"The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience." - Emily Dickenson
The same should be said for the front door...and what better way to welcome one inside than hanging a thing of beauty, of nature, on it?
Hooray! Spring has Sprung and I am loving it! I've also relaunched my Blog, hopefully I'll be sticking to this one and bringing you some creative inspiration as I myself try new things and push myself into unfamiliar territory with ways to bring beauty into the home and garden (and mouth and tummy) through inexpensive Step-By-Step projects and recipes you can try in your own home!
My renewed efforts are inspired by some absolutely fabulous ladies who have teamed up in the guise of #romancingthehome where you will see four very different and unique takes on agreed themes to be featured weekly.
For the exciting Spring (Southern Hemisphere) month of September, we'll be bringing you ideas for a home made spring wreath, from faux flowers (as featured by #sawdustandhighheels ) to fresh from the garden (featured by #rufflesandrust and #keepitfrench ) and flowers that dry well. We'll be showing you our ideas on Spring Picnics, how to create and beautiful Outdoor Space, whether it's for reading, napping or enjoying the garden views and great inspiration for Alfresco Dining!
So if you are a lover all all things #French, #Shabby, #Farmhouse, #Rustic and Beautiful...watch this space! We're going to send your head spinning with ideas on how you'll next be Romancing The Home!
So here's how I made my wreath:
Step 1:
Think about the look you want to achieve, how often you plan on doing this, where you want to hang it and consider your budget based on the above answers.
Choose your flowers! I've chosen a King Protea as my focal point, it cost me R20 from Multiflora Flower Market (after much walking around to find the prettiest at the best price). It's a stunner of a flower, our National Flower, naturally found in the Cape Floristic Region, it represents Change and Hope. Named after the Greek god Proteus
who could change his form at will. I included Wax Flowers (Chamelaucium) and Erica Sparsa, also know as Pink Smoke Heath. The wreath frame I made by using thin branches from my Weeping Mulberry (which is a little bit of a late bloomer compared to the regular Mulberry) and threading them together. I love the little buds visible on the branches!
Step 2:
Arrange your flowers.
I worked on the principle of putting the longer bushier stems on first and tried to follow the curve of the base of the wreath. I then layered the smaller wax flowers meeting at a point where I wanted my Protea.
I made use of florists tape for the lighter stems and used florists covered wire for the heavier foliage that needed some heavy duty securing.
I made use of florists tape for the lighter stems and used florists covered wire for the heavier foliage that needed some heavy duty securing.
Final Step:
This can be anything from 30min to 2 hours from start of project. Ultimately it's when you are happy with your layout and decide on your method of hanging. I decided to you a lovely linen ribbon printed with little French phrases and silhouettes and kept the bow messy to suit my somewhat rustic home.
The flower I chose for my wreath dry well. I chose them for their availability, affordability and because they have a certain local-farmhouse look about them and they look stunning against the background of my Storm Blue (Fired-Earth paints available at Builder's Warehouse) Chalk Painted front door!
For more exciting tutorials and creative inspiration, visit the below links where Romancing The Home's contributors can awe you with their take on making a Spring Wreath!
Stacy shows you how to make a gorgeous faux flower wreath that will last years to come! https://sawdustandhighheels.com/2018/09/02/romancing-the-home-diy-spring-wreath/ and you can follow her on IG https://www.instagram.com/sawdustandhighheels/?hl=en
Ramona's wreath captures the feminine charm that's often found in beautiful English gardens! http://rufflesandrust.co.za/2018/09/01/spring/ or follow her ever growing gallery https://www.instagram.com/ruffles.rust/?hl=en
Liz creates a stunningly unique draped wreath dripping with French romance!
http://www.keepitfrench.co.za/ (her photo's can be viewed on https://www.instagram.com/keepitfrench_sa/?hl=en in the meanwhile)
Check in next week to see what I come up with for our First Picnic of the Season!!!
Thank you all for reading! Happy creating!