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Balance is what you are looking for. Balance in shape, you don’t want any sticking out way above others, you don’t want one side of wreath to be fuller than other. Try stepping back and looking at a distance and just think “balance of shape”.
The second area to look for is balance of color. This is purpose of doing each bloom all over, then filling in, so you achieve that balance of color. Give another once over to check on that.
Now, this wreath is either finished, or you can add perhaps add small sprigs of dried baby’s breath to it. Really depends on look you want. Sometimes simplicity of only hydrangeas is stunning.
For a grapevine wreath, it’s same principal but a different look. You can tie a bow on wreath if you want (if you do, do so before adding flowers), or ribbon. I like to leave bare spaces on these to be able to see grapevine portion as well. Again, look for balance. You can also add dried roses to it or any other type of dried flowers or grasses too. You can get really creative with these and come up with very different looks. Experiment to your heart’s content.
Many times people expect dried floral arrangements to last forever, and are disappointed when they start looking bad after a few years. This is a misconception. Expect them to look good for about a year, that’s really about all they were meant to last. If they are in direct sunlight it will be a much shorter time. However, next year, feel free to strip old flowers off, and make another with same base for another year’s worth of a gorgeous hand made wreath!
By Valerie Garner-Mother, grandmother and candlemaker / owner of Joyful Designs in Soy. She loves to write on a variety of topics with a warm, and engaging style. http://www.joyfuldesignsinsoy.com