The Un-Christmas Wreath

Almost my entire life, I thought wreaths were for old-ER (Please don't get offended. I'll dig myself out of this hole in a sec!), more traditional people. I didn't dislike them. They just weren't for me. This year, I was challenged to teach a Fall/Winter Holiday Floral Design course where I came up with a wreath design that has inspired me to brainstorm even more unconventional wreath ideas. Now, my only concern is, do I have enough doors to display them on???


I came up with a concept that was budget-friendly, yet still unique and contemporary. We started by wrapping the soaked Oasis wreath foam 3/4 of the way with almost 200 ft of jute twine. This is somewhat of a tedious process fighting against the tangled mess of twine, yet it's so worth it in the end. (Hint: If you keep the jute in its original roll, it will make it easier and lessen the chances of developing unwanted knots). We then proceeded to design with fresh flowers in the lower 1/4 of exposed foam. I chose a fall coloration utilizing yellow Fuji mums (similar to spider mums), bright orange spray roses, deep red spray roses and berzillia accented with red grevillea and tiny sprays of gold tip cedar. The grevillea adds movement to an otherwise stagnant design.


During the class, one of my students asked, "Is going through the tediousness of wrapping the twine worth it since you can only enjoy the fresh flowers for a short period of time?" My answer is yes, knowing that I would be taking photos of it and enjoying it for a lifetime.