Lavender Wreath

For our not-so-fancy, not-so-romantic anniversary, we went on a short and simple date. We shared a salad at Art City Trolley which has The Best Salads in the whole world. They're also the biggest salads ever so if you don't have someone to share, ask for a box right away, pack up half of it and then eat the other half (thanks for the tip Cicada).

Anyway, I've been telling Joe that I wanted to make a lavender wreath and there are lots of lavender bushes growing on the side of the road. Finding one is pretty easy... finding one that isn't part of someone's landscaping proved to be more difficult. We finally did locate a big bush that was far enough away from a driveway to pick from and got a big bunch of lavender.

You will need a bare grapevine wreath (about $3 from WalMart), florist's wire, wire cutters (or old junky scissors), pretty ribbon and a four-year-old to supervise ("What are you doing Mom? What are you doing Mom? What are you....").

First, fashion a hanger out of the wire. Good ways of doing this are here, here and here (you might have to scroll down a bit).

I used the instructions on this blog as a start for my wreath, but mine is a bit different. Separate your lavender into 10-12 bundles (depending on the size of your wreath). Leave a few lone pieces out, just to fill in the gaps. Wrap each bundle with a bit of wire. I tucked the ends of my lavender stems into the wreath so I didn't wrap any of the florist's tape around them.

Start tucking your lavender bundles into the wreath at about a 30-degree angle. Let the "fan" of the next bundle cover up the stems of the first. Move around the wreath until you get back to your starting position. Use the spare stems to fill in any empty spaces.

Tie a pretty bow with your ribbon and secure it with some glue or a few stitches. Thread wire through the back of the ribbon and use it to attach the bow to the wreath. Hang and enjoy.