Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
EASY STEPS TO YOUR LIVING WREATH
Gather your supplies
• Foliage and flowers
• Wooden embroidery hoop
• Wet floral foam block with plastic tray
• Florist twine
You’ll also need Secateurs; scissors; green tie wire
Give your front door lots of festive love with a living wreath. With a simple embroidery hoop, and foliage and flower cu ings, you can create a beautiful decoration. The secret to making it last is to use wet floral foam for your greenery. And, if you use natives, it will add lovely Australian flavour to your Christmas season.
For you to note Popular natives for wreaths include gumnuts, flowering gums and eucalyptus foliage. You can also use bo lebrush and Christmas bush.
Here’s how
STEP 1 Trim plant cu to desired size using secateurs. You’ll need sprigs long enough to go around the embroidery hoop to the top, along with smaller and bushier sprigs to fill out the front of the wreath. Remove any foliage from the stem bases. STEP 2 Cut a section of floral foam in its plastic tray with scissors. Pour water
ings onto foam until saturated (read product instructions).
STEP 3 Position foam section against inside of hoop where the tightening screw is. This will be the wreath base. Cut lengths of tie wire and wind around foam, twisting off to secure.
STEP 4 Insert a long foliage stem into one end of foam.
STEP 5 Use tie wire to tie foliage around the hoop.
STEP 6 Insert foliage into other end of foam, and tie around hoop. Continue inserting stems into both ends and tying to the hoop.
STEP 7 Insert foliage and flower sprigs into foam top, then pour on more water.
STEP 8 Cut a length of florist twine at least 300mm long, double it and take looped end under and over hoop, then thread ends through and pull taut. Tie off ends to make a hanger. You can also skip the hanger, and place the wreath directly on a doorknob or hook.