There are a million ways to make a wreath, and it’s time for you to learn a new technique! This whimsical winter wreath is made using a fun material: floral mesh. Floral mesh is a very wide, open weave ribbon that can be twisted and gathered into many ways to make a pretty decorator wreath. Add your favorite winter ornaments and you’ve got a DIY mesh wreath that can take you through the holiday season and all the way into the new year.
Floral mesh is a versatile material that is fairly simple to use. You can use the technique taught in this article to make any color or style of DIY mesh wreath, so don’t be afraid to get creative! I shopped at the dollar store for the decorative ornaments I added to this wreath.
It will take about two hours to make this DIY mesh wreath.
Winter DIY Mesh Wreath Supplies:
- Darice Metal Wreath Form (16 inches)
- Expressions White Iridescent Floral Mesh (21 inches wide)
- Darice Silver Tinsel Stems
- Darice Pearl Berry Sprays (3)
- Assorted Decorative Ornaments
- Darice Sisal Bottle Brush Trees ( 1-inch and 1.5-inch)
- Darice Wire cutters
- Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
- Darice Scissors
Step 1. First we need to prepare the wreath form by adding tinsel stems to the metal frame. It’s easiest to add the tinsel stems to the form before we start adding the floral mesh! Cut the tinsel stems in half, using the wire cutters. You’ll need about 20 pieces total.
Step 2. Tie the tinsel stems around the metal wreath form. Fold the tinsel stem in half and twist it around the frame. Twist it about three times to make sure it is secure.
I put 2 stems on each outer ring section of the wreath form. I then added one stem to each middle and inner section. These stems will be in place to secure your floral mesh with as you form your wreath.
Step 3. Time to get the floral mesh! Gather the end of the mesh up in your hand and pinch it together in your fingers.
Twist the pinched floral mesh into one of the inside tinsel stems on the wreath form, twisting the wire about two times to secure the mesh tightly. Point the raw edge of the mesh down toward the back side of the wreath.
Step 4. Take about 8-10 inches of the mesh and gather it into a puff, then tie it with the next tinsel stem on the inside row of the wreath form. You can create different looks with the floral mesh depending on how you twist and puff the material.
Continue making puffs and working your way around the inside of the wreath form.
After you’ve filled in the inside row of the wreath, start to fill in the outside and then the middle rows of the wreath. You will use some of the tinsel stems again a second time (adding a bundle of mesh to a tinsel stem that has already been used for a first bundle).
When you have filled three rows of the wreath with floral mesh, trim and secure the end of the mesh to the wreath. The raw edges should face the back of the wreath.
You might have a few gaps in your wreath. No problem! We will use the rest of the roll of floral mesh to create filler bunches of mesh.
Step 5. Cut 6-inch strips of the floral mesh. They will curl into tubes. Cut as many as you can until the mesh is gone.
Cut each tube in half so you are left with two shorter tubes.
Hold the two tubes together, and use a tinsel stem to tie them together into a bundle that looks kind of like an X.
Step 6. Tie the X bundle to the wreath, anywhere there is a gap in the mesh on the wreath. Try to spread the bundles evenly around the wreath.
You can arrange the curls on the wreath so they fill in any open spaces, and cover up any exposed tinsel stems.
Step 7. Tie a full-sized tinsel stem to the back of the wreath form to create a hanger. (Look at the wreath before you tie the hanger on the back, and decide where you want the top of the wreath to be).
Now it’s time to embellish your DIY mesh wreath!
I found a lot of pretty ornaments at my local dollar store!
Before you add any ornaments, tie three pearl berry sprays to the wreath, slightly bending them to mimic the curve of the wreath. Tie them onto the wreath using an existing tinsel stem on the wreath form.
Next, play around with the placement of your ornaments, spreading them around the wreath. When you are happy with the placement of the ornaments, hot glue them in place.
Add some mini sisal trees, for additional visual interest and a spot of color. Place the trees in groupings of two and three (but mostly threes). Hot glue in place.
All done! Are you ready to make your own DIY mesh wreath yet?
If you had fun with this mesh wreath tutorial, you should check out this new year decor tulle wreath. You’ll use a different technique with the tulle that’s just as fun as the floral mesh technique.
About Heather
Heather Mann is the mother of four boys and designs and shares clever crafts with a frugal twist at her site Dollar Store Crafts. She's also fascinated by the unsuccessful (yet humorous) side of crafting, and explores it at her site CraftFail, and in her new book, CraftFail: When Handmade Goes Horribly Wrong.
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