5 Terrific Tips for Making a Romantic Hydrangea Wreath
Hi there! One of the ways you know fall has arrived is when your hydrangea turns from creamy white to beautiful shades of pink. No flower says “old fashioned” or “farmhouse” more than hydrangea, and so it’s the one I love to decorate with, both at home and in my shop, whether fresh and dried.
While certainly not a “new-to the-blog-world” project, hydrangea wreaths can result in a room covered with dried petals and broken stems. Through the years, however, I’ve learned a trick or two about making them last with much less shedding.
As the stems lose moisture over time, they grow crispy and begin to rapidly shed their petals, which in turn means having to sweep or vacuum five times a day, LOL. While I don’t have “the” final solution to this problem, I have some suggestions.
Use Fresh Stems
My first tip is to make your wreath with fresh hydrangea stems. After they’ve turned from white to pink, cut them from your bush and make your wreath that day or the next. You’ll find that barely a petal will fall from your stems, cleanup with be a breeze, and the stems won’t break as you try to attach them to your wreath form.
I used a garage sale grape vine wreath as the form for this year’s wreath. I think they work best. When cutting your stems, try to make them all roughly the same size (medium–not too big, not too small). This will help to ensure that your wreath looks symmetrical rather than lumpy.
You’ll need some floral tape, preferably in brown, but green works fine, and a hot glue gun.
Wrap Stems with Floral Tape
Wrap each stem tightly with florist tape, which will hold the stem together later when it dries out and will help to keep the flowers attached to the wreath form.
Wrap it down a few inches on each stem and then break off any uncovered stem hanging out off the end. You’re ready to begin attaching the stems to your wreath. If you need to create a few larger bunches by using 2 or 3 smaller blooms, use the floral tape to secure them together.
Tuck Stems into Grape Vines
I applied each stem right to the center top of the wreath and tucked the stems into the grapevine whenever I could for extra support.
Secure with Hot Glue
Apply hot glue to the back of the stem and insert (if you can) into the wreath. If you can’t insert it between the vines, just press it firmly to the wreath and hold it until the glue hardens. Then apply some hot glue to the top of the stem for extra holding power, as you see in this photo.
Spritz with Matte Finish Polyurethane
After you’ve finished applying the hydrangea stems, hang your wreath up to see where you may need to insert a smaller bloom here or there to even things out and to cover any “bald” spots. Spritz it with some matte finish polyurethane to give it some added “staying” power and you’re done!
Hydrangea wreaths are not best hung outside because the wind and weather will not be kind to it. I do love it on my front door, but it will be joining us inside shortly(!).
Dried hydrangea–in any form–make the perfect decorating accent for a vintage lover’s home. Let me know if you give some of my wreath-making tips a try; I’d love to hear how it goes 🙂
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Beautiful, Diana! I just love hydrangea!
Thanks so much, Linda! They’re one of my favorites, too 🙂
Beautiful!! If I ever get a hydrangea plant I will make this! Thank you for sharing!! Pinning.
Ha ha, I’m glad you liked it, Cheryl!! Thanks for the pin 🙂
I have spray painted dried hydrangeas to fit the color scheme of what I am doing. They hold up great and last as long as they are not crushed. I have one red, white & blue arrangement that is 10 yrs. old. Still looks great.