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[/media-credit] To give, to decorate or to mail to loved ones far away…
What you will need:
• Hand pruners
• Pine, and/or: fir, cedar, juniper, redwood, or oak trees
(Cut assorted greens, as available in 6-8″ lengths.)
• floral tape
• #24 floral wire in a roll (2 rolls makes it simpler)
• Choose your favorite accents or use some of these:
PRE-WIRE any that will not wire into the project easily:
pine cones • silk flowers • fresh flowers (red and white carnations look great and last well – especially when capped individually with ends filled with water, available at a floral supply. Otherwise, choose silk or remove flowers as they wilt.) • fresh herbs like rosemary • mini ornaments • artificial berry clusters • baby’s breath •
Note: IF YOU HAVE ONLY 1 ROLL OF WIRE: PRE-WIRE PINE CONES AND ANY OTHER ORNAMENTS BEFORE STARTING PROJECT AS YOU DO NOT WANT TO CUT THE WIRE DURING WIRE-WRAPPING PROCESS.
Fill a wheelbarrow with greenery if you want a big 8 – 10 ft. garland. Ours is 4 feet. Cut branches diagonally to minimize excess pitch. Wrap ends of each stem with floral tape to further protect furnishings from the dripping sap.
Start with a nice long piece of twine, twice the size you want your garland to be.
1. Lay out the twine and lay the adornments out to the side of the the twine in the places you want them to be. For example, if you have 8 flowers, you may want them evenly placed.
2. Make a loop and tie it about a foot in from beginning of roll of wire, leaving about a foot of wire at the end, before the loop.
3. Tie the end of the roll of floral wire to the loop and tighten. Roll up the excess wire as it will be used for hanging the garland later.
KEEP THE ENTIRE ROLL OF WIRE CONNECTED THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.
4. Place your first bundle of foliage on the twine with stems pointing away from the loop, and close to the loop.
5. Wrap the wire around 2 – 3 times starting at stem and wrapping about 1/2 way up the stems, pulling tight.
6. When you add the next bunch of foliage, lay it so the stems point in the same direction and as you place them. overlap the about half the length of the prior one, positioned to cover the cut stems and wire. Continue adding bunches, making sure you keep connecting the wire to the string throughout the wire-weaving process and covering the string along the way.
7. Weave in color and pre-selected adornments intermittently as pre-planned. Repeat process adding greenery on both sides of the twine until desired length is reached. Then securely tie off the twine, tying it to the wire.
Note: A 4 – 5 foot garland will go nicely over the top of a door.
