Holiday Inspiration

How to Arrange Modern Winter Florals

A beautiful way to create a seasonal focal point is by adding a wreath to the center of a Minted Artful Shelf. “Adding a round shape complements and breaks up the rectangles on the shelf, and I placed it over people in ‘Melancolia’ to draw the eye to that moment,” says interiors stylist Rosy Strazzeri-Fridman.

The Minted Modern Holiday Wreath is made of gunni eucalyptus, Douglas fir, bittersweet branches, and silver brunia berries. Read on to learn how to make this wreath and a matching centerpiece. Recreate the look of the entire art shelf by reading “How to Create Winter Wonder at Home.”

How to Make the Minted Modern Wreath in 6 Steps

Wreath Supplies

  • Gold wreath frame (we used a 19” macrame ring)
  • Floral paddle wire (we used 26-gauge gold wire)
  • Floral shears

Wreath Ingredients

  • 1 bunch gunni eucalyptus
  • 1 bunch Douglas fir
  • 1 bunch bittersweet branches
  • 1 bunch silver brunia berries

How to Make the Wreath

  1. When choosing your foliage, use greenery that will dry well. We used gunni eucalyptus and Douglas fir. Cut larger branches of materials into smaller, more workable segments.
  2. Begin to make small handheld bundles of greenery and clippings. We started with a stem of Douglas fir, layered on top a few stems of eucalyptus, and then placed silver brunia berries and bittersweet on top.
  3. Take your first bundle and place it on the metal ring; attach it to the ring with floral wire, wrapping the wire tightly around the bundle’s stems four to five times. Do not cut the wire.
  4. Create a second bundle; don’t feel like you have to create identical greenery bundles. In fact, a variety of shapes and sizes will help your wreath feel organic and asymmetrical. Place the second bundle on top of the stems of the first bundle so they overlap; wrap wire around the stems to attach the second bundle to the ring.
  5. Continue adding bundles until you feel your wreath is complete; we like to leave a bit of the hoop peeking out. Do not cut your floral wire until after you’ve secured your very last bundle. Once your last bundle is secured to the ring, cut the wire and tuck the end back into the wreath.
  6. Take a few loose stems of greenery and poke the stems through to cover up any gaps or unsightly spots of wire.

How to Make the Modern Table Centerpiece

To create a similar centerpiece for your holiday table, choose a vase that complements your tabletop decor and place settings. Take a square piece of chicken wire and shape it into a ball; insert the chicken-wire ball into your vase and secure it in place with clear floral tape. Fill your vase with water. Start by inserting your longest stems that will extend from the vase—here, I used branches of bittersweet; the chicken-wire armature will hold the stems in place. Next, create a base of greenery by inserting stems (I used Douglas fir, gunni eucalyptus, and hosta leaves). Continue by adding textural elements to fill the vase; try to place stems near the lip of the vase so the chicken wire is not visible (I used stems of berzillia berries, yarrow, and sedum). Lastly, place your “focal” flowers so they are prominent and visible—here, we used stems of curcuma, blushing bride protea, and chocolate cosmos.

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