Beatrice Helman of the beatnik kitchen created the loveliest DIY for us today: Floral Wreaths! These beautiful arrangements can be hung on doors, or used as centerpieces, or even put into hair (hello wedding season!). Directions and notes are below, plus I encourage you to visit Beatrice's blog for more creative ideas.
From Beatrice: Wreaths aren’t just meant for winter. Few things say spring more than flowers, whether they be on a wall, in your hair, or in a mason jar. Instead of (or maybe in addition to), traditional flowers in a vase, try putting these floral wreaths on the wall or the door. It’s an unexpected and simple way to fill up a white wall. It’s also much easier than one would think—and you get to play with flowers for a few hours. It doesn’t get better than that!
What you need: a few feet of thick wire, depending on how large a wreath or how many wreaths you’re going to make, a foot of thin wire, wire clippers, a sheet of wire mesh, twine, needle and thread, and tape, just in case. Buy three to four bunches of flowers, in whichever color palette you prefer. Also buy one bunch of greens, whether it be berries, cherry blossom branches, or herbs. I chose rosemary and recommend it - it’s easy to work with and smells like late afternoon summer.
This is where decisions have to be made: choose either the wire or the mesh option. The wire will produce a more traditional wreath or crown shape, while the mesh will result in a half moon shape that lends itself to being a truly unique centerpiece. If you’re going to go the centerpiece route, I suggest using flowers that are similar in tone and pairing the piece with a rustic object, such as a wooden box or flower filled jars.
Recommended flowers include: herbs, lilacs, daisies, pansies, lady’s mantle, geraniums, lavender, lilies, and roses. The best flowers to use are sturdy ones with volume. Find them at local farmers markets, flower markets or even at the grocery store.
For the mesh option:
1. Lay the mesh out on a flat surface and decide which flowers you want to use.
2. Cut two strips of metal wire - you can make them whatever size you want, but I suggest using about a foot of wire on each side.
3. Bend each side into a half circle shape. Space them about five inches apart and parallel to each other. Attach the ends so that the shape resembles the frame of a headband or a banana. Attach the four ends, two on each side, with the thin metal wire.
4. Stretch the mesh between the two sides, so that it fills the empty space and cut the excess off. Sew the mesh to the wire; the more of the mesh you sew to the wire, the more secure it will be. At the very least, choose five spots and secure the mesh to the wire in those places.
5. Clip the flowers so that you have 1/2 an inch to 1 inch of stem left below the flower or bud. This is simply to get rid of extra stem.
6. Add flowers to the mesh, one at a time. Flowers can be placed horizontally or the stem can be put through the small holes so that the flowers sit directly on top of the mesh facing upwards.
7. Starting from the face down side of the mesh (the side which the flowers are not on), begin to sew the flower to the surface, going in and out of the small holes on either side of the stem. This can be done by putting it a flat surface or by picking it up hand, and sewing it from back to front.
8. Repeat until the entire surface is covered.
For the wire option:
1. Cut about a foot and a half of wire and twist the ends together, creating a full circle shape. A few circles can be made and tied together with the thin wire to create a thicker, sturdier base, if desired.
2. Begin with one flower and wrap the stem around the wire, following the arc of the circle. Continue this pattern until the wire becomes less prominent. Secure the stems with the thinner wire by wrapping the wire around the stems and then twisting it together.
3. This is where artistic license comes in! Whatever you want to do to cover the frame, do. I recommend cutting the stems off a variety of other flowers and threading them through the holes created by the previously used thin wire. This will make more sense once you start using the wire to secure flowers to the band. If need be, you can secure them on the inside with tape - as long as it isn’t visible. Twine is another way to do this, and one that is more visually pleasing. Securing bunches of herbs with twine on the wire frame is an easy way to create a long lasting, sweet smelling wreath that will look great on a wall, a door, or a propped on the table.
Both methods can be used to convert the wreath into a flower crown. To make a flower crown using the mesh, simply mold the half moon shape to your head; do the same with the wire option and make the frame slightly smaller. If you weren’t planning on making a crown, rethink. It’s almost summer, which means it’s time to start wearing those flowers in your hair.
Photos and DIY by Beatrice Helman.
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