Artificial academy

Summer wreath making with artificial flowers

23 / 08 / 2024

Woman in a black shirt standing against a green leafy background

Annabel Thain

Marketing executive

Hanging a decorative wreath on your door used to be a tradition reserved for only the festive season, however, this is no longer the case!

Seasonal wreaths have grown in popularity in recent years, with many UK households popping up an autumnal wreath as soon as the colder weather sweeps in. Sadly, the warmer seasons aren't getting this same, wreath-shaped appreciation!

When we think of summer, we think of barbecues, drinks in the garden and fun-filled family gatherings! So why not get your home summer-ready and create a welcoming entrance?

Follow along with our step-by-step guide to learn how to make an artificial summer wreath!

What are the advantages of an artificial flower wreath over a real one?

Real cut flowers simply do not last - there’s no use making a wreath, only for the flowers to fade away within a week!

Making a summer door wreath using artificial flowers ensures your style will stick around for far longer, meaning your wreath can be brought back out summer after summer.

Artificial flowers are also more durable than real ones. Summer showers and beaming sunlight will take its toll on your wreath, but a faux summer wreath can be treated to withstand even the harshest summer weather - unlike its real counterpart.

The other advantage of faux florals is that you can use out of season flowers to decorate your wreath. So even though they don’t bloom in July, you can add as many faux pansies you wish!

To learn more about the benefits of artificial plants, read our 'artificial vs real plants' blog.

Choosing your artificial flowers & foliage

With a plethora of summer wreath ideas to choose from, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by choice, but when choosing your stems, it's important to remember that there’s no wrong way to do it!

If you want to get technical, there are several ways you can narrow down the style you want for your wreath - these are: by colour, theme or tone.

Choosing flowers by colour

There are four types of colour schemes that you could follow to help you make a cohesive wreath design. These are monochromatic, complementary, analogous and triadic.

Monochromatic - involves just one colour for a simple, elegant style
Complementary – includes colours that are placed opposite each other on the colour wheel. Often results in a bold design.
Analogous – Uses three colours which are positioned next to each other on the colour wheel. The first is the more dominant colour, the second colour is next to the first on the colour wheel and the third colour can be a mixture of the first two colours e.g. Red, orange and white. This tends to result in a nice cohesive arrangement.
Triadic – Uses three colours which are evenly spaced on the colour wheel. This method tends to result in a rather vibrant style, which to some people can be fun and lively and to others a bit chaotic!

Choosing flowers by theme

Creating a theme for your wreath is one of the easiest ways to create a cohesive design. In the UK, summer has two strong themes your faux wreath could embody: a countryside theme or a tropical theme.

An English countryside faux summer wreath is likely to feature an abundance of florals; ranging from delicate wildflower - such as cosmos - to flourishing roses. The English countryside theme encapsulates the gentle, yet magical side to summer, rich in large blooms and wildlife.

If you're looking to create something more tropical, your wreath should feature a mix of large-leaf foliage, such as our paradise leaf stem and bold, exotic faux flowers. This theme showcases the vibrancy of summer, bringing the wonders of the Caribbean sea breeze straight to your front door!

Choosing flowers by tone

Another way to choose your flowers is to think about the effect you want your wreath to have. To create a friendly, cheerful and energetic wreath, the colours yellow and orange should be most prominent - for example.

If you’re not one for colour theory, feel free to have fun with your wreath, choose your favourite flowers and go for it! Try experimenting by pairing different flowers together and find your own unique combo.

For more insight into colour theory, check out our blog on the meaning and psychology of flower colours.

Let's get stuck into the craft!

How to make an artificial summer wreath for your front door

What you’ll need:

A grapevine wreath
Artificial flowers and foliage of your choice - in our DIY wreath, we used 2 x foliage sprays and 3 x artificial flower stems
Dark green cable ties
Hot glue gun and glue inserts
Wire cutters
Scissors

1. Explore different layouts until you find a design you like

Once you have selected the stems you wish to use in your arrangement, it's time to get creative! Explore layering your foliage and flower stems onto the base of the wreath until you find a layout you like.

Protip: We recommend taking a photo of your favourite layout so you don't forget the order of the foliage!

2. Trim down your artificial foliage and flower stems

Using a pair of wire cutters, begin to trim most of the stalk off the artificial stems - the amount you trim off the foliage and floral sprays may be more or less, depending on its placement on the wreath base. Repeat until all foliage stems have been trimmed.

Gently bend the stems in the direction they will be placed on the wreath - this will give the foliage a more realistic, natural look!

3. Begin attaching the foliage to the wreath base

Begin to attach the base foliage to the wreath using dark green cable ties. To ensure the foliage is secure to the wreath, we used between 2 to 3 cable ties per foliage branch. We recommend using a 'fluffy' foliage as the bottom layer of the wreath to help disguise the cable ties.

Continue to add faux foliage and flowers to your base until your faux summer wreath begins to take shape!

4. Use extra flowers to cover any gaps

Use spare faux flowers to cover any gaps or unsightly cable ties!

Trim the stem off the artificial flowers close to the flower head - this allows for a wider, flatter surface area to apply glue to.

Using a hot glue gun, generously apply glue to the back of the faux flower head and attach to the wreath. For larger gaps, more flowers may need to be used in one area. Repeat this step until all the gaps in the wreath have been filled.

Do you have any small flowers leftover from previous crafts? Why not add them onto your wreath for an extra pop of colour!

5. Preparing your faux summer wreath for outside

Faux flowers tend to be made using delicate silk which currently, cannot be made to contain UV stabilisers and blockers to protect them from the sun. This means that they’re likely to fade faster than other outdoor artificial plants.

Typically, these flowers will last for many seasons outside, but you may be able to extend their lifespan...

There are lots of UV sprays available online, which work to apply UV blockers to your flower’s foliage, preventing them from discolouring in the sunlight.

All you need to do is spray your wreath all over, making sure to cover all your flowers and foliage to protect them from harsh UV rays. For more information, read our guide to UV resistance and why it matters.

and..voila!

Your unique faux summer wreath is complete and ready to combat those pesky summer showers and beaming rays!

How to attach an artificial summer wreath to your front door

Now’s the moment you’ve been waiting for when you can stand back and admire your work!

To attach your wreath to your door use either:

A length of ribbon and a hook on the inside of your door (can be adhesive)
Or an over-door wreath hanger

Option 1: over-door wreath hanger

The first option is to use an over door wreath hanger. You can find these online and they’re quick and easy to use. All you need to do is sit it over the top of your door.

The only downside is that they aren’t the most stylish things, and you can’t adjust the height of the hook.

Option 2: ribbon & hook

The second option is to use some ribbon and an adhesive hook on the inside of your door. This offers a lot more style than the over door hanger, plus you can match the ribbon to your flower colours to continue the theme of your wreath.

To do this, check where you would like your wreath to sit and measure your ribbon. Then, attach a hook at the correct height on the inside of your door. An adhesive hook should work fine but you can of course screw a nail in if you would prefer.

Loop a length of ribbon through your wreath and tie a knot. Then wrap the ribbon over the top of your door and attach it to the hook on the inside.

Need help making an artificial flower wreath?

We hope that by the end of this guide, you’ll have made a beautiful summer wreath for your front door, but if you need a hand, you’re more than welcome to get in touch and speak to one of our team.

Alternatively, find more artificial plant and flower DIY ideas.