How to Make a Dried Eucalyptus Wreath
Eucalyptus is a popular plant for a reason! The circular leaves and ability to keep its shape and color when it dries make it easy to work with. Learn how to take some eucalyptus and make it into a beautiful dried wreath.
How to Make a Dried Eucalyptus Wreath
I’m pretty sure everyone loves eucalyptus right now. It has a clean and refreshing scent, it dries well, and the little circular leaves are unique. I also think it does a great job spanning the different seasons. What is there not to love? A dried eucalyptus wreath seemed like the perfect addition above our fireplace.
After taking down Christmas decor I knew I wanted something light and simple to display on my mantel. I grew some eucalyptus over the summer that I was drying and I thought it would be perfect to make a simple modern wreath out of.
This project took me maybe ten minutes and I love how it turned out! There are so many other possibilities with this kind of wreath.
Should you use Dried or Fresh Eucalyptus?
Great news, you can use both!
If you have the option, I would choose fresh, like out of a bouquet of fresh flowers. It will be easier to bend and you won’t have to worry about breaking the leaves. If you use fresh eucalyptus, it will just simply dry on the wreath.
Where to Get Eucalyptus
Grow Your Own
I was browsing one of my favorite local plant shops, Groovy Plants Ranch, one spring and I noticed that they had a eucalyptus start for sale. I know Ohio doesn’t have the same climate as Australia, but I figured I would let it grow for the summer and see where we landed in the fall.
This little plant brought me so much joy over the summer and I loved seeing it grow. If you are a plant enthusiast, you may want to give it a try!
Bouquet of Flowers
Okay, I totally understand that growing your own eucalyptus is a bit ambitious for this project. Most likely you will try to find some in a store. If that’s the case, you’re in luck! Because eucalyptus is incredibly popular.
A friend once gave me a bouquet of flowers for my birthday and I took out the eucalyptus and dried it. You can also sometimes find it at Trader Joe’s! Keep an eye out at your local grocery store!
Etsy
I was surprised to see the number of people selling eucalyptus on Etsy. Apparently it is quite popular to hang a bundle of eucalyptus in the shower. This would be a great option to support a small business and find some eucalyptus.
Materials for Dried Eucalyptus Wreath
- Eucalyptus (alt: boxwood, pine, lavender, babys breath)
- Metal Hoop – I got mine from JoAnns, (alt – embroidery hoop, any other larger size hoop)
- Thin Wire (alt – embroidery thread, fishing line, floral wire, thread)
- Scissors
- Optional: Wire Cutters
I feel it is important to note that I provided the materials that I used and some alternatives! I think it is always best to use what you already have. That is just a more sustainable practice and saves you money!
How to Make a Dried Eucalyptus Wreath
I think it is handy to clip a few wires before you start placing the eucalyptus on the hoop. I prefer to give myself ample wiggle room with the wire, by cutting approximately 4 inch lengths.
Place your first stem of eucalyptus along the hoop. Find a few places to wrap the wire around the plant and the hoop to secure it. It may still be able to slide, but that is okay. Once you begin to add more branches, it will become more secure.
When placing the eucalyptus, think about what pieces of the plant you would like to stick out from the wreath. I like to have some of the smaller leaves poke out from the main hoop. This helps give the overall wreath a little more volume.
It can be a little difficult to simultaneously hold the stems and wrap the wires when the hoop is on the floor. I found that holding the hoop between my legs when sitting cross legged like this really helped my control and made placing the stems go a lot faster.
It may look a little silly and I’m a bit self conscious about my choice of old socks, but it was a game changer so I had to share!
Once your stems are placed and you’re happy with how it looks, feel free to go through and give the extra wires that are sticking out a trim. Just make sure they are wrapped and secure enough to not untwist. You could also just simply wrap them around the main wire wreath as well.
I placed the stems so they only filled around a third of my hoop and I love how it looks!
Fun Additions & Twists
This wreath was incredibly simple and fun to make. I love the idea of making similar wreaths in the future. What is also nice is that the eucalyptus can be taken off, composted, and another plant can take its place in the future without causing a lot of waste.
Different Variations
I wrote another blog post on how to dry florals, which would be a great resource for drying other plants/flowers to make another version of this wreath.
Take inspiration from the seasons and what you see around you!
This kind of wreath would look great with bright foliage and flowers in the spring and summer, dried grasses in the fall, and evergreen in the winter.
You could also make a base layer of dried foliage and add in different accents: dried citrus, dried flowers, fresh flowers, pom poms, little wood shapes, pinecones, acorns. Perfect for easily changing up your wreath with the seasons.
