Matthew Robbins' Winter Wreath Turtorial

Winter Wreath Step by step instructions for building your own chic and beautiful wreath with our curated box of natural materials.

Winter Wreath The grape vine provides the perfect base for designing a gorgeous wreath. You don't need glue or wire.

The secret is to use the structure of the wreath to hold the materials. You will weave the stems into the vines to create your design and to add structure. Open the materials, remove paper, rubber bands etc. and organize so you have all items visible and easy to access.

Step 1 Weave the Silver Tree fern into the wreath.

The Tree fern is a great material to start with as it allows you to define the movement and shape of the wreath. Cut 3" off the length of the fern stem and start with stem first and weave into the grape vine. Remember to keep your materials moving in the same general direction for a sense of harmony and balance. We generally work clockwise from the bottom of the wreath, working our way around.

Step 2 Add in the beautiful painted coral fern.

This fern adds a playful sense of movement. Allow the small branches of the fern to dance around the wreath as this maintains a sense of natural beuaty to the design. Continue with tucking in the fern stem first into the wreath structure. Make sure the stems are being woven into the wreath and not going directly through from front to back. You want to keep all of the stems safely tucked inside of the grape vine wreath.

Step 3 Next step is to add the preserved and bleached Ruscus. This foliage gives a wonderful, delicate touch to the wreath.

Continue to keep the stems flowing in the same general direction. Balance is important but perfect symmetry is not essential. One side of your wreath might have more of a specific material or a cluster of one variety but the secret is to keep things balanced and harmonious with the movement and sense of continuity .

Step 4 The pinecones are the next layer in this beautiful wreath. Trim a few inches from the sticks that hold each pinecone so they aren't too long. You don't want the sticks to push through to the other side of the wreath. Keep them shorter but long enough to tuck into the grapevine. It's nice to cluster a few extra pinecones at the bottom of the wreath form just to add a little weight to the design. It maintains balance but also provides visual interest.

Try to avoid perfectly spaced forms. The secret is keeping it all very natural and effortless.

Step 5 The whitewashed Ambernut pods add another important shape and texture to the wreath. We included these to bridge the forms and textures of the pinecones with the other materials. The clusters of small pods are a great tool for filling in some of the areas of the wreath that need a bit more volume or visual interest. Keep the larger clusters at the bottom of the wreath with smaller accents moving throughout and around the design. .

Step 6 Next is the beautiful Bleached Helichrysum Immortelle flowers. These are so graceful and they add a bit more of that natural sense of movement that makes the wreath so gorgeous. These are great to add one stem at a time. Use the shapes and movement to direct the eye arond the wreath form. Tuck the stems in and allow the flowers to branch out and around the wreath.

Step 7 The final material is the fluffy Bleached Lagurus grasses. These have delicate stems so grab several at a time, cut off 3"-4: inches of the stem and tuck the small bunches into the grapevine. These grasses help to finish the design as they add volume and a soft texture. They also help break up some of the other forms nicely. If easier you can tie many stems together with piece of wire or twine and tuck in as tied bundles but it works without securing the grasses together if you are careful with the placement.

A gorgeous finished wreath!

Check the outside edges of your wreath and make sure your materials fill in the sides as well. You don't want to leave the sides naked or empty. The focus should be the face of the wreath but always add a little material to the edges to fill out the form. It will also look more finished when hanging in place. Your wreath will be perfect indoors. It's best to keep away from moisture to allow the dried natural materials to look their best for many months. Use a piece of wire or twine to make a loop to hang and enjoy!!