Supplies:

1 14” Styrofoam wreath form
12 floral water picks (short ones with pointed ends)
20 12” pieces of medium thickness floral wire
1 bag of green sphagnum moss
1 yard wide satin ribbon ( 2” – 3” wide)
1 yard thinner ribbon ( approximately 1” wide)
18” skinny ribbon ( to use as hanger for wreath)
1 large hydrangea bloom
1 small  maiden hair fern plant (a 4” pot size will work)
6 -9 cymbidium orchid blooms ( or any other small flower will do)
Several long pins ( corsage or t-pins will work)
Several heads from a hen and chick plant.

Tools

Scissors
Wire cutters
Floral clippers or knife

Directions:

Begin by covering your work surface with newspaper or an old tablecloth.  Moss is messy!

1. Tie a length of skinny ribbon on the top of your wreath form to make a hanger.  (see figure 1)

2. Cut  18 strands of your wire  into pieces approximately 3 inches in length.   Make your wire into pins by bending  the lengths into  a U-shape.   (see figure 2)

3. Take a piece of your moss and stretch it over the wreath form. (see figure 3)  Use the U-shaped wire pins you just created  to secure the  moss by sticking them through the moss and into the Styrofoam.   Continue around the wreath and cover the sides and top of the form completely with moss.   (see figure 4)

Next you will assemble all the elements that will be tucked into the moss-covered wreath.

4. Begin by cutting your large hydrangea head  into smaller clusters,  then stick the stems  into the water-filled flower picks.   You can use your scissors to make the hole a little larger to fit more flowers in each  pick.   Fill three or four picks with hydrangeas, then fill the remaining tubes with ferns and orchids.  (see figure 5)

5. Cut your 1” wide ribbon into 6 inch lengths.   Make a couple of loops with each length, and run a corsage pin through the bottom of each loop to secure.  (see figure 6)

6. Make a simple bow using your widest ribbon.

7. With your remaining wire strands, cut several 3 inch lengths.   Stick one end of the wire into the back side of the hens and chicks  (see figure 7)

You have now assembled all the elements, it’s  time to start adding them  to the wreath.    All of the flowers, ferns and ribbon will be concentrated on the lower section of the wreath form.

8. Begin  by sticking the fern filled picks into the wreath form, at an angle with the points pointing inward. (see figure 8)

9. Add the large bow to the bottom of the wreath and secure it with wire.   Add the hydrangea clusters in picks next. (see figure 9)

10. Add  cymbidium blooms, ribbon tufts,  Lastly, add the hens and chicks.(see figure 10)

11.  Tuck in  moss to conceal any of the water pick ends.

12.  Hang over a mantle, on a door or wall.

Budget:

Wreath form – $5
Water Picks – $2
Ribbon – $6
Flowers- $5
Moss – $6
Fern- $5
Pins and wire – $2
Total amount spent:  $31

Project created by Laurie Cinotto