If you want to make your own wreath this Christmas, you can order all the pieces you need here, and this is our handy guide to point you in the right direction for your creative endeavours.
What’s available in the kits?
Base options
Wire ring
Available in four sizes, the wire ring can be used as a base for both floral and foliage wreaths, as well as wreaths of any other craft. If you want to make a traditional wreath, fill the shape with sphagnum moss and secure it in place by wrapping the ring with florist wire - this provides a base for moisture, as well as lots of places to attach your decorations. If you’re going down the artificial or novelty route, stuffing these rings with newspaper and wrapping them in tinsel is a good place to start.
Oasis Foam
We have two options available, in three sizes each, with the difference being how they are backed. Foam based rings will need topping up with water slightly more regularly than the naylor based rings. With both, you can simply use a kitchen jug or glass of water to carefully pour water over the whole arrangement, or if you’ve got a bucket big enough, you can dunk it in - be careful not to overwater, only add more if it feels dry. The inevitable rain will also help to keep it moist!
Decorations & attachments
Florist Wire
A reel of wire will be plenty to help you construct your wreath, even if you’re using a wire ring and need to wrap the moss in place. You can also attach wire onto all your decorations to push into the foam or wrap around the wire base. Wire cutters or sharp scissors are best for snipping sections, and be careful of sharp edges.
Dried Lotus Heads
Available as a pack of three, these vary in size between 8 and 11cm, and will also vary in shape and colour as they are a natural product. The lotus flowers themselves signify purity, rebirth, and strength as they grow through the mud - all values related to the Christmas and New Year period.
Dried Apple, Orange, and Lemon Slices
Apple slices add a light burst of colour to any wreath, contrasting with the deep green background of holly and foliage. Apples are a traditional decoration for a wreath as they can be dried from what is leftover from the autumn harvest. Oranges and lemons also provide bright contrasting colours, and feature in lots of festive decorations, the dried segments also allow variations of light if you’re using suitable fairy lights as part of your wreath.
Dried Whole Oranges
A popular sign of Christmas, particularly as part of the Christingle, the whole orange represents the world, whereas the gifting of oranges or clementines represents a gift of gold from Saint Nicholas - the son of a wealthy merchant who became a bishop. Weave wire through the open segments to attach the whole orange to your Oasis floral foam or wire wreath ring.
Cinnamon Sticks
Few smells symbolise Christmas as well as cinnamon - whether it’s dusted over a hot chocolate, or simmering in a pot of mulled wine, the pack of five sticks is the perfect addition to any wreath. They’ll provide an incredible scent to your creation, as well as another autumnal splash of colour. If you don’t want to wrap wire around the stick, you can always tie a ribbon or piece of string into a bow around it and attach the wire behind.
Berries - Plain or Glittered
If you can’t get your hands on holly with real berries, artificial ones are the next best step. You’ll get approximately 20 berries in the pack, and we recommend using them in odd numbered bunches as even numbers can look too symmetrical to be natural.
Our other top tips
- Check the size of your door before you start! You want a bit of space on each side of the wreath, and don’t make it too bulky if you have a narrow doorway when the door is open.
- Just as with the berries, using odd numbers of decorations helps a wreath look more natural.
- When cutting foliage to add to your wreath, cut it to different lengths to add depth and texture, pines, ferns, and eucalyptus make good additions or alternatives to holly.
- If you want to add fairy lights to your wreath, ensure they are suitable for outdoor use.
- Do you have a colour scheme for your decorations? If so, make sure everything matches.
- Decorations don’t just need to be natural, you can add baubles, fabric ribbon, or even mini crackers to your wreath - anything you don’t mind getting wet if it’s exposed to rain.
- Start with the larger pieces, and finish with small - you can always lay things on first to see how it looks before properly attaching everything.
Now you’ve got the know-how, go forth and create! Click here to order the pieces you need to create your own wreath making kit.