Journal

Making a dogwood wreath

I have made this dogwood wreath so many times over the years. I have hosted workshops making them at Country Living Fairs and local events and even with the Brownies - and they never get tired.

Every one is slightly different, every one a response to the maker and the materials. They will last for years and years and you can add in decorations and ring the changes.

You need

• Heart shaped copper wreath - 12" size (available from florist supplies shops). Studio Members can buy the frames from us - please email.
• Dogwood prunings (approximately 18 pieces - though it obviously depends on how full they are.)
• 18 pieces of stem wire or flexible wire cut into 20 cm lengths
• Secateurs

How to make

Pick the 6 sturdiest prunings - they should have straight flexible stems and then some brush bits at the top.

You are going to wire these onto the heart shape to form the base for the rest of your stems.

Jam 3 stems into the square of copper at the base of the frame them wire it in 2 places so that it follows the curve of the frame.

Jam another 3 stems going the other way and wire in place to form a heart shape. This is the most difficult part of the whole thing so take your time. Don't worry if the wire is showing at this point or if it isn't exactly heart shaped.

Wire in all the twigs so that you have a heart shaped dogwood framework on top of the copper frame. It doesn't need to cover it at this point.

Now use the rest of your dogwood to cover the frame, jamming the end of the stem in to secure and then wrapping round and round, tucking ends into the existing sticks.

Continue until you are happy with the fullness and shape of your heart - it can be as messy or neat as you like.

Cut the stem ends neatly

Add a hanging loop to the back by threading wire through the copper frame and twisting together to form a circle.

You can make the frame into more of a heart shape by forcing the centre of the top part down a bit - the copper will bend.

You can also add on decorations - ivy and berries or dried flowers - anything with a stalk will simply poke through the layers of dogwood and it will be held securely - something like ivy can be attached by making little hairpins out of wire and securing it with that.

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