Author(s): Fiona Barnett

Craft & Hobbies | New Releases

Whatever the time of year, a garland or swag of flowers will always bring a welcome breath of fresh air to the surroundings. For Christmas, a blue pine wreath decorated with fir cones, red roses and dried fungi is a festive decoration for the front door, while in warmer weather pale pink garden roses make a romantic midsummer wreath. For the seasons in between, circles and wreaths can be made from all kinds of flowers, leaves and herbs - fruit blossoms, hydrangea, lilac, lavender, viburnum, eucalyptus, rosemary and bay leaves, to name but a few - complemented with natural materials such as nuts, fir cones, twigs and shells.

The comprehensive techniques section in this book covers a wide range of fresh and dried materials with notes on each species to help you decide which flowers to use, and basic wiring and taping methods are described and illustrated step-by-step. An important stage in making a garland or swag is to prepare the base, and this section gives a guide to the wide range of bases available from florists' shops - including ready-made rings woven from natural materials such as hop vine or willow, and wire bases made from copper and steel - as well as showing you how you can make your own bases from rope, hay and moss. Find out how to make standard circular and heart shapes, then learn how to construct more unusual shapes such as triangles or squares, using sticks or canes bound together at the corners.

In this book, you will find garlands, circles and wreaths for all seasons - make a green and white fruit blossom wreath to celebrate the arrival of spring, a sunny sunflower swag to remind you of long summer days, a traditional harvest swag for autumn, and a bay and orange swag as a winter mantelpiece decoration. There is also a chapter on special-occasion displays, where you will find inspirational ideas for weddings, such as beautifully scented swag made from lavender, nigella, oregano and roses, romantic rosebud hearts for Valentine's Day, and circles and swags for Christmas, including an exquisite aromatic wreath made from tiny fir cones in rose-scented oil, cedarwood, frankincense and myrrh. Whatever the season, this stimulating project book has something to make every occasion special.