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How to Make a Wreath

Through the centuries, wreaths havebeen regarded as symbols of protection,love, friendship and welcome. Most arecomposed of a central core, althoughyou can twist and weave stipple stems offoliage such as clematis or hops intowreaths that are decorative in their ownright, or construct a simple wreath basefrom supple grass or other stems andthen decorate it with flowers.

With the revival of interest indecorative rings, it is now possible tobuy a wide variety of wreath bases fromflorists and department stores. Dried-stem rings, vine wreath forms andtwisted willow rings can all be adornedwith posies of fresh flowers and foliage,or with dried plant material for long-term display. Pre-formed rings ofabsorbent stem-holding foam encasedin a plastic base provide fresh flowerswith a moisture source and can be usedthroughout the year for wall hangingsor table decorations. They are, however, unattractive to look at, so youmust plan your decoration to include anall-concealing cover – a handful of ivyleaves or other foliage would be ideal.

HOW TO MAKE A FRESH FLOWER WREATH

1. Gather up your materials: a pre-formed foam ring of 25 cm/10 in diameter, aselection of flowers such as sweet peas,roses, spray carnations, Peruvian lilies andgypsophila, evergreen foliage such as ivy,and florist's scissors. Arrange a ring of ivyleaves around the inside and outside of thering form to frame the flowers. Cut eachsweet-pea flower on a short stem andarrange at intervals around the ring.

2. Complete the ring of sweet peas andarrange more ivy leaves between theflowers, to give the design a natural and'countrified' look.

3. Cut individual roses, Peruvian lilies andspray carnations and arrange them betweenthe sweet peas. Insert short sprays ofgypsophila around the ring.

4. Use the floral circlet to decorate a tabletop, a low shelf or a buffet table, where itwould make an unusual centrepiece.

HOW TO MAKE A POTPOURRI WREATH

1. Gather up the materials you will need:a dried-stem ring of 20 cm/8 in diameter, about 115 g/4 02 pot pourri, a hot-glue gun,dried flowers such as rosebuds and sealavender, a roll of florist's silver wire, half astub wire (floral pin), satin ribbon and apair of scissors.

2. Spurt the glue on to the ring a little at atime, and press the pot pourri on to it. Takecare not to burn your fingers when usinghot glue. Allow to cool for a few secondsbefore pressing on the petals.

3. Work all around the ring, gluing andpressing on the petals until you havecovered the form on top, both inside andoutside. If there are any gaps, spurt on alittle more glue and add more petals. Gluesome of the most colourful petals on top togive the ring a bright appearance.

4. Arrange the dried flowers to make asmall posy. Cut short the stems and bindthem with silver wire. Bend the stub wire inhalf to make a U-shape, loop it over thestems and press the ends of the wire into thering to secure the posy.

5. Tie the ribbon around the ring form,bringing the ends over the top, where theywill cover the posy stems and binding wire.Tie the ribbon into a bow and then trim offthe ends neatly.

IDEAS FOR FOAM RINGS

Outline a foam ring with periwinkleleaves, fill it with some short-stemmeddaffodils, tulips and pansies, and thenembellish it with a cluster of lightedtapers for an Easter table decoration;cover a small ring with lady's mantleand cornflowers, and then stud it withstrawberries pierced with cocktail sticks(toothpicks) for a midsummer partypiece; or define a large ring with ivyleaves, fill in with sweet peas, Peruvianlilies and roses, and cover it withdelicate gypsophila.

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