Since I’ve been wanting to create a faux hydrangea wreath since last year, I’m thrilled to share my simple DIY hydrangea wreath with you today and walk you through the process of creating a summer-appropriate hydrangea wreath.
Why did I wait a whole year to create one? Well, last year I collaborated with Dcors Vronneau and my idea was to build a wreath for my front door using their exquisite imitation hydrangeas. However, they were too attractive when they came. That seems like such a ridiculous excuse, I know. They are stunning, velvety, and the ideal icy aqua color. Simply put, I wanted to enjoy them indoors rather than leave them outside. preferably for a little while. To avoid having to chop them up, I ultimately used them in a modified flower box I made.
I have loved having these stunning fake hydrangeas all throughout the house. They have realistic-looking stems that are very flexible and can be bent into any form. I really adore the delicate, green velvet leaves with little flaws that appear more realistic from a distance. But this spring, I made the DIY summer wreath I’d been planning for 365 days, and I’m so happy with how it turned out! I’m so happy that I used and appreciated these hydrangeas before chopping them up, but I’m even happier with my quick and simple hydrangea wreath that I made myself. Since hardly much is blossoming in our area, seeing this bright wreath on the door is quite uplifting. I just can’t choose between my turquoise front door, which was influenced by MCM, and the more rustic turquoise bunkie door. It appears that I could use two of these easy hydrangea wreaths. Here’s how to build them; it’s simple!
Build out wreath with dried hydrangeas
I started by gathering all of my dried hydrangeas and putting them together into a wreath. I attached the flowers on a grapevine wreath that I purchased from a craft store as the base. I made two hydrangea wreaths from of my large collection of dried hydrangea blossoms: one large wreath from blue hydrangea blooms and one mini wreath from green Annabelle hydrangea blooms. All those flowers were produced in one season because once hydrangeas are established, they are incredibly fruitful.
It wasn’t difficult at all to attach the dried hydrangea blossoms to the grapevine foundation. Simply forcing the stems through the vines typically keeps them in place rather well. In addition to plugging in the dried flowers, I also pruned some excessively protruding little vine bits to safeguard the dried flowers.
After approximately filling in each of the hydrangea flower heads one by one to complete the circle, I filled in any significant vacant spaces to ensure enough covering. I use some hot glue to attach the flower stems to the grapevine wreath that don’t stay there very well.
If you like, you may wrap them in florist wire like in this post, but I was too lazy to do that and I knew I would leave it hanging on the wall when the project was finished. Whether or whether your grapevine wreath can hold the stems well and how much they’ll be handled once finished will determine how much you want to secure the flowers.
Spray dried hydrangea wreath with flower dye
After that, I colored the hydrangeas using a floral spray. The floral spray is a clear flower dye that gives flowers a very natural-looking appearance. The majority of flowers fade with time, therefore I used this spray to keep my wreath’s color consistent for a very long period while also enhancing the original flower and making it somewhat more brilliant.
I used the hue hydrangea blue, which is ideal for the flower I chose. Since the base color of my Annabelle wreath was lime green, I also used fresh green flower dye.
Fill in accent flowers
The next step is to add filler flowers, which is also why I didn’t mind if my first layer of hydrangea blossoms had a few minor gaps. I used billy balls and strawflowers from my yard to make this wreath. I wouldn’t even bother spraying either flower because they are known for having an endless lifespan.
After the hydrangea layer, I simply drizzle them evenly over the wreath, aiming to fill up any holes I may have. I use a hot glue gun to add a bead of glue to the end of some of the flowers’ extremely thin stems before inserting them into the wreath. In this manner, I was able to fasten them to the wreath without risking damage by pressing them in too firmly.
My advice for making a DIY flower wreath that looks good is to work your way down in size, so I started with the hydrangeas before switching to strawflowers and then craspedia. Another piece of advice is to change the quantity of several flower varieties. As an illustration, I used twice as many strawflowers as craspedia. The wreath will have more depth and interest if done this manner.
Applying a coat of UV protectant spray can prevent the flowers’ color from fading if you intend to hang your DIY wreath in a location with strong light. Although it is optional, this step can be useful if you want your dried flowers to maintain their brilliant color.
Due to the size of the green wreath with preserved Annabelle hydrangeas, I only utilized billy balls as accent flowers. Once I’ve preserved additional blooms, I might trickle in some little blossoms in the future.
Attach ribbon or string for hanging
I simply tie a rope to the back of the wreath once the flower-building portion is complete so I can hang it in my house! The use of a ribbon is yet another adorable concept. It strikes me as a fantastic idea to give this wreath more color and texture.
Mine is in the hallway leading to my living room. I believe it complements my gold mirror frame rather well.
That concludes the instructions for making this dried hydrangea wreath. I’m very happy with the way this project turned out, and every time I pass by it, it makes me feel better. I hope you get some fantastic dried hydrangea decorating ideas from this post!
