Hot glue & Glue gun
- Floral wire stems (18 gauge), Paddle wire (optional) and wire cutters
First, design your base with greenery
To start your greenery base, select the biggest and possibly flattest of your greenery options and begin to place it in your grapevine grooves. Don’t glue anything down until you feel certain about your placement. If you are creating the half wreath design then you’ll start at one center point and work you way out in opposite directions, covering about half of your wreath. Leave room for your other types of greenery as you lay out your first layer.
Next, fill in with your second layer of greenery (or in this case filler). The lavender sprigs acted as a second layer to this base to give it a true wildflower feel. Because of the style of wreath, we did not put each piece of greenery in too neatly. We varied the angle and lengths of each piece to make it feel more natural.
When you think you are done, hold it up and look at it hanging. You can even have someone else hold it up for you to look over. Think about which direction you want to turn it or have the greenery situated if it’s a half wreath design.If it all looks good, go back and add some hot glue in the groove of each stem where the flowers and wreath meet to make it extra secure.
Time for Flowers
Because this is a wildflower inspired wreath, flower placement will be different from your traditional wreath design which starts with your largest flowers and fans out from there. If you have a half covered wreath design, you still can start from a center focal point and work out. If you are covering your full wreath, then pick a spot and start to work your way around. The idea is for the little wood flowers to pop out organically from the greenery. To get this look, here’s a few things to consider:
- Place your flowers around your wreath to work out the design
- Consider a pattern but don’t feel that you have to keep it perfectly. Sometimes switching up the order of the pattern can help keep that organic feel.
- Vary the angles of the flowers. Some can pop out a little more to the right or the left.
- Keep your flowers going in the same direction as your greenery, not against it.
- Take a step back, see if there are any gaps you want to fill, and then…
You’re ready to secure!
To secure your flowers, cut a small piece of wire and glue it into the bottom of your flower. Because these sola wood flowers are so mini, you need to carefully push the wire in. I like to keep my finger on the opposite end and gently twist and push the wire in only a few centimeters. A dab of hot glue right in the hole you’ve created, then push the wire back in.
You can use 2 methods to secure your stemmed wood flower in the wreath.
- Push the wire straight through then bend it up and back into the grapevines on the back side of the wreath.
- Bend the wire stem at a 90 degree angle, add some glue along the stem and slide it into the grapevine grooves.
In both methods, once I am settled on my final look, I will add some extra glue under any flowers that don’t feel as locked in place.
Admire your masterpiece.
Check out how cute and different these wild wood flower wreaths can turn out!
