12 Dec Swirl Tour: ‘The Wreath Recipe Book’ Shows How to Make Hort Décor for the Holidays (and Beyond!)

At some point in recent years, the wreath took a leap. It jumped from boilerplate purchase of holiday decor to an ecstatic swirl of seasonal plants. Wreaths became something to make yourself and admire year-round.

Local doors have never looked so good. If you’re as excited about this development as we are, we urge you to pick up a copy of The Wreath Recipe Book by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo, published by Artisan earlier this fall. (Alethea and Jill are also the authors of flower-arranging essential The Flower Recipe Book.) Inside you’ll find 100 “recipes” for creating garlands, swags, mandalas, wreaths, even floral mobiles for every season.

The following six photos excerpted from The Wreath Recipe Book by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2014. Photographs by Paige Green. 

The new Wreath Recipe Book by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo (Artisan) is a holiday gift that gets even more exciting as the seasons change. Photo credit: Paige Green.

“Making wreaths and garlands gives us a chance to use material foraged from nature, something we love to do,” Alethea and Jill tell us via email. “Instead of hanging pictures, we prefer floral wallhangings that reflect the seasons. Sometimes that means one beautiful branch, other times a simple garland.”

Examples include a ring of flowering dogwood branches, moss, lichen and mushrooms forming a “whimsical vignette”; a summer centerpiece trailing ivy, yarrow, buddleia and apple branches; a blazing swag of autumnal bittersweet and marigolds; and a winter wreath hazy with heather, camellia and anemones. Each piece comes with clear instructions (plus basics on hydrating and wiring flowers) and electrifying photos. Inspired by these recipes, Ryan and I made our own (somewhat improvised) wreath using available flora: honey bracelet myrtle, wax flower, protea and Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ (“black rose” succulent) snapped off from the plant in our garden.

It’s Druid meets goth, with a touch of Chanel!

For the full how-to and 100 wonderful DIYs, grab a copy of this beautiful book — from your local bookseller, the usual online sources, from the publisher, or get a signed copy directly from the authors right here.

—TH

Pine Recipe #3, mobile: eucalyptus branches, ranunculus blooms, minicarnation blooms, kumquat, kumquat fruits, sprig of pine. Photo credit: Paige Green.

Waxflower Recipe #3, swag: Magnolia branch, waxflower, hypericum. Photo credit: Paige Green.

Pussy Willow Recipe #2, mobile: Bleached pinecones, spruce branch. Photo credit: Paige Green.

Camellia Recipe #3, wreath: Heather, camellia, anemones. Photo credit: Paige Green.

Juniper Recipe #4, wreath: Bare branches, juniper branches, winter bud branches, cymbidium orchid blooms, air plants. Photo credit: Paige Green.

The following six photos by Ryan Benoit.

Foraging an Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ succulent from our garden.

When we couldn’t locate all the ingredients in a pinch for a winter “recipe,” we improvised with plants from the local florists’ and our yard. From left: oleanderleaf protea (Protea neriifolia), bracelet honey myrtle (Melaleuca armillaris), waxflower, Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop.’ Supplies included a double-ring wire frame, floral snips and paddle wire.

We laid out the general desired look of our wreath before wiring bunches to the frame.