When you’re worried about heating your home this Christmas, it’s understandable that forking out for fancy festive decorations is not going to be top of your priority list.
But worry ye not – you can deck your halls on a shoestring budget, says Lucy Vail, the top events florist who dressed the breathtaking entrance at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. Amber Jars For Candle Making
‘You just need to see what foliage nature has on offer in your garden, local park or woods,’ says Lucy. ‘The rest of the things you need you can probably find at home.’
Here, Lucy explains how to create a Christmas door wreath.
Fresh winter foliage, beautiful in door wreaths, can be found in your garden, local park or on your woodland walk. Only take what you need. Look for:
TOP TIP: Ask your local Christmas tree seller for loose pine branches that they’ve cut from the bottom of their huge trees.
For a beautiful, colourful and unique wreath, add dried flowers. You may already have some in your home but if not, look in the garden for winter blooms to dry such as hydrangeas, lavender, pink heather, roses, dahlias, statice and thistles. Simply cut them, tie the ends of the stems together and hang them upside down in a warm space, for example an airing cupboard, for a week or two. They should retain their colour but if they fade slightly or get brown edges, you can spray-paint them to match your home décor.
Slices of dried orange, apple, lime and grapefruit look great in wreaths and smell amazing. Here’s how to prepare them for use:
You can buy a wire wreath base for a few pounds online or at a garden centre. But a wire coat hanger will also work – simply open it out over something round to get the right shape. Then:
TOP TIP: Make sure you don’t lose the shape in the middle of the wreath by keeping your inside pieces of pine tight to the moss.
TOP TIP: Keep holding the wreath up at different angles as you make it, to ensure that you have kept a good shape.
If the moss gets dry, spray the wreath front and back with water. After Christmas take it down, lay it on newspaper to dry out, then store in a hat box somewhere dry for next year.
Lucy Vail DIY Christmas Wreath Boxes are available here
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