Wreath making 101

I tend to make wreaths for most of the major holidays. They were a traditional part of Hellenic worship, and as such, I love to bring them back. For the Anthesteria, I made another wreath, and I thought some of you would like a how-to mini guide. Not that I only make use of natural materials. You can go a lot wilder with a glue gun or wire, but I've never been into that.

 

Basic materials: pick something wiry as your base. In this case, it's ivy because the Anthesteria is a celebration of Dionysos. Anything that you can loop together works, though. You can add a secondary green to strengthen the base, if the base is not cooperating. Pick two, maybe three, types of flowers. More, and it'll start looking like you're wearing one of those awesome helmets the guards of the British royal palace wear. Trust me.

 

Making the base: take your basic material, loop it until it's the requires size and tie it with something green. In this case, I use the stems of the ivy leaves. Build layers by adding smaller pieces to the main loop until you have some bulk. Don't worry too much about leaves going everywhere, or ends that poke out. Just try to get something together that does not fall apart when you shake it. 

 

Add the flowers: once you have your base, add the flowers. Still don't worry too much about leaves poking out. Make sure the stems of the flowers are well-integrated with the base, though. It needs to survive another shake-test at the end. Mind your spacing.

 

Once the flowers are in, it's time to start primping. Fold the leaves that stand out to the side into the wreath until they cover the base, and tie down the various layers with simple knots made with--in this case--ivy leaf stems. When you are satisfied, shake the wreath to see if everything holds.  

How does it look? At the end put it on, check the mirror, and adjust until happy. The more time you invest in it, the stronger and wholesome it becomes. Once you are happy with your wreath, try one more shake test--this one by jumping up and down while it's on your head. This will also tell you how solid it is on your head; if it falls off, fasten it with hair pins, or weave it into your hair if you can. You are now ready to ritual.