DIY: Spring Boxwood Wreath

I have had the same Spring wreath for the last five years!  My Maid of Honor made it as a wedding gift for us and I have absolutely loved it.  But, after many, many months of sitting in the direct sun it had seen its better days and needless to say, it was time for an update.  So, I searched and searched the interwebs, see also: Pinterest, for inspiration and came up with a faux Boxwood wreath.  I love the way Boxwoods look but often, do not like the price!  So, I gathered my list and off I went to the store to gather my supplies for my DIY Spring Boxwood wreath!

Here’s what you’ll need:
Grapevine Wreath
Boxwood Garland
Floral Wire
Burlap Ribbon – 2 – 2.5″ works best
Wire Cutters
Hot Glue & Hot Glue Gun

I first started out by laying the boxwood around the top of the wreath.  Note, there will be extra but, wait until the end to cut the excess off.  Once you have an idea of how you would like it laid out, you will need to cut 10 – 12 (maybe more!) 6″ pieces of floral wire.  Start from the beginning of the garland and secure the garland to the wreath with a piece of wire.  I found it easiest to bend the wire in a U shape and maneuver it through the wreath somewhat close together.  Once it is through the wreath, twist the wire several times so that it is tight and the garland is secured to the wreath.
Once you have all the garland secured you can cut the excess garland off.  Then, find any loose spots in the garland and secure those as well.  You will likely have gaps in places so, use your extra garland to cut small pieces that will fill in the gap – I filled in about 3-4.  See below… gaps!

Once the wreath is complete you can begin building your bow.  Make sure that you have about 3 feet of ribbon and have 2 pieces of floral wire on stand by.  Find the center of the ribbon and bend it slightly (so you know where the center is at).  Once you’ve found the center bend the outer edges to create the bubble (!? I have no clue what that portion is called!  Does it have a name!?) and cross the ends.

Once you have the ribbon crossed gather the center in and pinch together. Once you’ve fluffed the bubbles (we’re just going to go with it) and have them to the size you want, tie a piece of floral wire around, twist and cut off.  Then you will loop a long enough piece of floral wire through the existing piece so that you can later attach the bow to the wreath without it being permanently attached.

To cover the piece of floral wire in the center of the bow, you’ll cut a piece of ribbon about 1.5″.  I tucked in each side and then wrapped it around the center of the bow hot gluing the top portion and then the bottom portion.  You’re sure to get some glue burns but, what’s a craft project without a little pain involved, right!?
Kidding… sort of.

Once the hot glue has dried, attach the bow to the wreath, fluff as needed and you have yourself a DIY Spring Boxwood Wreath!