Incorporating wreaths into the decor of a wedding or party has become so popular. I did it myself for my wedding:
Wreaths look great on outside gates and doors to greet your guests when they arrive for the ceremony. If your reception is taking place at a different location, ask your wedding planner to relocate them during the ceremony so you get double the use out of them! And the best part is, if you preserve them you can reuse them for years to come at your home. Now why not save a little money and make them yourself?
I took a little time on Saturday to make a homemade magnolia leaf wreath with one of my girlfriends! These were so easy and only took a couple hours to put together. I'm sharing each step so you can make one too!
Homemade Magnolia Wreath
What you'll need:
1. wreath frame or form
2. 50-70 Magnolia leaves
3. green floral wire
4. wire cutters
5. needle nose pliers
6. hot glue gun (optional)
Step 1: On a nice large work space, (kitchen table works great!) spread out all of your materials. When it comes to the wreath frame or form, it doesn't matter too much which type you use. I went with a Styrofoam form so I could pierce the wire into it for a strong hold. You can certainly use other types (see below).
Grapevine Wreath:
Straw Wreath Form:
Wire Wreath Frame:
If you go the route of a Styrofoam form, you'll need more leaves to cover up all the Styrofoam. While it's a little more work, it will have a fuller look in the end. If you are putting the wreath somewhere were you'll be able to see the back of it (an iron gate for example) I suggest using the wire frame or the grapevine wreath as your form. You can get any of these wreath frames/forms from Michael's. They range from $3.99-$6.99.
Step 2: Gather 3-4 leaves in varying sizes. Group them together at the base and take a piece of floral wire (approximately 3 inches long) and wrap around the stems. Taking a pair of needle nose pliers, grab the two ends of the wire and twist them so it's nice and tight. The leaves should be snug in place and should not be able to move around.
Step 3: Take another piece of floral wire (approximately 10 inches long) and wrap it once around the base of the leaves. There should be two long ends which you'll use to wrap around the wreath form. Taking the small wire ends from the first piece, pierce them into the Styrofoam so it's nice and snug. Then take the two longer pieces and wrap around the wreath. Twist them nice and tight on the backside of the form with the needle nose pliers so the grouping of leaves is secure in place.
Continue Step 3 all the way around the wreath, each grouping of leaves being laid in the same direction, overlapping one another a little bit. Once you have gone around the entire wreath, you may need to add to areas toward the inside of the wreath to completely cover the Styrofoam. This is why you'll end up with a fuller looking wreath.
Step 4: Hang your wreath up on your front door to see how all the leaves fall. You may need to add a few additional leaves for symmetry. Once you are happy with how the wreath looks, you can use a hot glue gun to secure the leaves even more. This isn't necessary, but if you are hanging your wreath on a high traffic door, it never hurts to secure the leaves in place a little more!
And voila! You have a beautiful, simple magnolia wreath. Doesn't this just have "Fixer Upper" written all over it?! Hope you all give it try, thanks for reading!!
