How to Create a Striking Dried Hydrangea Wreath

Over the past two years, I have been experimenting with drying hydrangeas. Having so many lovely dried blooms, a wreath for the front door seemed like a perfect project. Read along as I demonstrate how to create a striking dried hydrangea wreath.

As you gathering materials for your wreath, I will share a tip. Observe the natural elements that are growing around you. As fall approaches, you will notice lots of changes taking place. For example, the wreath I describe below has two natural elements. First, of course, are the dried hydrangeas. Second, are the beautiful flower stalks of Siberian Iris. These stalks dried naturally right on the Iris. They were so beautiful, I had to include them in the wreath. Besides, the Iris flower stalks, another plant where the flowers will naturally dry are Astilbe. Nature has so much to offer if we observe more closely.

Design

Here are the key design elements of this wreath:

• Features a grapevine wreath as the base
• Two-thirds of the grapevine is covered (as opposed to the entire wreath)
• Dried and silk elements are used
• Black and White Buffalo Plaid Bow adds a striking element and the burlap bow adds a nice accent

Gather the components

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Before you start, gather all your materials. The day I made my wreath was beautiful. I was able to make the wreath on our back deck using the outdoor table. Here is the list of materials for this wreath.

• 22-inch grapevine wreath
• 4-5 dried hydrangeas (silk hydrangeas an also be used)
• 5-6 dried Iris flower stalk stems (optional, adds some nice texture)
• 6-8 Green silk leaves
• Heather bush in a cream color for a contrasting element with texture
• 48-inches of Black and White Buffalo Plaid ribbon 2.5 inches wide
• 48-inches of light brown burlap ribbon 2.5 inches wide
• Scissors
• Floral wire
• Pipe Cleaners

Assemble the striking dried hydrangea wreath

Step One

Before fastening anything to the wreath, layout the components around the wreath. This helps in two important ways:

• Gives you a perspective of the completed wreath
• Checks to determine if you have enough materials

Step Two

Start securing materials at the bottom of the wreath. The bow delineates the top/bottom. For this wreath, I chose to secure all the components with floral wire as opposed to hot glue. This took a little more effort because each component had to have a piece of wire wrapped around its stem. The benefit is that you can easily move the pieces if a mistake is made or things are not fitting together as planned. In addition, you can easily disassemble the wreath and reuse.

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Instructions:

• Attach a piece of floral wire to each of the components that will be added to the wreath.
• Begin by securing 3 of the green silk leaves to the bottom of the wreath. The stem of the leaf should be facing up towards the bow. Position the stem of the leaf in the desired spot and then weave the floral wire through to the backside of the wreath. I used the silk leaves from the stems of the sunflowers. I just cut them off.
• Lay the heather bush on top of the silk leaves (stems facing toward the bow) and weave the floral wire through to the back of the wreath. There are two features that I love about heather. One is the color. The cream color adds brightness and supports the other colors. In addition, I love the texture of the heather. Including various textures, adds interest to the wreath.
• Add 2-3 dried Iris stalks and weave the floral wire through to the back of the wreath.
• Attach 1 dried hydrangea bloom (with the bloom facing down and stem facing up toward the bow) on top of the green silk leaves and weave the floral wire through to the back of the wreath.
• Secure another dried hydrangea bloom right next to the first and weave the floral wire through to the back of the wreath.

Step Three

In this step, you will make the bow. I used two different spools of ribbon. One spool of buffalo plaid and one spool of burlap. The bow has a total of 8 loops with each loop being approximately 8 inches. Bows are relatively easy to make yourself. I like this YouTube video that does a good job describing how to make a bow using two different ribbons. Once your bow is complete, fluffy it out and attach it to the grapevine wreath. Snuggle the bow right next to the second dried hydrangea bloom from the step above.

Step Four

Finish assembling the wreath by securing the components at the top.

• Attach a piece of floral wire to each of the components that will be added to the wreath.
• Begin by securing 1 dried hydrangea bloom (with the bloom facing up and stem facing down toward the bow) snuggled right next to the bow and then weave the floral wire through to the backside of the wreath
• Lay 3 of the green silk leaves right under the hydrangea bloom (stems facing toward the bow) and secure by weaving the floral wire through to the backside of the wreath
• Add 2 pieces of the heather bush on top of the silk leaves and then weave the floral wire through to the backside of the wreath
• Secure 2-3 dried Iris stalks and then weave the floral wire through to the backside of the wreath
• Fill in any exposed area of the grapevine wreath with either extra hydrangeas or silk components. The idea here is that you should not see any exposed grapevine behind or in front of the components added.

Step Five

Gently lay the wreath face down on a surface. Secure and tuck the wires from the various components to the back of the wreath. Hang the wreath on your front door or inside your home. Good luck with your project. I hope you learned something by reading how to create a striking dried hydrangea wreath.

You might want to check out these other posts:

• The Secret to Impeccably Dried Hydrangeas
• Simple Saint Patrick’s Day Centerpiece with hydrangeas