Prepare the Flowers
Although it may seem contradictory to use water to dry flowers, hydrangeas benefit from a gentle desiccation process that keeps their color and shape (even the stems end up sturdier when dried this way).
Using a pair of pruning shears, cut each blossom on the angled side, leaving a stem length of between 12 and 18 inches. Take off every leaf from the stalk.
Place the Cut Flowers in Water
After that, arrange your freshly cut flowers in a vase, fill it about halfway with water, and set it aside in a cool location away from the sun. Keep in mind that hydrangea dry best when given room to “breathe,” so take care not to overcrowd your vase with stems.
Allow the vase’s water to totally dry out. After this procedure, which typically lasts two to three weeks, your hydrangeas should feel dry to the touch and the stems should simply snap off. They are now prepared for use.
Use Your Dried Hydrangeas
Your dried hydrangeas can be displayed in a variety of artistic ways. Although they look lovely on their own in a vase, you can also incorporate them into seasonal wreaths or use them in window boxes with other dried flowers. Getting hitched in the autumn? Even your bridal floral arrangements can incorporate them.
How can I keep hydrangeas alive?
* The shrub’s leaves continue to blossom until late summer. The petals will start to seem old and vintage at the end of the summer. Many blooms will acquire intriguing red and pink hues if they are kept on the bush for a little while longer. It’s possible that the timing will be very different in chilly regions. We’re interested in hearing feedback from people whose drying experiences differ using the form below.
* The blooms can be cut, the leaves can be removed, they can be put in a vase with or without water, and they can be left to dry. Except in cases where the stems are extremely fragile and thin, hydrangeas do not need to be hung upside down to dry.
* Use Silica Gel to dry fresh flowers of hydrangeas to preserve their incredibly natural color.
Purchase Dried Hydrangeas
I have a shortcut for individuals who adore the appearance of dried hydrangeas but don’t want to put in the work! On the market, you can find some excellent actual dried hydrangea petals and fake dried hydrangeas. You may see a few of my favorites here.
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How are hydrangea garlands made?
Making this Festive Hydrangea Garland: Steps
:
- Hydrangeas should be cut into smaller bunches. Iron wire should be wrapped around the Hydrangea stem.
- Roses and Ozothamnus should also be added. Make sure to encircle each stem with the iron wire.
- You can now hang your festive hydrangea garland! Enjoy!
Do you use hairspray on dried hydrangeas?
Yes, I am aware that using water to dry hydrangeas seems a little backwards, but I assure you that it is the simplest method. Thus, this is what you do:
- Cut:
- Cut the quantity of hydrangeas you intend to dry or incorporate into your current cut flower design.
- Make them 12 to 18 long. Once I get all the stems together, I normally make the initial cut longer than that and depending on where it would preserve the shrub in good condition.
- De-Leaf:
- Simply move your hand down the stem, pulling off the leaves as you go, by grasping it at the top just below the bloom. I suppose you could go up, but if you do, you run the risk of picking up too much speed and damaging the bloom as well.
- I frequently conduct my de-leafing in the garden, leaving the leaves to act as natural compost in my beds. If you do it inside, though, stripping your stems directly over a garbage can will make cleanup much simpler.
- Fill a vase with:
- Simply arrange your hydrangeas like you would any other flower arrangement, which will require some trial and error in placement if you want to enjoy them before they dry—I don’t know why you wouldn’t.
- I typically hold each stalk in one hand while moving the others such that the flowers with the straightest upward faces are in the center and the smaller and/or droopier ones are on the sides. I then make my final selection, keeping them all at the same level, after gauging their height in relation to the vase.
- The bottoms of your stems should then be pounded with a hammer to aid in their water absorption, however I’ve never tried it; feel free to.
- Just before placing flowers in the vase, I twist tie or rubber band the stems to secure them in place.
- Adjust the arrangement of the blossoms after placing them in a tall vase strong enough to hold the length of the stems.
- Insert Water:
- I’d advise adding the water before the flowers if your faucet doesn’t extend with a hose. Do it either way if you have one of those posh faucets.
- Usually, I would fill the vase about half and three quarters full, making sure that all of the stems were submerged completely.
- Dry:
- You might have to keep adding water until the flowers are completely dry, depending on how the blooms were when you started the drying process. If not, I’ve seen that they wilt and then dry wilted, which isn’t very attractive.
- Therefore, maintain watering if the flowers are still quite supple. You can stop watering them once they have dried out and feel and look like paper.
- You can enjoy your lovely dried flower arrangement for many years once a few weeks have passed. On our mantel, we really have a pair that has been there for about 9 years.
- Spray:
- When your hydrangeas are completely dry, mist them with hairspray aerosol (sorry, aerosol spray just works better than the pump spray kind…it just does).
- I used to believe that this was done to coat the blooms in order to keep their color for a little while longer. But now I believe it’s only to keep the florets together, making it less likely that they will fall off when you brush up against them and make a big mess.