| Dried hydrangea wreaths are so beautiful and | | | | |
| versatile in a home, and a lot of fun to make | | | | Balance is what you are looking for. |
| as well. | | | | Balance in shape, you don't want any sticking |
| | | | out way above the others, you don't want one |
| You can either purchase already dried | | | | side of the wreath to be fuller than the |
| hydrangea flowers from your local craft | | | | other. Try stepping back and looking at a |
| store, or you can dry your own. The biggest | | | | distance and just think "balance of shape". |
| trick when drying your own is the timing of | | | | |
| when you pick the flowers. It is best to | | | | The second area to look for is balance of |
| pick them right before you anticipate your | | | | color. This is the purpose of doing each |
| first fall frost. If you pick them | | | | bloom all over, then filling in, so you |
| mid-summer, they just will not dry correctly. | | | | achieve that balance of color. Give another |
| | | | once over to check on that. |
| You can either hang them upside down in a | | | | |
| darkened room to dry, or you can set them in | | | | Now, this wreath is either finished, or you |
| a vase upright, even adding a tiny bit of | | | | can add perhaps add small sprigs of dried |
| water in the bottom of the vase, although | | | | baby's breath to it. Really depends on the |
| even that is optional. As long as they are | | | | look you want. Sometimes the simplicity of |
| picked at the correct time, it's difficult to | | | | only the hydrangeas is stunning. |
| fail with them. It's fun if you can, to | | | | |
| pick several blooms from different bushes, as | | | | For a grapevine wreath, it's the same |
| it will provide a nice variety of colors to | | | | principal but a different look. You can tie |
| the wreath. After they are dried, pick off | | | | a bow on the wreath if you want (if you do, |
| any dead / discolored brown blooms. | | | | do so before adding flowers), or ribbon. I |
| | | | like to leave bare spaces on these to be able |
| Now, pick the type of base you want to use | | | | to see the grapevine portion as well. |
| for a wreath. My personal favorites are | | | | Again, look for balance. You can also add |
| either Styrofoam or grapevine type wreath | | | | dried roses to it or any other type of dried |
| bases. Take some floral wire and wrap it | | | | flowers or grasses too. You can get really |
| around the wreath, then form a loop of the | | | | creative with these and come up with very |
| wire to hang from the wall, and then wrap the | | | | different looks. Experiment to your heart's |
| wreath again. You might try hanging it from | | | | content. |
| the wall at this point to make sure it lies | | | | |
| correctly, and then make any needed | | | | Many times people expect dried floral |
| adjustments while the wreath is bare. | | | | arrangements to last forever, and are |
| | | | disappointed when they start looking bad |
| To do a Styrofoam wreath, use a low melt | | | | after a few years. This is a misconception. |
| point hot glue gun. Separate each bloom into | | | | Expect them to look good for about a year, |
| smaller florets. Hot glue each floret into | | | | that's really about all they were meant to |
| the wreath base, actually poking the stem | | | | last. |
| down into the Styrofoam base. With each | | | | |
| bloom, space it out over the surface of the | | | | If they are in direct sunlight it will be a |
| wreath, for example; a floret at the top, | | | | much shorter time. However, the next year, |
| next left side, bottom, then right side, then | | | | feel free to strip the old flowers off, and |
| inside the circle of the wreath, and outside | | | | make another with the same base for another |
| of the wreath. Continue to do this with | | | | year's worth of a gorgeous hand made wreath! |
| each bloom until you fill it. | | | | |