A DIY Lemon Wreath full of Whimsy!

Add a bit of fruity elegance this season by making this DIY Lemon Wreath full of whimsy! Mine took about 30 minutes to make and all materials came straight from my local craft store.

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A DIY LEMON WREATH FULL OF WHIMSY

With the last patches of snow (finally!) gone, I’ve turned my attentions to spring crafting. Oh, what a lovely place to be! So I am kicking off the season with this fun DIY lemon wreath full of character and a whole lot of whimsy!

This is a fairly easy project and a perfect way to decorate your front door, fireplace, or any wall space that needs a touch of the season.

I was inspired to create this wreath after seeing some incredibly life-like lemon stems at Michaels. After gathering inspiration from the many lemon wreaths on Etsy, I went back to Michaels, scooped up those stems and picked up some grape clusters and greenery that I thought would go well together.

SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED

Here are the materials I chose (including links to similar items online).

● Wreath base (like this ‘whispy’ 24″ one I purchased from Michaels; you may want to check out this angel vine one I found on Etsy; however, these other grapevine wreaths can also work)

● Hot glue gun (any low temp. will do) and glue sticks (For the curious: I used this one, but the less expensive model is just as good. Great glue gun for serious crafters. But even the cheapest $5 variety will easily work for this project!).

● Jute twine for crafting

● Craft scissors (not pictured)

● Angled wire cutters

● Lemon stems with leaves (you can find similar ones like these or these varieties on Etsy)

● Grape clusters (blueberry clusters would also look lovely!)

● Fern stems

● White poppy stems

*PLUS: At least one or two additional floral and foliage stems of choice.

When making your diy lemon wreath, choose the materials that speak to you. Simply choose a variety and be sure to repeat those elements throughout the wreath.

Here are the steps I followed to create this wild and whimsical DIY lemon wreath.

STEPS: MAKING YOUR OWN DIY LEMON WREATH

Step 1: Add a base layer with a sprinkling of Ferns & Purple Foliage

To create that wild look, you will be layering the florals onto the wreath base, one floral type at a time.

For the base layer, I used a mix of ferns and one other foliage type that is variegated on one side and purple on the other. I chose to use the purple side.

Start by cutting the foliage (as you see above), making sure each stem is long enough to cover the fanned wreath base. In my case, I wanted this base layer to have foliage that extended past the edges of the wreath’s outer ring.

Next, lay out a handful of ferns on the wreath to determine the look before securing each piece.

NOTE: For the base layer, I am not going to cover up the entire wreath base. The intention is to add a bit of dimension and interest along the edges of the wreath that will be seen once the wreath is complete.

Here is how to create the first layer:

1/ Add hot glue to the bottom 3 inches of one of the fern stems.

2/ Insert the glued portion into the wreath base, angling the stem sideways, making sure the tip of the stem does not poke out the back of the wreath. Once inserted, press on base to allow the glue to dry (takes about 5 seconds for hot glue to dry).

3/ Attach another stem the same way.

4/ Continue attaching the rest of the fern stems to your wreath base.

TIPS:

1/ For a more ‘wild’ and whimsical look, be sure your stems are long enough to extend just past the outer ring of the wreath.

2/ Make sure you are continually ‘fanning’ out, following the general pattern of your wreath base.

5/ Next, add a few fern stems to the interior ring of the base, allowing the ferns to fan slightly inward.

6/ Next, attach the long purple foliage between the fern stems that fan outwards, following the same method (i.e., add hot glue to stems and insert into wreath base). Make sure to fan outwards.

Step 2: Add Lemon Stems

Since the lemon stems will be the stars of the show, these will cover the entire wreath base.

The lemon stems already have plenty of leaves on them, so they will cover quite a bit of space.

If you have exceptionally long stems, use your wire cutters to cut off the excess, leaving at least 3 inches (which is portion you will be inserting). Just make sure the entire length of each stem is enough to cover your wreath base.

Here is how to add your stems:

1/ Add hot glue to the bottom 3 inches of one of your lemon stems.

2/ Insert the stem into the wreath base. Angle the stem so it does not poke out the back of the wreath, making sure to fan outwards.

Here is that first stem, inserted, and fanning outwards.

Continue attaching each lemon stem around the rest of the wreath base, making sure to continue fanning outward.

Step 3: Embellish with a Few Additional Flourishes

To create a wild, whimsical look, embellish your DIY lemon wreath with at least one or two more embellishments.

TIP: For this next step, you will be integrating florals, rather than layering them overtop. This is because you don’t want to cover up all those lovely lemons!

I chose 3 embellishments: 1/ white and yellow flowers 2/ variegated greenery (which happen to be the underside of the purple foliage I already had) 3/ grape clusters

As you did before, start with one element first, laying it out before attaching to your wreath.

These are the steps I followed for this wreath:

1/ Add hot glue to stems of white and yellow flowers and insert into wreath base.

2/ Add 4 more floral bunches, the same way, around the wreath base.

3/ Next, add the variegated greenery (I added 5 small bunches) in the same manner, around the wreath base.

Next, I added grape clusters for a ‘fruitier’ finish.

Although I started by glueing the grape clusters directly onto the wreath (using LOTS of glue), a few of the clusters still ended up falling off!

SO, let me save you the trouble by recommending the following step which worked well for me:

1/ Cut a long piece of twine and place over the mid-point of the cluster.

2/ Wrap the twine around the cluster and a portion of the wreath itself or one of the bulker stems of your wreath. Tie a tight double knot along the back. (You may need to flip the wreath over to ensure you have tied it tightly).