Going abundantly, gloriously, wonderfully large on your wreath this Christmas
My Instagram feed is full of wreaths. Wreaths of dried flowers, wreaths of greenery, line ups of people post-workshop holding up their creations, wreaths on workbenches, walls and even sometimes on actual front doors. Not that I am complaining; I adore wreaths. They are an art form all of their own, and anything that uses branches and foliage to craft and create is alright with me.
There was a Christmas angel committee meeting in my village in September and I cemented my position as a pillar of the community by getting an invite. We discussed the tree lighting ceremony, the children’s crafts, dressing the church, and how we would encourage everyone in the village to put an angel in their window or front garden. Since then, lights have appeared on front walls and from eaves but my front door has remained resolutely unadorned. I am feeling the pressure.
I am not sure I am going to manage an angel and I can’t adorn the stone wall at the front of the cottage with twinkly faux icicles because it has mostly fallen down. But what I am going to do is create a wreath of such epic and abundant proportions that stops church wardens, nosy neighbours and fellow parish councillors in their tracks. And if you want abundant, there is only one person to ask: Kirsty the Wilde.
I am so grateful to Kristy for sharing her steps to glorious shagginess, and to Charlotte Eve for very generously sharing her sumptuous photography with us. I will be making my wreath next Tuesday afternoon which gives you a bit of time to get foraging, because I very much hope you will join me.
Here is Kirsty:
My taste in wreaths is very definitely maximalist. Not in terms of masses of decoration or ‘bling’ but in an abundance of glorious seasonal foliage. Grace once called my wreaths ‘gruffallo-esque’ and I think that sums them up perfectly. Big, scruffy and quite wild.
The secret to getting a voluptuous wreath is two fold - a VERY chunky moss base and selecting the right foliage.
1. The secret is in the foundation
I begin with a copper wire frame and a reel of binding wire. To be completely compostable you can use a straw or willow base and strong string but I find wire is the only thing that can hold my generous bundles of foliage in place.
I take a large handful of sphagnum moss and make a firm ball shape - imagine making your very best snowball for battle! That ball is then very securely bound onto the frame with the wire, zig zagging it across the moss 3/4 times and really pulling the wire as tight as you can. The moss should feel firm to touch with no loose bits. I want my frame to be at least as deep as my ring finger but more if possible. The deeper you can make your mossed frame the better, this is what is going to give you that lovely depth and structure. If you get this stage right you don’t have to work as hard with your foliage, the moss frame is doing that lifting and supporting for you.
2. Bundling your foliage
Once you have competed all the way around the ring move your frame to one side while you sort your foliage.
I choose at least 4 varieties of foliage but often many more. I tend to only use one type of basic pine (Nordman usually) - this gives support to the bundles but I tend to keep it at the back allowing the prettier foliage to take centre stage. I love strobus pine and this really adds to the shaggy look. A mixture of cypress, conifer, cedar and spruce provides a wonderful array of texture. Often following a storm I get calls from kind neighbours offering up fallen branches which is always appreciated- I received masses of eucalyptus and ivy this year. For prettier detail I will try and include some dried thyme, juniper, rosemary, mimosa or olive. Dried bracken and seed heads are perfect too, I used big clouds of bronze fennel I had cut from the garden this year which looked spectacular.
Cutting down the foliage into piles prior to starting is very helpful, using not only the longer main pieces but also keeping the smaller side shoots for the front of the bundles.
I make large fan shaped bundles of 6/8 stems of foliage putting the stronger less decorative stems to the back and the more interesting stuff at the front, making sure I include some detail lower down at the front of the bundle - this ensures the centre of your wreath looks interesting and you don’t just see a load of stems.
3. The trick for going wild
Taking the bundle I hold it diagonally onto them INSIDE of the wreath frame, so the bundle almost looks like it is upright. This gives you that lovely full 3D look, no flat wreaths here! Bind the bundle onto your frame really tightly, giving it a shake to make sure it’s nice and secure. At this stage you can visualise the finished size of your wreath by looking at the furthest tip of your bundle and imagining that at the other side too. This is an important thing to consider as it’s tempting to go really big - but then you have the disappointment of seeing it is too large for your door to close!
Your next bundle can be the same ingredients and order as your last bundle for a more uniform look or you can make each bundle different for a wild and natural feel. Adding some strands of long wild thyme to the back of your bundles gives some lovely detail with being too heavy. It is important to make sure all your bundles go onto the frame in the same direction, your second bundle should very slightly overlap the stems of your first on the frame and so on.
4. Finishing touches
When you have went all the way around your frame cut your wire and tuck the end into the moss. Take your wreath to your door and hang it up, step back and have a good look from all angles. If you have fixed your bundles to the inside of your frame (rather than laying them over the top) you should see that some moss is still visible from the sides. I use pine and sturdier stems to cover this by removing the needles, cutting at a sharp angle and pushing into the moss. You can also use this method to correct any issues with the shape or to fill any gaps. This is also a good time to add any long fancy stems if you want an irregular shape. Once I am happy with the shape and that there is no moss on show or unsightly gaps (some gaps are good!) I add my ribbon. I often use torn lengths of vintage sari silk (bought from The Linen Garden) or a beautiful double faced velvet ribbon. I do however very much like a naked wreath with no ribbon at all.
Your festive guests will always be delighted to be welcomed by a home made wreath on your door, especially if it is gruffallo-esque!
