DIY Hydrangea Wreath -Almost FREE

I have always loved hydrangeas; they have beautiful blooms that last all summer and that dry beautifully to last all winter. I was overjoyed when we moved into our new home and one entire side of the house was full of these plants.  Our hydrangeas produced beautiful pink and green blooms this year and I could not resist making something out of them. 

 

Our local garden center sells amazing hydrangea wreaths (out of artificial paper type flowers) for a not so amazing price tag of $60 each. Being far too cheap to spend anything close to that price for 2 wreaths, I knew I could make them for next to nothing with my fresh flowers. Grand total for my project $0 for two wreaths!!!!!!!!  I had two wreaths forms and all the other materials on hand.  

I made one wreath three weeks ago to see how it would dry before making the second one and it has dried amazingly well.  I think this wreath, if stored properly in off seasons, will last for years.  The flowers kept their color and have not gone brittle after they dried. 

Materials:

Wreath (Never buy a wreath again...use The Penny Parlor’s trick of using plumbing tubing and duck tape. AMAZING!)

Hot glue or fine gauge wire

Hydrangea flowers

Twine or ribbon

Raffia (if you want a bow)

Method:

I waited until the beginning of fall to arrive so the cold weather made the pink in the flower darken to a deep pink/purple.

I cut off various sizes of blooms that were still packed nicely together and not wilted.

( Use flowers like this)

 (Avoid flowers like this)

Clip the hydrangea stem completely off. Cut right to where the flower starts, this way the flower bulb almost fits perfectly around the wreath.  (Note: I used some hydrangea leaves on the first wreath and they did not dry well.  They ended up browning and shriveling up not very nicely.)

I used a little less than one grocery tub of flowers per wreath.

Loop the hanging ribbon or twine around the wreath before you start and secure it in place.

If gluing, put a lot of hot glue on the wreath and press the flower branches to the glue. Be careful not to burn yourself! If you only glue the flower petals on, when the flower dries they might fall off.

If using wire, just start wrapping the flowers with the wire to the wreath.

I am placing these on my front doors so I did not do the entire back side of the wreath. I knew you would not see the back and it would lay flatter

Keep going around the wreath until you reach the desired fullness.  You can cut the flower balls into smaller pieces to fill in gaps if needed.

Make ribbon or raffia bow and secure to the wreath.

DONE!

 

Let me know what you think.

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