How To Use A Wire Wreath Frame

When making a wreath, wreath wrap provides a cheap and easy way to help protect the integrity of your wreath base. Additionally, when working with fresh flowers, a wrapped wreath base will keep water in. This in turn helps to keep your flowers hydrated. Read on for an introduction to wreath wrap and why it makes a valuable addition to any florist’s or hobbyist’s toolkit.

What is wreath wrap?

In the simplest terms, wreath wrap is a roll of thin green wrap designed to be wound around a wreath base. It is made of specialised material that performs four key functions. The key properties of wreath wrap include:

1. Flexibility: Slight stretch to wrap it around the curvaceous shape of a wreath
2. Strength: To create a barrier that protects the wreath base
3. Yielding: Gives way to stems being inserted into it
4. Camouflaging: Thanks to its green colouring, it masks any gaps in your flowers/foliage

Why use wreath wrap?

For Fresh Flower Wreaths: Wreath wrap is useful because, as a protective barrier, it helps to preserve the vigour and longevity of fresh flowers. By creating a barrier between the wet surface and the ambient temperature, it seals in moisture.

For Artificial or Dried Flower Wreaths: Wrapping a polystyrene or dry floral foam base wreath in wreath wrap can help to preserve the integrity of the base and keep it from crumbling.

Which kinds of wreaths can I wrap?

Wreath wrap can be used on different types of wreaths, including polystyrene wreaths, moss-based wreaths, as well as both wet and dry floral foam wreaths.

Polystyrene & Dry Floral Foam Wreaths

Polystyrene and dry floral foam are porous materials that can be susceptible to crumbling, especially when multiple stems are inserted into a small area. However, wrapping polystyrene or dry foam wreaths prior to inserting stems helps to fortify the surface and contain any crumbling pieces.

Wet Floral Wreaths

Wreath wrap can help to preserve the freshness of fresh flowers and foliage by keeping your wreath base moist. By creating a physical barrier, wreath wrap halts water leakage and evaporation from the wreath base.

Alternatively, you may opt to wrap only the back of your wreath, using wreath wrap and mossing pins. Wrapping from behind helps to keep in moisture, hides mechanics, and protects your hanging surface from scratches. See below for instructions.

How to use wreath wrap

1. To wrap your entire wreath base with wreath wrap, first ensure your wreath is sufficiently moist.
2. Next, anchor the starting point on your wreath. Do this by attaching the end of your wreath wrap to your wreath base with mossing pins.
3. Keeping it taut, wind your wreath wrap around the body of the wreath, making sure to overlap the edges of the tape as you go. The aim is to cover the wreath completely.
4. Finally, seal your tape with mossing pins to keep it secure. If the wreath is large, you may need to do a second layer of wrap to ensure full coverage. See our video below for a tutorial.

1. To wrap only the backside of your wreath, begin by pinning down your wreath wrap onto the outer edge of your wreath.
2. Working inwards, pull the wrap straight down, towards the inner edge of the wreath.
3. Secure the inner edge with pins, then pull up on a slight diagonal to the outer edge again.
4. Secure with pins, then pull the wreath wrap straight down again, to the inner edge. Repeat this process as you move around the circumference of your wreath.

What is biodegradable wreath wrap?

There are two types of wreath wrap; traditional and biodegradable wreath wrap. Traditional plastic wreath wrap has been in use for many years. Biodegradable wreath wrap is a newer, eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic wrap. It is made from biodegradable materials, which, under the right conditions. will break down naturally.

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What are the benefits?

Biodegradable wreath wrap offers several benefits, including:

• Materials: It is made from naturally-derived source materials, which enables it to break down under the right conditions.
• Plastic-free: As this product contains no plastic, when disposed of properly, biodegradable wreath wrap reduces the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfill. This makes it a safer option for the environment than plastic alternatives, which remain intact in landfill for prolonged periods of time.

Which kind of wreath wrap should I use?

When working with fresh flower wreaths, try using our traditional plastic-based wreath wrap. This wrap won’t break down with prolonged exposure to moisture over time. This makes it ideal for use in fresh moss-based or wet wreaths.

For wreaths that carry no moisture, we recommend our paper-based biodegradable wreath wrap. This variety of wreath wrap protects your wreath base whilst gently yielding to stems as you insert them.

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Using this information, we hope your next foray into wreath-making is the easiest and most enjoyable yet! For further information, watch our wreath instructional videos on KochTV and read our blogs How To Use A Wire Wreath Frame and A Simple Guide To Creating The Perfect ANZAC Day Wreath.

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