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Homemade Wreath Making

Dec 10, 2015 | Uncategorized | 6 comments

Wreath making workshop west London

When it comes to the holidays, I wish I lived in the States. You Americans just do Christmas, Halloween, Easter so much better. I would love to have seasonal table decorations, or a themed mantlepiece decoration (if I had a mantlepiece). As Christmas lovers, Tom and I have bought a few decorations over the years and our flat is looking pretty festive, however when my Mum asked if I wanted to join her to make homemade wreaths I was all over it.

Our workshop was a cute, informal 3 hour class at Zoe from My Flowers house in Pinner, Middlesex (just outside of London). All the materials were provided, as was tea, coffee and mince pies!

We started with a metal ring that provides the base of the wreath which we packed with fresh, wet moss – the messiest and muddiest job of the day. This not only creates a nice round shape, but should keep the foliage looking nice and green throughout December.

Homemade wreath making

Wreath making course

Our group of wreath makers- apparently not many other 27 year olds were free for the Tuesday morning class!!

Next step was the foliage, where we made little bundles of ivy and pine, alternating the direction that we attached them to the wreath for full coverage. This stage took a while and got a little repetitive after a while- I’m sure my first bundles were better than my last when I just wanted to be done! We attached everything to the wreath by wrapping wire around the frame tightly, so easy.

Ivy and Pine wreath making class

wreath making class

After a well deserved tea and mince pie break it was on to the fun part- decorating! My Mum had bought Tom a Father Christmas flying decoration for the tree which I decided to use on my wreath instead of giving to him, whoops.

wreath decorating class

wreath making class

I also used dried apple slices, cinnamon sticks and dried chilies for my wreath, sticking with a natural theme with red colourings.

Wreath making class

Homemade wreath

Pretty proud of the finished product!

The class cost £45 and included everything you needed to make and decorate your wreath, plus refreshments. It was such a lovely class – Zoe will be hosting other events throughout the year so keep an eye on their website –  I’d love to learn how to do flower arranging! Sadly they don’t have any more wreath making classes this year, but Heal’s has a couple of workshops still,  as do Grace & Thorn in Hackney.

6 Comments

  1. kristenk

    This is such an awesome idea! I would love to have a real wreath on my door, and it’s even cooler knowing you made it yourself! Great job!

    Reply
    • charlotte

      Thank you, was a really fun class!

      Reply
  2. Cathryn

    I particularly like the bit about not many 27 year olds being available that morning. Giggle.

    Yes, I do love being in America for the holidays – they do the whole Autumn-December thing SO well. To the point that I bought myself a mantlepiece this year just so I could decorate it! #sucker!

    Reply
    • charlotte

      I would 100% have done the same re mantlepiece!

      Reply
  3. Jo

    for next year’s wreath, keep your base, complete with moss. It will dry out but soak it in water and it will be fine. Then go on a country walk and forage your greenery, pine cones, moss, lichen, bracket fungi, snow berries, sloes,ivy berrie, mossy twigs, teasels etc. Dry your own orange slices, you can also do lemon slices as well. Get some quails eggs and blow out the insides and dry. Nick some holly and or pyracantha berries from someone’s garden. Dry some hydrangea heads, honesty or physalis from someone’s garden. Go to a good butcher (John Murray’s in Loxwood, ask the in-laws!) and they will give you some pheasant feathers for free. then you will have a wreath for free! Another nice touch is to thread some little battery powered white fairy lights through it!

    Reply

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