It’s Wreath Time!
Inspiration for a Twist on the Fall Wreath
Fall wreath design made with found foliage including pepper berries and medallion Eucalyptus. A large Echeveria acts as a decorative “bow” type element. This wreath will dry well. The succulent can be kept alive throughout the holiday season from November to January with a spritz of water weekly as long as it is not in the direct sun. Flowers by Flower Duet. Photo by Kit Wertz.
This month’s inspiration comes from a friend of Kit’s who wanted to learn how to make a wreath using foraged foliage, seedpods and grasses. In a private lesson at our studio, Kit showed her friend Heidi which materials will dry well and what other flowers to use that are already in a dried state to add to wreaths.
We are seeing a lot more decoration going on starting in early October with a fall focus. So, what better time than to go for a hike and pick out some found items to transform them into a beautiful wreath?
Flower Duet is offering three wreath-making classes in December that will be focused on a variety of pine and evergreen foliage. We’ll also focus on how to create garlands so these classes will be all-in-one holiday decorating workshops!
Kit’s friend Heidi holds up her first fall wreath created with Kit’s instruction. This wreath will dry well as we used elements like Eucalyptus, Limonium, thistle and Scabiosa pods in the design.
Kit cut some olive branches from our tree and then added dried Craspedia left from a wedding we did last month and pepper berries foraged nearby to make this fresh wreath that will dry well. Photo by Kit Wertz
Olive branches look great on the front and backside of the leaves and make a fantastic greenery choice in a fall wreath. Craspedia offer a great way to add bright color that will dry well in the wreath. Photo by Kit Wertz
Palm fronds may not be a fall flower item, but they are readily available in Los Angeles. This 6-foot-plus wreath is as large as a door and is accented by Monstera leaves. Photo by Kit Wertz
Dried eucalyptus bark and seedpods make up this simple rustic square wreath that is a perfect accent to fall and winter. By using a flat square wreath frame, Kit attached the bark with gold boullion wire and then tucked in the seedpods and branches. Photo by Kit Wertz
A living succulent wreath is always a great bet for fall as the weather cools. Plan on making one in September to have it root into the moss in time to hang for the holidays. We’ll be teaching this class again at The Huntington Library in February! Photo by Kit Wertz
Kit of Flower Duet made this wreath out of real leaves for the South Coast Botanic Garden floral styling class display. Photo by Kit Wertz
DIY Air Plant Holiday Wreath: How To Instructions
Create your own Tillandsia wreath as holiday décor, a new ornament option or gift idea!
Flower Duet has been creating a lot of fun arrangements using Air Plants (Tillandsia). Kit had an idea to create a living wreath with some aluminum wire. Locally-grown air plants from Torrance, a few miles from our studio, make a perfect gift for the holidays. Here are the how-to instructions to make your own living wreath!
Moss and wire make a great wreath form for these tillandsias. Design and Photo by Kit Wertz
Supplies List for DIY Living Wreath
All of these floral supplies can be purchased online or at your local wholesale dealer. Some items may be at your craft store, too!
- 24–30 inches of Aluminum Floral Wire
- 3–4 yards of Boullion Wire
- 2 clumps of Reindeer Moss
- Floral Cutters
- 1 yard of 1/2 inch wide Organza Ribbon
- 1–3 Tillandsia Plants — Purchase directly from growers or your local nursery (including Home Depot!)
Start with thick floral wire made from aluminum so that it’s easy to bend. Photo by Kit Wertz
Wrap three loops in a slight oval shape and secure using an end of the wire. Take a roll of boullion wire to start wrapping a web of wire for the plants to be attached. Photo by Kit Wertz
Wrap the boullion wire around the wreath form so you create a web. Secure the wire. Photo by Kit Wertz
Add some reindeer moss for a decorative accent. Photo by Kit Wertz
Secure a few gatherings of reindeer moss to the wreath form as an accent by wrapping it securely with boullion. Photo by Kit Wertz
Add each plant by carefully inserting the base of the plant into the webbing of the wreath. Use a short length of boullion wire to wrap the plant gently (so you don’t damage it) and wire it to the wreath. The two boullion wires will blend in so it won’t be noticed that it’s been tied on to the frame. Photo by Kit Wertz
The finished wreath can be hung using a decorative organza ribbon or velvet ribbon for the holidays.
Tillandsia Care:
From Rainforest Flora Inc. “The most secure way to water the plants indoors is to submerge them for a twelve hour period in “good” water, that is, water that is low in dissolved solids and salts. Rain water and bottled drinking water are the best. When the plants are under water for this length of time they have enough water availability for a long enough period of time to completely rehydrate. A soaking in this manner should suffice for ten days to two weeks in average conditions.”
Foraging for Wreath Materials
Here is a collection of cut and foraged greenery and berries from the fall season. Ask permission before foraging from private property! Picking up falling pods and seeds a best practice as opposed to cutting from live plants.
