It’s been a couple of weeks since gathering the raw materials and constructing the wreath from Willow in part 1 of this two-part post. The completion of the wreath was a joint effort with the help of my Dad.
Firstly I laid out all the materials: The willow-wreath, some wire, conifer branches, pine cones, holly branches and some pine branches.
Using wire makes construction easier and you can get florists’ wire or strip the sheaths from cables. We de-stranded some old wire, to get single strands of wire, using a drill and some patience.
Using evergreen for foliage means it lasts longer and the colour is preserved. The small conifer branches were clumped into groups of 3 and then laid in the same direction around the wreath while attaching them to the wreath by wrapping round the wire. The trick is to hide the wire under the odd branch but don’t worry about wire showing as it will be covered up eventually.
The next step is to add the decor. We just poked in the branches of holly and twisted wire around the base of the pine cones to attach them. A few small pine branches were added for a bit of variety. The trick is not to clutter the wreath and know when to stop.
Finally, a spare bit of sisal, which was removed earlier, was used to make a loop so the wreath could be hung up and the final wreath looked like:
The intention was to create a naturally-looking wreath with freely-available materials scavenged from the local environment. Of course, the wire is not a natural component but can be readily substituted with nettle-derived cordage or sapling bark for that ‘au naturel’ feel. This is the first wreath I’ve made and we were all pleasantly surprised with the outcome, which now adorns my parents’ front door. I say “first wreath” because once the willow-wreath base is complete, it can be re-used time and again – as can the cones. More decorations can be added, such as a bow, or the wreath can be re-decorated throughout the year to reflect the different seasons.