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3.29.2012

Spring Moss Wreath Tutorial

The other day I saw a Spring Square Wreath that I liked made by Suesan at Frou Frugal.  I wanted to recreate the bird nest and flowers that she accented her wreath with, but found out soon enough that it was going to prove to be a harder task than first thought.  Who knew it could be so hard to find a bird nest in March?  After searching several stores I gave up and decided that if a bird could make a nest, I could certainly give it a try.  I'm telling you though, those birds have some skill, without the help of a glue gun, my nest wouldn't have stood a chance! 


How to Make a Bird Nest (If you are not a bird)

1. Take some [budding] branches from a [Lilac] bush and bend and twist them together into the shape of a nest.  Hot glue a few short pieces on to form the bottom of the nest.

2. Twist some spanish moss into a long piece and form it into a circle. Glue it to the twigs.

3. Insert flower stems between the branches and glue in place.

4. Glue eggs inside the nest.


How to Cover a Wreath with Sheet Moss


1.  One package of sheet moss and one foam wreath.

2.  The wreath I used was a 15" bevel foam wreath (it's flat on the top and bottom).

3.  Measure the depth of the wreath and cut the foam in strips to fit around the outer and inner edge.

4.  Glue the moss strips to the wreath with hot glue.  I left part of the inside top unfinished until the end in case I didn't have enough moss to finish it in one large piece.  Turns out I had enough.

5.  Line up the moss sheet and trim it to fit right next to the adjoining pieces of moss.  Hot glue along the edges and a few spots in the middle and gently press it down.  Keep rotating and moving the moss around the wreath until the foam is completely covered, lining up the curve of the cut with the next part of the wreath.  The seams will disappear if you put the moss close enough together.

6.  As you can see, this is a very messy process and there were only a few scraps leftover.  I barely had enough moss in the package to cover the wreath.


The wreath is hanging from a strip of striped fabric in front of a new mirror I bought for our dining room.  The mirror is large (3 ft. x 4ft) and really helps to make the space feel bigger.   The nest is attached to the wreath with straight pins and the wreath is held against the mirror with blue Fun Tac (for posters). 





My plan is to display the moss wreath year round and either change the accent seasonally or leave it plain.  I don't think it will be the easiest to keep dust free though, so we'll see how long it lasts, hopefully for awhile. 



The total cost of the wreath was $15 with sale prices and was well worth it.   I really love the color and texture that it adds to the room!




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15 comments:

lindalou said...

This is lovely. Turned out great. You might make a good bird.

That moss looks so messy.

laxsupermom said...

So pretty! Love the rustic nature of this wreath! Thanks for sharing.

Susan said...

It is so pretty, but you lost me on this one....too messy for me, I'm too old with no patience! ;)

Janet said...

To Susan: I thought it might be messy (and it really was!), so I cut the moss and twigs over a piece of poster board. Then when I was finished, I picked up the board and used it to dump the extra pieces off into the trash. It made the clean-up so much easier!

Willow said...

I love the nest addition to the wreath! So cute!

Anonymous said...

Love your wreath. It is so simple looking but so beautiful at the same time. The mantel in the previous posts is a great work of art too!

Kellie said...

Love the wreath. Thanks for sharing :)

farmhouse-story said...

the little moss nest is just the sweetest accent-great wreath idea, janet:)

amy b.s. said...

what a cute idea!

lindalou said...

Just so you know...I've Pinned a couple of your wreaths.

Karen said...

So cute Janet! I love the pop of blue that the eggs add! You have so much patience and are so creative!! I have wanted to make something with moss!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great tutorial. Your wreath turned out lovely! Like you I have been looking for a nest, but haven't had any luck finding one. You've inspired me to try to make my own.
Sharla

Meg@OliverandRust said...

oh i love this tutorial. thank you.

cheapcraftymama said...

Very fresh and pretty!

Anonymous said...

Your wreath is so pretty, and I love the springtime touch added by the bird's nest. I just lined to your tutorial from the StyroCrafts' Facebook page (tweeted & pinned, too). Thank you. Sharon

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