Grace & Thorn and their Renegade Flower Sessions show us how to make our front door stand out this festive season with their take on the Christmas wreath.
Grace & Thorn are florist and plant purveyors based in Hackney and Soho. Founded by Nik Southern in 2011, the business was born from her desire to create florals that defied all traditions and rules. Grace & Thorn's naturalist and asymmetrical style has gathered a cult following amongst Londoners and brands alike. Their approach reflects the constant movement and evolution of design, bringing together the contemporary and the classic with unique combinations of texture and colour.
HERB & SUCCULENT WREATH TUTORIAL
Over the years, we have seen the same Christmas themes reused time and time again, dried oranges...gold ribbon...cinnamon sticks. We always like to experiment with new ideas to keep things exciting and fresh. Grace & Thorn has become synonymous with succulents, so this year we wanted to incorporate them into our Christmas creations. We might not think of Christmas when we look at these intricate desert plants but they come in such beautiful colours and shapes and mix so beautifully with other types of greenery that they deserve to share in festivities.
Here we are using a beautiful hand died black ribbon with a shot of green running through, to give this wreath a modern Dickensian feel.
Equipment: Scissors, wire, moss pins, ribbon
Greenery: Bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, sage, mixed succulents, pine base.
Start with a pine base, which can be purchased from flower markets and garden centers. Trim down all your herbs and foliage that you are using, as this makes it easier to work with...
Begin working with any herb that you fancy and make up little bunches rather than individual pieces (don't hold back as you want the wreath to be lovely and full). You will be creating bunches like these all the way round. Take the wire and wrap it round the stems of your individual bunches, repeating a couple of times so that the wire feels nice and snug around the stems.
Leave enough wire either side so that you can wrap around and then underneath the wreath, twisting tightly at the back so that the herbs are well secured. Be sure to follow one direction and layer the herbs under the pine so that you cannot see the stems.
Repeat the above with all the herbs. We recommend grouping the herbs rather than scattering them as we think it creates more impact.
After you have securely wired all your bunches to the wreath, make sure you have left room for your succulent section.
You can buy the succulents in their pots (we recommend the flatter flower types) and take off all the soil and roots.
Once you have cleaned up your succulent, take two pieces of wire and push them through their base so that you make an x shape with the wires.
Wrap the wires around the wreath and again twist the wire to secure the succulents.
Any jagged wire bits can be pushed into the back of the wreath to prevent any injuries!
Finally take a piece of wire and make a loop round the top of the wreath and cut a long piece of your chosen ribbon, thread through and tie a lovely big generous bow.
A beautiful Christmas wreath for your door.
Thank you to Grace & Thorn. 338 Hackney Road, London, E2 7AX
To view TOAST's Christmas decorations, take a look here
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