Poinsettia Wreath Tutorial

This tutorial is for a poinsettia wreath using Poly Burlap Mesh, Deco Poly Mesh and new Stemballs and/or Twist Balls for the center. If simple mesh or metallic mesh is used, you might want to order an extra roll to allow for more petals for better coverage. This wreath is also beautiful made with 10" Red Paper Mesh. Any sort of green can be used for the leaves. And the center can be filled with balls of other colors. Even another color 10" Pencil Wreath can be used, as it really doesn't show. If red is not available, fuchsia would probably be the next best color. Supplies: RP810324 Red 10" x 10 yard Poly Burlap XX167824 10" Red Pencil Wreath (you can use most any color, since the twists won't show - 10" Pencil Wreaths) Green Mesh for leaves XX086508 2" Gold Pencil Ball Ties (3) (other colors can be used) Substitutes: MTX3183 2.75" Matte Dark Gold Stemballs (you can also use other colors) Note: You can use any color of 10" Poly Burlap, Deco Poly Mesh, Paper Mesh, Poly Jute etc. It is recommended that the flower petals be made of 10" wide material. Also most any color of 10" Pencil Wreath can be used, as it shows very little in the finished product. Item number was not given for green mesh leaves since we used remnants from our craft table. 21" wide green mesh in two shades was used for this tutorial, emerald and lime green. You can use 10" mesh, paper, poly burlap, ect in any shade of green. Stemballs are new and just came in, they are available in several different sizes and color. Pencil Balls also are available in several different styles and colors. First Step: Cut leaves from green mesh. We used a 21" Deco Poly Mesh in lime green and emerald. The mesh was 21" wide so we cut lengths of both colors about 12" in length. If you are using 10" wide material, cut your mesh about 14-16" in length. We use a 24" x 36" self healing Omnigrid Cutting Mat and a 45mm Omnigrid Rotary Cutter (these are available at Amazon and we have included our affiliate links.) The outer ring of the 10" Pencil Wreath has about 7 ties, and we decided to use two layers of leaves on this wreath. You may elect to use one, two or even three layers of leaves. Taking the 12" x 21" strip of mesh, pull gently from the corner diagonally. This gives the leaves a pointed end. Ease your fingers to the center of the strip and pinch it in the center. Secure the pinched center into one of the twist on the outer ring. It doesn't matter where you start. Push the pointed ends of the leaves outward much like a "V" We secured two layers of leaves at a time, one right on top of the other securing in the twist at the same time. You can do it this way, or if you find it easier, go around the wreath one time, then go back with a second layer. If you go back with a second layer, be sure to open the twist, let the first leaf stay in place, lay the second leaf down and secure both at the same time in the twist. Push the ends toward the outside. Work all the way around the outer ring. The twists only need to be secure with one or two twist, because now you are ready to layer in your petals. Next Step - Create Flower Petals The 10" Poly Burlap was chosen for this project and will be suitable for an outdoor wreath since it is all synthetic and waterproof. As with any plastic product it will eventually fade with exposure to sunlight. The Craig Bachman Poly Burlap is 10" in width and 10 yards in length. It is a woven mesh with a burlap or paper mesh look and feel. It is heavier than regular Deco Poly Mesh. Cut flower petal 10" in length. Since the Poly Burlap is 10" in width, this gives you a 10" square for each petal. One roll is sufficient for the 10" Pencil Wreath and you may have a little bit left over. To form the petal, place the square with the natural curl of the paper curling upward. Pull opposing corners of the square to the center and pinch the center together forming a sort of bow tie look. Open up one of the twist on the outer ring, making sure the two layers of leaves stay in place. Lay the petal down on top of the green leaves and secure with a twist. Place two layers of petals into each twist. You can do this by adding two at a time, or secure one then secure the next one. Place the petal with the cut edges down, leaving the smooth side up. After the two layers of petals have been secured, this time you can give the twist three or four turns since it is your last layer of product to add to that twist. Push the tips of the twists to the inside of the Work Wreath to get them out of the way. Continue working around the outer ring with two layers of petals on top of the green leaves, then secure two layers of petals on the inner ring. Next Step - Build Center After the petals have all been secured, take the tips of the twists from the inner ring and pull them toward the center. Twist the two opposing twists together forming a center in the Work Wreath. There are about 5 twists on the inner ring. Securing the tips of the twist in the manner make a secure place for adding more petals to continue filling in your center. The twists look much like spokes on a wheel. There are five, so you can add at least 5 more petals, more if you need to. The tip for creating this center was sent in by customer, Linda Matthews. We appreciate so much hearing from our customers when they have an idea that we can share. Many thanks to Linda for sharing with us. Here's a link to Linda's Facebook page. Drop by and visit her and tell her you heard about her tip on Trendy Tree! To secure the extra petals, just place a small zip tie over the pinched petal center, over one of the twists in the center. Reach from under the back side and secure your zip tie. You can also use small pieces of chenille stems or floral wire. Plastic zip ties work well and you can just snip off the excess tie from the back with wire cutters. You can also use this same technique to fill in any gaps or holes in the wreath. Just place the zip tie over the petal's center and secure directly to the Work Wreath frame. With the addition of five extra petals, we have really filled in the center of our wreath. You can decide at this point what kind of center you want to use. Here's a link to a recent tutorial we did showing some alternative flower center tips. Using Twist Balls for Center Twist balls are two balls attached with a piece of tinsel. They are available in several sizes and colors and come anywhere from 6 to 12 in a bag. Available in assorted colors and sizes (some colors may be sold out or on order.) The Pencil Ball Ties are pushed up through the center from the back of the wreath and just twisted together on the top side. We used three sets on this wreath. You just have to keep twisting and manipulating them to get the look you want, and get them snug enough. Be careful not to twist so tightly that you pull the balls off the tinsel twist. Using Stemballs for Center Next we wanted to show you a new product that just came in - Stemballs. They are available in several sizes and color. Some are in clusters of three and some are clusters of six, just depending on the size. The balls have a wire attached and the wires are twisted together to make a cluster of balls. The Pencil Ball Ties were removed and a cluster of three dark gold Stemballs was used. We cut a square about 5" x 5" of the red Poly Burlap, and threaded the stemballs through the center of the square. Pushed the stemball through the center of the wreath (where the twists were all secured together) and turned the wreath over the wire in from the back size. You can also use zip ties of you want to secure it more than just using the wire of the Stemballs around the pencil twists. Clip your strings when you're all done. All product ravel, some maybe worse than others. The fewer cuts you make in the product and handling it as little as possible helps. The overall wreath measures about 21" Always check the back for anything sharp that might scratch your wall or door and you can fashion a hanger from a couple of zip ties or chenille stems. Zip ties look nicer I think. Remember, that you can make this wreath out of most any 10" mesh product, different colors, different Work Wreath color, just stick with the 10" Pencil Wreath. It can be made on a 24" Work Wreath but yields a much larger wreath and you have a much larger center to fill in. The Pencil Ball Ties or Stemballs can be used in other colors and sizes or you can choose a different center all together. So many options! Save