A Wreath en Masse

How to make a simple, contemporary Xmas wreath

I always yearn to create arrangements with fewer different ingredients, like 1 to 3 max. I like to focus on the form, texture and colour of each item so I can identify and appreciate each botanic. Which is probably also why I have a preference for grouping flowers/botanics in an arrangement, rather than distributing them, it’s just much clearer for my mind.

I just love the simplicity

This time, I thought I’d limit myself further and just use one botanic and use it en masse. Repetition and monochromatic colour with a contrasting ribbon was the brief for this wreath. My own floristry ethics encourage me to use locally grown botanics (although sometimes it’s just not possible), not use dyed products, nor preserved products and nor painted botanics. Christmas colours were also on my preference list. So, with all those limitations and preferences I was very pleased to come across some stunning fresh, white, locally grown statice. The bonus was that it would also dry beautifully retaining its stark white colour and hopefully be able to be used next year if stored carefully.

6 generous bunches of statice

The statice, also known as Limonium, hadn’t even hit the wholesalers’ floor when I nabbed 6 crisp bunches. Locally grown (which is certainly not a given in Perth), the tall, strong and dense with flowers of the statice, was going to make a stunning Xmas wreath to replace my old faux magnolia wreath.

Materials

• 6 generous bunches of white statice or similar (maybe misty or gypsophilia)

• 1 x 40.5cm (16-inch) wire wreath base

• Paper covered wire (I used black, dark green would be better)

• Snips

• Fishing line for hanging

  

  Add fishing line for hanging

How to Make a Simple Wreath

1. Cut pieces of statice into 10-15cm lengths

2. Bind into small bunches staggering the height of each (this makes tying easier)

3. Attach to the metal wreath, one angled towards the centre, one to the outer edge and one down the centre

4. Continue the layering of the small bunches to cover the stems of the layer previous

5. Once complete, tie a number of large bows with a contrasting ribbon with tails at different lengths

6. Attach the fishing line for invisible hanging.

   

   

Costs and Pricing

For the purpose of being transparent, the cost of the statice was $8.40 per bunch and with 6 bunches the total was $50.40 (incl gst). I had recycled the wreath base; however, they are roughly $7 to purchase from the wholesalers, plus the cost of ribbon, wire and fishing line which I’m going to guestimate at $10. Comparable wreaths are selling at local florist shops ranging from $250 to $350. This is a large and very dense wreath. It took me roughly 1.5 hours to complete. At a labour rate of $60 per hour, I would charge, labour $90 + materials $68 (x 3 for profit and overheads) = $294, which I would round up to a neat $300 (AUD). Whilst that might sound a lot, it’s a large, fresh (and still good dried) and very dense wreath. Timesing (I’m sure this isn’t a word, but you know what I mean) the costs by 3 covers my time to actually go and buy the materials (1 hr), my overheads, rent, insurance, accounting fees, petrol, my phone plus running it, laptop, ongoing learning costs etc. etc. Running a small business is expensive.

And so this is Christmas…

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about how to make this very simple wreath. Never underestimate the power of simplicity, quite often its more effective.

This is my last post before the big day, so have a lovely Christmas and a Happy Holiday.

Cerina

The final product in the wind