“My inspiration was a wintry walk in the woods,” says Amy Merrick of her festive wreath design. “Only in winter do the small details in the forest take center stage—a lost turkey feather, some beautiful lichen, or an abandoned bird’s nest—not to mention a host of unusual pine cones, vines, and evergreens. I always keep a pair of clippers in my pocket when out walking and usually come home with my arms full of treats from what would otherwise seem like a gray winter day.”
The shape of the wreath is inspired by a Greek laurel wreath, but with a tangle of grapevines to form the base—the overall effect is more wildly natural than classically composed. The finished design should look like the woods in miniature. “Imagine a small evergreen tree with a few grapevines intertwined; a small bird has made a nest in the branches, and a flock of wild turkeys have come through and left some feathers,” Amy says. “If you distill the woods into a single display, this wreath would be it.”
Materials
- foraged fir
- blue spruce
- weeping blue spruce
- bird’s nest in a branch
- turkey feathers
- dried spirea branches
- dried lichen
- grapevine
Tools & Supplies
- clippers
- a roll of Oasis bind wire
- double-faced satin ribbon
- a few wooden barbecue skewers
Step-by-Step Instructions
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Step 1
Weave the grapevine into a circle about 12 inches wide.
Step 2
When the wreath form is about 1 1⁄2 inches in bulk, tie it off with some bind wire to secure it, leaving the roll of bind wire attached.
Step 3
Take a few larger pieces of evergreen and cut them down into manageable sizes.
Step 4
Add the evergreen to the design. Wrap a piece of bind wire around the evergreen, pulling tightly to secure it to the wreath form.
Step 5
Working your way down the wreath, continue to add and wrap pieces of evergreen with wire down a third of the circle. Add the various materials evenly—one piece of spruce, one piece of fir, one piece of spirea, etc. so that they are spread throughout.
Step 5 (Continued)
For a different perspective, hold your wreath up to the wall to see how the shape is progressing.
Step 6
When you have covered a third of the circle, flip it upside down to tie off your wire in a knot.
Step 7
Repeat steps 3-6 on the opposite side of the wreath, mirroring the direction. When it’s complete, tie off the wire in the bottom center of the wreath.
Step 8
To fill any holes in the design or adjust the shape to your liking, tuck small pieces into the back of the wreath in the web created by the wire.
Step 9
Next, cut down the lichen into individual pieces, and pierce the thickest part of each piece with the sharp end of a skewer. Then trim each skewer’s length to 3 or 4 inches.
Step 10
Weave the lichen skewers into the front of the wreath to securely attach the lichen in place.
Step 11
Tuck a few turkey feathers into the back of the wreath; the tops should peek out with the evergreen.
Step 12
Snip your bird’s nest branch free of any excess branches so the focus is on the nest. Then tuck it securely into the wreath, centering the nest as a focal point.
Step 13
Cut a length of ribbon and a small piece of bind wire. Attach the middle of the ribbon to the bottom of wreath with the bind wire, twisting the wire in the back like a twist tie.
Step 14
Once the ribbon is attached to the wreath, tie it into a simple bow to finish the design.
Floral design by Amy Merrick, amymerrick.com | Photography by Brooke Slezak
Amy is the author of On Flowers: Lessons from an Accidental Florist (Artisan, 2019), featured on Flower magazine’s 2020 Reading List.