Having a variety of wreath forms is the best way to use the proper frame for all foraged, purchased and found materials. Photo by Kit Wertz
Here are some of the items we used in the private wreath class with Kit’s friend. NOTE: Glue guns are great tools to use when adding dried materials like Lotus pods to finished wreaths. Photo by Kit Wertz
2018 Floral Design Classes Announced
Flower Duet’s lineup for 2018 is here. Mark your calendars and we look forward to seeing you! If you want to learn a specific skill or technique, we offer private lessons for one person, or you can cater a class to your own group!
Pink Bridal Bouquets by Flower Duet. Photo by: @katrinajaynephoto
[box]
[box_header]
Flower Duet’s Floral Design Classes at our South Bay Studio in Torrance[/box_header]
[box_content]
Saturday Workshop Dates with Optional Tour of the LA Flower District available same Day:
January 20, 2018 – Winter Ice Floral Design Workshop
February 24, 2018 – Hot Tulips Workshop
March 24, 2018 – Emeralds and Diamonds Floral Workshop
April 21, 2018 – Simply Sumptuous Ranunculus Design Workshop
May 19, 2018 – Amazing Anemones Floral Design Class
June 2, 2018 – Citrus & Florals Workshop
July 21, 2018 – Color Summer Extravaganza Floral Design Workshop
August 11, 2018 – Alaskan Peonies Flower Workshop
September 26, 2018 – Fifth Season Flowers Workshop
October 13, 2018 – Flower Pumpkins & Succulent Pumpkins Class
November 17, 2018 – Autumn Branches and Berries Floral Workshop
December 8, 2018 – Hand-Made Wreaths and Garlands Class
Wednesday Night Wedding Series Workshops:
January 24, 2018 – Bouquet & Boutonniere
February 28, 2018 – Wedding Centerpieces & Table Accents
May 23, 2018 – Bouquet & Boutonniere
June 13, 2018 – Wedding Centerpieces & Table Accents
September 26, 2018 – Bouquet & Boutonniere
October 24, 2018 – Wedding Centerpieces & Table Accents
[/box_content]
[/box]
Floral Design Book Recommendation: In Full Flower: Inspired by Floral’s New Creatives
by Gemma Ingalls and Andrew Ingalls
Looking for a coffee table book for a Christmas gift for a flower-loving friend? Here is one for the modern age! In Full Flower: Inspired by Floral’s New Creatives is a great pick for the modern floral art lover. We love that it embraces the designers who love greenery and a playful symmetry. This is for the new floral designer and the newly inspired, too! Enjoy!
From Amazon:
“In Full Flower is a compilation of a new wave in contemporary floral design, featuring artists who combine traditional techniques with an organic, free-form, “back-to-nature” style. The opposite of buttoned-up and manicured arrangements, this survey includes over twenty of the most celebrated and influential artists across the United States who are rewriting the rules of floral design.
In Full Flower is the first overview of artists working in this aesthetic. Gorgeous photographs depict the artists’ process as well as final designs, captured both as still lifes and environments. In addition, the wanderlust-inducing gardens and inspired interiors exhibit both rustic and urban eco-chic—simple luxury living embodied by these artists that all homeowners will appreciate.
With over 300 original color images and short writing on each artists’ inspirations and philosophies, this spectacularly inspiring floral survey will be treasured by lovers of beautiful flowers and interiors alike.”
Floral Design Tool: Cardette Holder
Traditional Floristry Cardette Holders look like funny plastic forks on long sticks.
Cardette holders are traditionally made from a sturdy clear plastic that look like funny forks.
Bamboo Cardette holder found at FSS.com by Kit. Photo by Kit Wertz
They are a floral tool designed to stick easily into an arrangement made from foam or a vase, in which a card is placed for the recipient of the delivered flowers.
We do a few special deliveries to offices and homes, so these are a good tool to have on hand at our studio, but we like to use a few special kind of unique “cardette holders” for our clients and students!
We are teaching a lot of classes and it can be challenging to keep track of who did each arrangement. We often supply a card holder so each student is able to label his or her design.
Two twists on an old theme
The natural “twist” of a cardette holder Kit found at Floral Supply Syndicate on Wall Street in Los Angeles are bamboo card holders. These offer a fun and organic look to floral designs to hold the card.
Another modern “twist” for a cardette holder is from a friend in the floral trade, Kate Daniel of Stems in Palos Verdes Estates. She is a truly talented designer with a fantastic floral stall and uses aluminum floral wire to design her own unique cardette holders.
This cardette holder was inspired by our friend Kate of Stems. She makes her own card holders from aluminum floral wire! The beauty of this idea is that the color of the wire can complement the floral design! Kit made this one. Photo by Kit Wertz.
There are lots of wires to use for cardette holders! We have a large collection of wire at our studio. A good choice to start would be to get gold and silver. They would be nice neutral colors.
You can purchase wires and cardette holders from most floral supply stores or online.
There are a plethora of colors of aluminum wire that can be used to create your own unique cardette holder. Photo by Kit Wertz.
FSS.com has a collection of bamboo cardette holders. Photo by Kit Wertz