Happy New Year everyone! Once again, it has been
a little while since I last posted, but this
year I have exciting plans for the blog - here's hoping I find the time to do them!
January has never been one of my favourite months - is it anybody's?! The warm, cosy glow of Christmas has gone and you are told to put away the cheese and the chocolate ... but actually, can you think of any other month more in need of culinary treats to get you through? This is not the time to deprive yourself!
Anyway, January always finds me with my enthusiasm and motivation at a low, so this year I decided not to wait for inspiration to strike but to get on with a new make as soon as the Christmas decorations came down. Though when I say 'new' make, it was really more of a remake.
Our Christmas wreath, after a few weeks of wind and rain, was looking a little worse for wear, but the willow base still looked gorgeous, so I decided to give it a new lease of life. It was so easy to to repurpose this base and I love that it won't be ending up on the compost heap after just a few weeks of use.
If you have a willow wreath base left over from Christmas, this is something you can have a go at! All you need are some fresh things to decorate it with - this can be dried flowers, or maybe some interesting branches or foliage from your garden.
How to make
First, you need to take off any ribbon (this can be saved and reused) and snip off the old
decorations. You may find that some of the decorations are actually still in good condition, so you can put those with your collection of things to redecorate the wreath base with.
Once your base is clean, make small bunches from the new materials you have gathered and tie these on to the base - you can wire these on but twine works just as well, just make sure you tie it on tight.
Continue to make bunches and tie them onto the wreath base, making sure to place them in the same direction. You can do half a wreath, as I have done here, or continue untill you
have covered the entire base. I like to leave some of the base showing as the willow is so beautiful.
Once you have finished tying on your bunches, you can fill in any gaps you can see and then you are ready to add a ribbon and string to hang it by. I actually reused the orignal ribbon from the wreath.
Your wreath is now ready to hang! If you have used dry flowers, it is best to hang it inside, otherwise you can put it back on your front door as a winter wreath.
I found making this wreath the perfect way to kick start my motivation for the new year. It has got me thinking already about the kinds of flowers I'd like to dry!
Not sure what to look for in the garden? Here are some ideas...
Twigs covered in Lichen or moss can add an interesting detail to any floral design.
Ferns are gorgeous to use fresh or dried!
Evergreens such as Ivy can last a long time when added to a wreath. Using any berries they produce can also be used to add extra detail.
Catkins are one of my favourite things to use at this time of year. Luckily we have them growing in abundance at our allotment.
I hope this has inspired you to have a go at making something of your own! If you would like to see me making this in more detail, head to my Instagram or facebook page and watch the reel.
And one final thought - don't forget to be careful when using plants from your garden, some can be an irritant or even poisonous.
Have fun!
Lucy x
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