"Broke" wreath mecanics

secretgarden

Well-Known Member
Mar 2, 2010
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Decatur, Illinois, United States
www.secretgardendecatur.com
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Hey everyone. I am making one of these

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The wreath hangs down in the front. I was going to wet the wreath foam and snap it at it's natural divider. Is there anything else I should be doing? How do you secure it to make sure it does not break or become floppy? I know one of you must have done this one before so if you have any tips I would love to hear it. We are using Bells of Ireland, green carnations, white carnations, white roses, and green button mums. He was Irish and I love the bells for that. Anyway, any tips would be greatly appreciated!
 
Okay this is how we did it. We soaked the ring then "broke it". Sheryl then wired the top to the bottom for extra support, through the wreath frame, not the foam. Then she took silk leaves and covered the wires so that they will not scratch the alter, and also to hide those mechanics.

This is the end result. I love it. Transporting will be a blast I am sure!

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Lori, I've done them, soak and cut through the sides and gently bend down the front. Worked perfectly and the glue holding the oasis held just fine in the draped part. Nice job.
 
Whenever I have to do this type of design.......Be sure and choose one of the PLASTIC backed wreaths and not one of the mache forms. Also, you want to cut it off-center...so that the portion sitting on the table is slightly more than the portion hanging off, so that the greater weight keeps it stable on the display table. I would also double-secure the foam by wrapping it with 1/4 inch anchor tape. I also prefer the Oasis brand wreathforms to the John henry wreathforms in this case, as the Oasis forms are a slightly thicker and stronger plastic. By using the plastic, you can cut and bend without running the risk of breaking the backing.
 
We use the plastic back wreath rings

we just get out our handy propane torch, on the back, mark where the bend should be, couple swipes with the torch over the plastic back, flip over and bend down where we need it. Oh we do cut the slight lip with a wire cutters