Taking inspiration from the foliage you can find in nature; a DIY foraged spring wreath is a fantastic way to bring the outside in. Find out how you can make your own with this step-by-step guide
Spending time in nature is one of my favourite things to do in spring; the world feels like it’s waking up again after the cold winter months and there’s an inspiring sense of renewal. I love observing the changes all around us, taking the opportunity to slow down and notice the buds forming and the blossom starting to bloom.
Foraging for flowers
Foraging is a family activity that first became part of our routine during lockdown and it’s still a great excuse for us to get outside with the girls. If you’re keen to give it a try, I recommend checking your local laws and guidelines first as each country has different rules you need to follow.
My book ‘House of Flowers’ contains an in-depth guide to foraging for flowers and how you can source your arrangement materials more generally, but when I’m heading out to forage for my spring wreaths, I tend to gravitate towards stems and branches that are relatively hardy. My top finds often include ivy, olive, eucalyptus, pittosporum, viburnum, hawthorn, oak, conifer, and yew.
However, the true beauty of any foraged spring wreath is that your creation will be completely unique. No two wreaths are alike, but I believe the most effective reflect your surrounding environment, bringing the wonders of the outside world into your home.
Once you’ve foraged your flowers and stems, it’s time to get to work and create your wreath:
A step-by-step guide to making a DIY spring wreath
- Select a wreath base and find some wire or twine that can keep your materials in place. If you’re using a wire frame, I recommend weaving the twine in a zigzag pattern so that your moss can sit on top of it.
- Build a nice chunky layer of moss and secure it in place by threading the wire or twine over and under the entire frame.
- Gather your flowers and stems and trim them down so that they are a more workable length. 6 – 10 inches should be just about right, but don’t worry about being too precise; personally, I prefer working with a mixture of different shapes and sizes.
- Decide whether you want to work clockwise or anti-clockwise (I’m right-handed so find clockwise the most comfortable). Choose the direction that works for you, but make sure you don’t change your mind halfway through!
- Pick up a selection of your trimmed pieces and combine them to create a bundle that’s similar in shape to a fan.
- Position the bundled stems on the middle of your base and let the foliage fan out so that it covers the moss.
- Use wire to attach the bundle to the base and wrap the ends of each stem around two or three times until it’s held securely in place.
- Make your next bundle and position it so that it slightly overlaps with the first bundle and covers the wire and stems. I like to include a slightly different mixture of stems and flowers in each bundle to keep it interesting.
- When you reach the final bundle, simply lift the foliage from your first and tuck the stems underneath to conceal them.
- Once all your bundles are attached, flip the wreath upside down and trim the wire. You’ll need around 6 – 8 inches to loop back and forth across the wire frame.
- It’s at this point that I like to take a step back and look at the wreath as a whole. This helps me spot any gaps or areas that could use some additional texture, which I then fill in using leftover stems.
- Experiment with different ribbons to hang your wreath in your home.
If you’d prefer to follow along with me and create a wreath together, check out my spring wreath kit video here, which shows all of these techniques in action.
