DIY Christmas | Ivy & Star Wreath

Another day, another mantle photo.....



| WHAT YOU NEED |

Wire Wreath / Ivy / Hammered Stars / Floristry Wire / Glue Gun / Lights

| HOW YOU MAKE IT |

I started the day before making my wreath with a trip to the bottom of my garden and tackling the ivy that is tangled there.  I cut some long and short stems and gauged the amount required by bunching together and bending in to a wreath shape [very scientific].  When happy with the amount of ivy, I washed it to remove any dirt [and bugs] and left to dry in the airing cupboard over night.

This DIY works just as well with real or fake ivy [Hobbycraft & Dunelm have some great options]

The wire wreath will be your base - you can pack it out with moss, however, I am going for the simple and, truth be told, quick method this year.  I also wanted some of the wire to show through to add a little colour and texture.

Sort your ivy by size - long large stems through to short and small 'filler' stems.  Start with the larger lengths, fixing one end in place with the floristry wire and then bending the ivy to the shape of the wire wreath and adding more floristry wire where needed to fix in place:

Continue round, adding more stems, positioned to fill any gaps or add more weight to the wreath.
Once the long stems have been added, position the shorter stems to any areas that need more leaves, shape or to use as filler:

Once you are happy with the shape and look of the wreath so far, add any decoration. Again, keeping it simple, I used the hammered clay stars made in yesterdays post to add a little texture, decoration and Christmas spirit.  Fix the floristry wire to the back of each star with a glue gun and when completely set, fix the stars in place to the ivy or wreath, using the ivy leaves to weave between the stars:

To add a little colour, I chose a Tiffany blue ribbon to hang my wreath.  I used a bow tying method I've always used [shared in this post]and left a generous length for the hanging.

Finally, I added a poundland set of 10 copper lights - battery operated, so the battery pack can be fixed in place behind the bow - and weaved the lights in to any empty spaces, fixing in place with wire.

I added more floristry wire and smaller ivy stems sporadically to ensure the wires were hidden:

Once happy with the look, you are ready to display!  Currently, mine is sitting on top of the mantle [where else] but it will be attached to my front door this evening.

Big plans for next year.  Big plans.
Have you ever made your own wreath? I'd love to know what you made!