Spring Wreath Tutorial

With the warm temperatures and sun blazing this weekend, I was in the mood to decorate for spring.  I created this wreath to work for Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter, and the spring season in general! 

Boxwood wreathes are common as a winter decoration but I thought the pretty green leaves which look fairly similar to shamrocks might be the perfect base for a spring wreath.  What better time to hang it than just before St. Patrick’s Day! 



What you need:
Wreath

• straw wreath form (I covered mine in green plastic wreath ribbon.  While not necessary it does help hide any straw that might show through the greens)
• wreath pins (see picture 1-  the pins are double pronged and hold the greens tight to the wreath form)
• boxwood greens
• scissors or garden snips
• pipe cleaner

Bow

• spool of 1-1.5″ ribbon (The burlap bibbon I used was very stiff which I do not suggest for beginners.  The easiest ribbon to work with which also seems to make the prettiest bows is a flexible wired ribbon)
• scissors
• coordinating pipe cleaner
• ribbon pick

*Add any additional adornments after you have decided the placement of your bow.  I used a hot glue gun to add lightweight plastic birds eggs!

Steps:

1. Gather supplies.
2. Take small bundles of boxwood (I usually use several pieces in each bundle with my total bundle measuring about 5-8 inches long.) and secure to the surface of the wreath by placing a wreath pin around the boxwood branches and pressing the pin down into the wreath until the boxwood is tight to the wreath form.
3. The bundle of boxwood should be secure but should also have depth!
4. Continue layering bundles of boxwood around the surface of the wreath.

5. Secore bundles down the middle and towards the outer and inner edges of the wreath form.
6. Push down tight.
7. The boxwood bundles should be placed cleanly over the previous bundle to cover any gaps and the wreath pins.
8. Work all the way around the wreath until the entire surface is covered.

9. Tip the wreeath on edge to place bundles on the outer edges of the wreath form (when the wreath is laying flat no wreath form should be exposed or you will see the form when it is hanging).
10.  Place bundles on the inner edges of the wreath form to make sure no wreath form is exposed when laying flat.
11. Secure bow to the wreath.
12.  If your bow can not be secured nicely with a wreath pin the use a ribbon pick to poke into the wreath (Ribbon picks are small wood stakes on one end and wire at the other end.  The wire twists around the center of the ribbon to attach it to the stake).

1. Place bibbon between fingers leaving a tail on the ribbon.  This can either be left as a tail or trimmed and rolled up in the center of your bow after the bow is completed.
2. Make a small loop and pinch between fingers.  This is the center loop of your bow and it will conceal the wire used to hold the bow together.
3. Create the first loop of our bow and bring back to the center and pinch between your fingers.  Twist bow at center to create a tight place for wire later.
4. Create loop on opposite side and secure between fingers and twist.
5.-9. continue this process alternating sides and varying the size of your loops.  I usually start smaller and get larger but ou can also add smaller loops in the middle and back to create depth.  It’s all about how it looks!  Loops do not need to be laying directly on top of each other.  In fact if they aren’t it is easier to fluff the bow and have dimension and a round shape later.  You can do as little or as many loops as looks good.  I did 6 per side for this bow!
10.  After you create last loop….DO NOT TWIST!  Instead hold beneath fingers and use the tail end of ribbon (connected to roll) to create one big loop.  These will be the tails of your bow!
11. Hold  bow and loops between fingers.
12. Feed a pipe cleaner through the small center loop and around the bow.
13. Secure bow by twisting the pipe cleaner up around the base of the ribbon.  All of the twists (meeting points of loops) should be wrapped between the pipe cleaner.
14. Snip the big loop you made in step 10 to create the bow tails.

I hope the pictures and directions are easy for you to follow.  If you have any questions do not hesitate to leave a comment.  Now go make yourself a SPRING boxwood wreath!

p.s.  I perfected my method of making bows using the techniques I learned in horticulture classes and working as a florist.  They are perfect for wreathes, vases, pew ends, and when made small (with small ribbon) are perfect for corsages!