Straw and Vine Wreath Bases

Let’s start out the year with instructions for making your own wreath base. One advantage of making your own base is you can determine the size of the wreath. I use small 2” wreaths in many of my designs, and the smaller wreaths are not always available.

To make a straw base, you can use any type of hay, alfalfa or other dried grass. The only other item you will need is a spool of strong floral wire. To begin making the wreath, take a bundle of straw and squeeze it tightly in your hand putting the thickest part in the center, taper both ends. Snippet: You can determine the thickness of the wreath but a 1 ½” thickness makes a solid wreath base. While holding the bundle of straw, with your other hand, start to wind the floral wire around the bundle to hold it together. Secure the wire with a couple of tight twists then continue pulling the wire tightly around the straw in spirals. Leave about an inch between each section.

Continue adding bundles of straw, be consistent with the thickness of the bundles, and start to curve the finished pieces into a circular form. Once you have formed the bundles into the desired wreath size, overlap the tapered ends and wind wire around the complete base in one continuous spiral.

This straw base is light in weight and will work well with equally light-weighted decorations. If you plan to use heavier decorations, you will need to reinforce your base. You can do this by taking a coat hanger or other heavy wire and shaping it into a circle. Make it large enough to accommodate the thickness of the sides. Follow the above instructions to build the base but position the straw around the reinforcing ring.

When building a vine wreath, there are many varieties of vine available and nearly all can be used. Explore your yard, especially fences, local parks and country paths. Spring and fall are the optimum collecting periods. Younger growth is easier to work with but you will need thicker sections for strength. Select the vines and remove any leaves. If your vines have sat for any length of time after cutting, it is a good idea to soak them. This will make the vines more pliable and less likely to split and break.

First, determine the overall size you want the wreath to be. Begin building your wreath by selecting two or three pieces of vine, each several feet long. Stagger the thicker ends and wind the vines into a circle the size you want. Grasp the circle where the vines overlap and with your other hand, twist the longest vine ends around the bundle. Secure the loose end. Depending on the thickness of the vines you’re using and how thick you want the wreath, you can continue building the wreath by adding more vines. Tuck the heavier end into a new starting place, wind the vine around the wreath, and secure the loose end.

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